Delay in Planning, Design and Construction: A Case Study of Residential Development Project in Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam’s construction industry is now suffering from many problems regarding design to operation especially in residential and complex building. These problems include:

1. Coordination between Architect and Structural designer
2. Communication difference between architect and owner regarding the structure
3. Lack of government permit
4. The contractor’s method of construction did not comply with local building standard therefore accident happened
5. Project delay due to owner’s return payment to contractor which is not stipulated in the contract
6. Dispute between project construction management group and main contractor or between main-contractor and sub-contractor about claim, variation order, quality, delay of schedule, and coordination with other contractor
7. Difficulty of taking over from contractor to project management group because the standard is not clear or was not met general standard
8. When PCMG handed over the project to client but the client has financial difficulty
9. Rework
10. Resolving complains from client about service quality and the method of managing the project

Mr. Nguyen Hung Cuong made a case study which objectives were to: (1) study delay in planning, design, construction; (2) find out to solve and prevent problems in each stage; and (3) propose project life cycle strategy in how to develop residential complex.

Conclusions

The project life cycle would be successful if in each phase of the construction phase project, the management had clear plan and had coordinated with all contractors to resolve the problems at an early stage.

The project will be completed on time if clients are pleased and satisfied with the quality and safety. In case of project delay, propositions based on theoretical and recommended practices including guidance from the PMI’s PMBOK guide can be presented in order to solve the problem. Besides, some useful tools were considered and suggested to use as the aids for the project managers to improve control management in the project.

However, this case has limited information because some companies in Vietnam can not provide full information to students.

Recommendations

In order to avoid problems on project delay from concept design to operation which was actually happened in The Manor phase II project, the following steps are recommended:

• PCMG have to get Government permit first together with concept design before construction and have to control the plan well. The plan monitoring is very crucial for project management.

• Owner should estimate the project expenditure and should have a board in order to double check the project phase by phase.

• Project Construction Management Group has to undergo an organizational training in order for them to know the use of the process to accomplish the project and to learn the contract condition.

• Documents control for project is very important. All the site instruction should make the process for resolving and return it to contractor soonest, with the process that all the scope of work will be completed on time.

• In case of ISO certified company, Project Manager should give feedback to the company Quality Manager to add in personality test forms together with Job Application Assessment Procedures forms. That will save Project Manager’s time whenever there is new job applicant coming to job site for an interview.

• PCMG have to request contractors to submit the schedule of material delivery in order to double check it. PCMG can also check and give the project schedule to contractor for site instruction.

• The contractors should make a report of human resource to PCMG in order to inform if that manpower is enough to finish the scope of work and if the project can be completed on time.

• Relation division and contractors should always have the plan to solve the method problems.

• The weekly meeting is very important for PCMG and contractor. All problems will be resolved during that meeting and since relation division have limited time to return the request to contractors for information.

• All contractors must provide safety policy to PCMG to reduce accidents on site.

• Delays caused by taking over and claim of payment during construction which is the bigger problem between contractors and the Owner.

His thesis abstract is copied and posted.

Abstract

The planning process in project lifecycle is one case study in the Project Management Institute’s A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. In the case study of Project management is established planning process in project lifecycle is very importance therefore this is really a tough challenge and time-consuming task to any project manager.

The drawing up the plan from concept design to operation project that it suggested management must have large line of vision also experience .The planning process will be evaluated clear that must link everything from the owner, design, contractor. This final project report focuses on construction project as lifecycle project needs who’s have responsibility to design planning process to be clear within knowledge. Though a case study of residential and complex project in Ho Chi Minh City, many problems that we can saw which cause project interruption will be investigate and analyzed. A lot of solutions be proposed which base on the knowledge will be discussed to help project management in order to improve skill in the project.