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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
- Sprache: Englisch
The Civil Engineer’s Guide to Effective Project Management
A project’s success requires more than technical calculations and engineered designs. As this book details, effective management in civil engineering involves aligning operations with the broader context of stakeholder objectives.
Management Essentials for Civil Engineers is a comprehensive resource designed to help civil engineers enhance their project management and business development skills. This text integrates engineering acumen with management principles, offering insights on business, communication, ethics, and risk analysis.
Topics included in this book:
- Project Management Principles specifically tailored for civil engineers with content relevant to infrastructure and real estate projects.
- Leadership and Power Dynamics to understand and leverage various forms of power that support team objectives.
- Risk Management concepts to develop skills in anticipating, assessing, and responding effectively to project threats and opportunities.
- Contract Law and Liability covering the complexities of contractual frameworks, project delivery methods, and broader legal aspects.
- Effective Communication strategies to enhance interactions with diverse clients, project team members, and external stakeholders.
- Value Creation principles that consider cost management while ensuring meaningful value in the project deliverables.
- Systems Perspective viewing projects as integral components of broader operational frameworks, including program and portfolio management.
Supplementing the content of each chapter is a narrative that threads through the core topics of this book, providing tangible context to theoretical constructs. This narrative approach facilitates the application of project management principles.
Authored by three professionals with backgrounds in engineering, law, and business, this book combines insightful experiences with practical recommendations. The interdisciplinary approach underscores the book’s comprehensive nature, providing core frameworks directly applicable to real-world projects.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
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Table of Contents
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
CHAPTER 1: Introduction to Management Essentials
1.1 Introduction to Project Management
1.2 Organization and Terminology of This Book
1.3 The Purpose of Projects
1.4 Principles of Project Life Cycles
1.5 Principles of Communication
1.6 Principles of Legal Aspects
1.7 Engineering Ethics
1.8 Introduction to Management Scenarios
CHAPTER 2: Origins and the Initiation of Projects
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Procurement
2.3 Overview of the Procurement Development
2.4 Procurement Schedules
2.5 Overview of the RFP
2.6 Overview of RFP Evaluation Criteria
2.7 Awards and Agreements
2.8 Procurement Ethics
CHAPTER 3: Project Pursuit Processes
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Go/No-Go Decisions
3.3 Team Formation
3.4 Proposal Development
3.5 Proposal Format
3.6 Post-Submission of the Proposal
3.7 Proposal to Contract
CHAPTER 4: Contractual Frameworks and Liability
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Agreements and Contracts
4.3 Construction and Design Contracts
4.4 Considerations for Construction and Design Services Contracts
4.5 Construction and Design Services Contract Provisions
4.6 Liability
CHAPTER 5: Scope Definition and Quality Management
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Challenges in Scope Management
5.3 Defining the Scope
5.4 Ethical Considerations for Scope
5.5 Work Breakdown Structures
5.6 Monitoring and Controlling Scope
5.7 Quality Management
5.8 Adaptive Methodologies
CHAPTER 6: Project Planning and Scheduling
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Project Team Structures
6.3 Project Life Cycles
6.4 Project Schedules
6.5 Project Plan Outline
CHAPTER 7: Cost Management and Monitoring
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Cost Metrics
7.3 Project Costs
7.4 Project Fee Structures
7.5 Budget Estimates
7.6 Costs Across Multiple Business Units
7.7 Monitoring Project Budgets
7.8 Forecasting Costs
CHAPTER 8: Risk Management
8.1 Introduction
8.2 Principles of Risk Management
8.3 Risk Assessment
8.4 Risk Analysis
8.5 Reserve Studies
8.6 Risk Responses
CHAPTER 9: Principles of Effective Communication
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Dimensions of Communication
9.3 Branding
9.4 Considerations in Team Communication
9.5 Communicating in Meetings
9.6 Project Communication Documents
9.7 Graphics in Communication
CHAPTER 10: Leadership, Power, and Stakeholder Relationships
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Projects in Programs
10.3 Leadership Styles
10.4 Leadership Proficiencies
10.5 Forms of Power
10.6 Team Charter
10.7 Stakeholder Management
10.8 Continuous Improvement
APPENDIX A: Millbrook Logistics Park
A1: Origins of Millbrook Logistics Park
A2: The Request
A3: The Proposal
A4: The Contract
A5: Scope Ambiguity
A6: Schedule Acceleration
A7: Revenue Generation
A8: Risks and Decisions
A9: Difficult Conversations
A10: Retrospective
Bibliography
Index
End User License Agreement
List of Tables
Chapter 1
TABLE 1.1 Guidelines for written communication
Chapter 2
TABLE 2.1 Potential objectives of a client
TABLE 2.2 Differences between the public and private sectors in procurement ...
TABLE 2.3 Sample public-sector procurement schedule
TABLE 2.4 Sample project evaluation criteria
TABLE 2.5 Evaluation of technical scores
TABLE 2.6 Calculating combined score to select the winning proposal
Chapter 3
TABLE 3.1 Go/no-go decision matrix
TABLE 3.2 Comparison of combined experience composition
Chapter 7
TABLE 7.1 Relationship between variables in rate calculations
TABLE 7.2 Rate tables
Chapter 8
TABLE 8.1 Sample RBS for the design of a civil infrastructure project.
TABLE 8.2 Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) with risk parameters.
Chapter 9
TABLE 9.1 Examples of different communication goals.
TABLE 9.2 Examples of colloquial versus professional language.
TABLE 9.3 Effective email communication.
Chapter 10
TABLE 10.1 Leading versus managing.
TABLE 10.2 Categorizing management and leadership aspects.
List of Illustrations
Chapter 1
FIGURE 1.1 Example of stakeholder relationships from the client’s perspectiv...
FIGURE 1.2 Project management triangle with a reliance on resources
FIGURE 1.3 Project life cycle
FIGURE 1.4 Hierarchy of programs and portfolios
FIGURE 1.5 Standards applicable to ethical evaluations.
Chapter 2
FIGURE 2.1 The importance of communicating and managing expectations.
FIGURE 2.2 Relationship between DBB and DB projects.
FIGURE 2.3 Sample RFP table of contents.
FIGURE 2.4 Comparing technical score against total evaluated price.
Chapter 3
FIGURE 3.1 Examples of nontangible business values
FIGURE 3.2 Color-coded review process
FIGURE 3.3 Sample layout for a proposal resume
FIGURE 3.4 Matrix of project team members, representative projects, and qual...
Chapter 4
FIGURE 4.1 A contract is an agreement that establishes legally enforceable o...
FIGURE 4.2 Evolution from agreement to a binding contract.
FIGURE 4.3 Contractual relationship for design-bid-build project delivery.
FIGURE 4.4 Contractual relationship for design-build project delivery.
FIGURE 4.5 Contractual relationship for construction manager project deliver...
FIGURE 4.6 Vertical and horizontal contract tiers.
Chapter 5
FIGURE 5.1 Product and project scope.
FIGURE 5.2 Sample of project requirements from different sources.
FIGURE 5.3 Data-gathering methods.
FIGURE 5.4 Sample requirement format.
FIGURE 5.5 Validation vs. verification.
FIGURE 5.6 Structure of a Kanban board.
FIGURE 5.7 Example list of a project’s many dimensions of quality.
FIGURE 5.8 Quality control process.
FIGURE 5.9 Fishbone diagram to evaluate the root cause of an issue.
FIGURE 5.10 Structure of a user story.
FIGURE 5.11 Example user story.
Chapter 6
FIGURE 6.1 Expanding communication channels.
FIGURE 6.2 Projectized team structure.
FIGURE 6.3 Functional team structure.
FIGURE 6.4 Matrix team structure.
FIGURE 6.5 Iterative and incremental methods.
FIGURE 6.6 Simple workflow model.
FIGURE 6.7 Expanded workflow model to consider production variables.
FIGURE 6.8 Logical relationships in completing tasks.
FIGURE 6.9 Sequential tasks located on the critical path (A–C), with one tas...
FIGURE 6.10 Sample format of a Gantt chart.
FIGURE 6.11 Resource loading in a Gantt chart.
FIGURE 6.12 Variation of project resource demands across time.
FIGURE 6.13 Completed story points across time.
FIGURE 6.14 Resource optimization by leveling, which may extend the timeline...
FIGURE 6.15 Resource optimization by smoothing, seeks to balance workloads....
FIGURE 6.16 Discretionary dependency fast tracked with concurrent operations...
FIGURE 6.17 Schedule crashing to accelerated production by assigning more re...
FIGURE 6.18 Summary of challenges in schedule modifications.
FIGURE 6.19 Managing coordinated schedules of a project.
FIGURE 6.20 Sample RACI chart.
Chapter 7
FIGURE 7.1 Revenue distribution example
FIGURE 7.2 Components of billing rates.
FIGURE 7.3 Sample timesheet.
FIGURE 7.4 Sample invoice.
FIGURE 7.5 Fixed-price, hourly, and cost-plus billing.
FIGURE 7.6 Sample cost report.
FIGURE 7.7 Sample cost report with the effective multiplier shown.
FIGURE 7.8 Conversion of budget to time.
Chapter 8
FIGURE 8.1 Interconnected risk management framework.
FIGURE 8.2 Risk classification chart.
FIGURE 8.3 Risk parameters.
FIGURE 8.4 Probability-impact matrix.
FIGURE 8.5 Decision tree with an EMV for an example road construction projec...
FIGURE 8.6 MCDA for an evaluation of risks and their resultant scores for ri...
FIGURE 8.7 Standard risk response strategies.
Chapter 9
FIGURE 9.1 Examples of tone in email.
FIGURE 9.2 Unauthorized alterations of a logo.
FIGURE 9.3 Sample directional north arrows, comparing an intuitive style (le...
Chapter 10
FIGURE 10.1 Aligning projects between clients and engineering firms.
FIGURE 10.2 Internal and external stakeholders classification example.
FIGURE 10.3 Sample stakeholder engagement matrix.
FIGURE 10.4 Sample power-interest grid for a civil infrastructure project.
FIGURE 10.5 Updated power-interest grid for a civil infrastructure project....
Appendix A
FIGURE A.1
FIGURE A1.1
FIGURE A1.2
FIGURE A2.1
FIGURE A3.1
FIGURE A4.1
FIGURE A7.1
FIGURE A8.1
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Begin Reading
Appendix A: Millbrook Logistics Park
Bibliography
Index
End User License Agreement
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Management Essentials for Civil Engineers
A Practical Guide to Business, Communication, Ethics, and Risk
CODY A. PENNETTI
C. KAT GRIMSLEY
BRIAN M. GRINDALL
Copyright © 2025 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved, including rights for text and data mining and training of artificial intelligence technologies or similar technologies.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.Published simultaneously in Canada.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 750-4470, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permission.
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Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Further, readers should be aware that websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. Neither the publisher nor authors shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
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Hardback ISBN: 9781119851608
Cover Image: Cody A. PennettiCover Design: Wiley
To those who are determined to build a better future for our communities, and to those who support them in making such achievements possible.
Together, may you continue to inspire, innovate, and lead with integrity.
Acknowledgments
From Cody A. Pennetti
I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to have collaborated with numerous individuals who exemplify authentic leadership. This includes my early mentors in civil engineering, Chris dePascale, Tim Culleiton, and Daniela Medek, whose guidance remains the foundation for my work ethic. My proficiency in project planning and risk management has been influenced by my work with the distinguished faculty at the University of Virginia, especially Dr. James H. Lambert. Additionally, countless insights have been gained from my colleagues, students, and clients throughout the years. I sincerely appreciate my family’s contribution to this effort, especially my wife, whose unwavering support and grounding principles inspire my dedication to teaching and supporting emerging leaders.
From Kat C. Grimsley
My heartfelt appreciation goes out to all my friends and colleagues in industry for their input and support on this and many other projects over the years. I am also tremendously grateful to my academic peers across many distinguished institutions, but especially the Housing Economics and Real Estate Sector Research Group at the University of Alicante in Spain, who hosted me during the development of this project. And, of course, I am thankful for the unwavering support of my family, who have always come with me on projects that have taken us around the world.
From Brian M. Grindall
I am deeply grateful to the many people who have made invaluable contributions to pursuing this endeavor. First and foremost, I would like to thank my family for their enduring support in promoting the pursuit of curiosity and understanding – especially Everett Grindall, Henry Grindall, Theo Grindall, Colin Grindall, Harry Grindall, Karen Grindall, and Sean Grindall. Thank you to the folks at Georgetown University and George Mason University for their continued support of innovative approaches to teaching and learning the principles of real estate, law, and finance. Finally, thank you to my colleagues in the practice of law who continue to develop new approaches to age-old challenges.
CHAPTER 1Introduction to Management Essentials
Where to begin.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
1.1 Introduction to Project Management
1.2 Organization and Terminology of This Book
1.2.1 Organization by Chapter
1.2.2 Terminology
1.3 The Purpose of Projects
1.3.1 Management Perspectives
1.3.2 Project Success
1.3.3 Technical Solutions vs. Client Value
1.4 Principles of Project Life Cycles
1.5 Principles of Communication
1.5.1 Audiences
1.5.2 Forms of Communication
1.6 Principles of Legal Aspects
1.6.1 Legal Concepts and Terminology
1.6.2 Liability and Risk
1.7 Engineering Ethics
1.7.1 Recognizing Ethical Issues
1.7.2 Gathering Information
1.7.3 Applying Standards
1.7.4 Evaluating Recommendations and Alternatives
1.7.5 Documenting and Reporting
1.8 Introduction to Management Scenarios
This chapter introduces management terminology, including how project success is measured. It also outlines the communication, ethics, and legal aspects of engineering, with more detail provided throughout the book.
1.1 Introduction to Project Management
Civil infrastructure and real estate development projects are complex, long-term projects that require the coordination and contribution of a wide range of stakeholders. The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines a project as a “temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.” Civil engineering projects fall squarely within this definition, often following a predictive workflow of conception, design, permitting, and construction. Other operations will occur before the project starts (e.g., procurement) and after construction (e.g., maintenance and operations). These projects require years of planning, design, and construction, leading to changes in the built and natural environment that will last for decades. Each civil engineering project is unique due to the geographic properties (each project location) and the current political, environmental, and community perception during the project execution.
Intuitively, civil engineering projects require team members with technical expertise in engineering, science, economics, business, law, and architecture. Civil engineers are equipped with a solid foundation in science, mathematics, and design, enabling them to create new products and services. Within the realm of infrastructure and real estate development, civil engineers tackle a wide array of project types and navigate diverse stakeholder perspectives. Succeeding under these conditions demands more than just technical expertise.
This book is a project management resource tailored for civil engineering projects, which is derived from professional experiences and the methodologies defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), and others. In addition to core management concepts, this book includes design narratives and detailed cases to highlight the ambiguity and complexity of these project types. This book will guide new and experienced engineers as the concepts are adapted to fit each engineer’s personal and organizational parameters.
This book includes project management topics for the feasibility, procurement, planning, design, and permitting of civil development projects. The content in this book presents these topics through the lens of the engineering team, setting it apart from construction or development management viewpoints. It’s common for engineers to transition into project management roles after first working on purely technical production tasks. During this transition, engineers must learn to balance inward-facing duties, like leading design production and understanding the inner workings of their firm, with outward-facing responsibilities, such as coordinating with various stakeholders for procurement and work validation. This book includes information about the value of stakeholder perspectives to inform management and decision-making for engineers.
1.2 Organization and Terminology of This Book
This book will frequently reference information across different chapters. For example, it is difficult to consider the implications of project schedules without also considering the scope, resources, and cost – each of which is identified in different chapters. While the content in the book does not require sequential progression, the general order is as follows: the first chapters focus on pre-project planning and procurement; the middle chapters cover topics of management processes that include scope, quality, schedule, cost, and risk management; and the later chapters focus on core concepts of communication and leadership.
1.2.1 Organization by Chapter
Each chapter includes principles of various management topics, ethical considerations, and a scenario relevant to project management topics.
Chapter 1 Introduction to Project Management
This chapter provides an overview of the book and project management principles, success measures, communication, legal aspects, and ethics.
Chapter 2 Origins and the Initiation of Projects
This chapter describes the origin of a project, including early planning and project objectives that extend to requests for proposals of engineering services.
Chapter 3 Project Pursuit Processes
This chapter describes pursuit planning to develop and submit proposals for services.
Chapter 4 Contractual Frameworks and Liability
This chapter describes agreements and contracts pertaining to project work and principles of liability.
Chapter 5 Scope Definition and Quality Management
This chapter describes how project work is defined and includes topics of quality management based on the scope of work.
Chapter 6 Project Planning and Scheduling
This chapter includes a sample project plan and describes project schedules, including task dependencies and schedule modifications.
Chapter 7 Cost Management and Monitoring
This chapter describes the fundamentals of project expenses and the methods to monitor and control project costs from the perspective of the engineering team.
Chapter 8 Risk Management
This chapter describes the principles of risk management, specifically how they pertain to project operations and objectives.
Chapter 9 Principles of Effective Communication
This chapter describes various forms of communication and best practices for communicating technical engineering work to diverse audiences.
Chapter 10 Leadership Dynamics and Stakeholder Relationships
This chapter describes various forms of leadership and power along with topics of stakeholder management.
Appendix A
The Millbrook Logistics Park
This narrative complements the textbook by offering 10 distinct scenarios, each corresponding to a different chapter. These scenarios are presented in a story format, effectively illustrating the application of various project management principles.
1.2.2 Terminology
This book references industry standards of project management when defining management topics. These terms are based on those from the project management industry (e.g., PMI, INCOSE). For clarity, a few initial terms are defined in this section. In practice, several disparate terms may describe team member roles and stakeholders. For this book, these roles focus on the scope associated with the design production and permitting documents for civil engineering projects.
As an initial distinction, there is a difference between a project role, an organizational title, and a certification. An individual’s project role is most important when defining project responsibilities. Confusingly, some organizations may assign employee titles such as senior project manager. The title is used with internal reporting and hierarchical structures; however, titles are almost arbitrary when addressing the role and responsibility of an individual on a project. There is only one project manager for each project, regardless of organizational title.
Roles and responsibilities should be clearly defined at the start of the project. This is critical when a project operates across multiple disciplines and companies, as the authority, accountability, responsibility, and obligations are convoluted. For example, suppose a design conflict is identified where the building utilities do not match the site utilities’ location (or size). In that case, there needs to be a defined process to resolve the conflict. Who is responsible for identifying conflicts and documenting change requests? Should the architecture team or the site-civil team change their design? Do all team members understand the cost and schedule impacts of the change? Who does the client contact to discuss this issue? For this reason, it is good practice to refer to the industry-standard designations and define the terms to ensure consistency across all team members and to publish organizational charts with each project.
This section includes terminology for project management tailored to civil engineering projects.
Project Manager
The project manager is responsible for leading the team and meeting project objectives. The project manager is accountable for the project’s success and the team’s actions. Each project has one project manager. In this book, the project manager refers to a civil engineer serving in this role for the engineering consulting work associated with a civil infrastructure or real estate development project.
A project manager’s operating policies will vary by organizational structure. On large projects, a project manager is primarily focused on communication, documentation, and team leadership. Small projects may require a project manager to hold both managerial and production responsibilities. Engineers must recognize that clients typically have their own operational procedures for projects and often appoint their own project manager to oversee the development scope of work. However, within the context of the engineering aspects of the project, the engineer assumes the role of project manager. All references to the project manager in this book pertain to the project manager handling the engineering scope of work (not the client’s project manager overseeing the entire development operation).
Functional Manager
An organization will have several people in positions of authority that will support a project and control resources. These staff supervisors serve as functional managers to the project manager. Functional managers will monitor task budgets allocated to their work but do not oversee the project operations the way the project manager does.
For example, suppose an engineering firm has multiple departments, including transportation engineering, landscape architecture, land survey, and stormwater management. Each department has personnel that supervise its staff and often hold a managerial title. For a highway design project, the project manager will likely be someone from the transportation engineering department while the supervisors in other departments (landscape, survey, and stormwater) will operate as functional managers and coordinate with the project manager to assign personnel to work on the project. While there is only one project manager for each project, functional managers are often involved in coordinating resource demands. Functional managers’ level of involvement and authority will vary based on the project team structure, as described in Chapter 6 (Section 6.2.2).
Project Teams
The project team size, hierarchy, and positions will vary by the organizational structure. From the engineer’s perspective, the team will include a project manager and production staff. Other team members, such as attorneys, economists, brokers, and developers, are part of the larger, overall project team but may have disparate organizational structures. In this book, the project team refers to the staff that operates under the direction of the project manager.
Client / Owner
In this book, the term client is used to refer to the party responsible for initiating and driving the project, which may include private developers, landowners, public agencies, and similar entities.
It’s important to understand that the client can differ depending on the contract. Typically, the project contract outlines who the engineering firm’s client is, which may not always be the direct project owner. For example, if an architect subcontracts a civil engineering firm, then the architect is considered the engineer’s client. Meanwhile, the architect directly serves the project owner and developer (the project client). Similarly, when construction contractors subcontract civil engineers, those contractors are the engineers’ clients, even as they themselves serve the client of the project.
Although owner is another common term referring to the individual or entity with investment control, decision-making authority, and overall project oversight, this text will consistently use client instead. This choice emphasizes the service-oriented relationship that focuses on meeting the needs and expectations of the entity for whom the project is being carried out. Therefore, irrespective of the contractual hierarchy or project structure, the term client in this book refers to the project client, or entity for whom the engineering services are ultimately provided.
Engineering Firm / Organization
Engineering operations may be part of a larger consulting firm, an architecture firm, or a public agency division (transportation, schools, municipal, and others). Both the terms engineering firm and organization are used in this book to describe the operational organization that influences the project policies and processes and includes the engineering project team.
Stakeholders
The project stakeholders may include any of the individuals, community members, and organizations influencing the project. These stakeholders may be internal or external to the project. Astakeholder will have varying levels of impact, power, influence, and interest in the project. These parameters can vary throughout the project as stakeholders gain or lose interest and power at different phases. More information about stakeholders is in Chapter 10 (Section 10.7).
Civil Infrastructure and Real Estate Development
This book is tailored to civil infrastructure and real estate development projects. The distinction between these two project types is that civil infrastructure projects are often associated with public projects, such as roads, trails, parks, utility systems, stormwater management, and other design services that serve the public. The term real estate development, or land development, is often associated with private development projects such as new retail centers, residential communities, commercial offices, industrial centers, and other uses. The principles of this book also apply to projects involving new development, redevelopment, planning, or restoration projects of the built and natural environment.
While the book distinguishes between public and private projects, many initiatives do not fit neatly into these categories. Examples include joint ventures, public-private partnerships, and design-build-operate projects. Despite this variety in terminology and project structure, these projects often share common characteristics in terms of their operational aspects. Therefore, the insights and principles presented here are relevant across a wide spectrum of project types, transcending the basic public-private dichotomy.
Qualifiers in Terminology
In many cases, there are qualifiers for statements or terms, such as often, generally, or good practice. These qualifiers acknowledge the inherent complexity and unique character of civil infrastructure and real estate development projects and the project teams. The terms used in this book generally align with industry standards and are tailored to civil engineering practices.
1.3 The Purpose of Projects
The core purpose of projects is creating value, which is achieved through an organization’s vision. The success of a project requires technical competence and management efficacy. Project value is attained with a disciplined approach to management, which is required to maintain effective communication, prevent cost overruns, reduce rework, manage scope creep, support the project team, and achieve success. The purpose of value creation in projects is consistent with civil infrastructure and real estate development projects, even though they may be completed to meet various objectives. For example, a developer will initiate a project to create a new product (e.g., homes, commercial space, or other) to capture profit from the sale or lease of the resulting property. Or civil infrastructure projects are initiated to meet regulatory requirements, improve safety, satisfy capital infrastructure needs, achieve sustainability goals, improve community resilience, or repair infrastructure systems. Best practices in project management will enable engineers and clients to derive a higher value from a project. In all cases, engineers must recognize that there are objectives beyond the technical solutions, and each possible solution will have multiple perspectives that will define success.
Engineers must recognize that there are objectives beyond the technical solutions, and each possible solution will have multiple perspectives that will define success.
While this book is tailored to the civil engineering perspective, the principles apply to other team members operating in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC). Similarly, other engineering fields will recognize anecdotes used to describe standard operating conditions and experiences described in the case studies. Fortunately, civil engineering is a tangible and relatable practice. This means the applications and narratives described in this book can easily be transferred to other professional services.
1.3.1 Management Perspectives
This section will introduce two project management perspectives: (1) the role and best practices for project management of the engineer’s scope of work and (2) how the engineering decisions can impact an infrastructure or real estate development project, including project outcomes, cost, and schedule.
The engineering project manager focuses on successfully providing business value. The project’s scope for the engineer can be considered to include the production of the design documents and any related consulting services required. From an internal perspective, value is driven by managing the project’s cost and budget to ensure the work is profitable while satisfying project requirements without jeopardizing the relationships with clients or stakeholders. Engineers will use technical expertise to prioritize compliance and safety in the design solutions. While the client will have similar objectives, the engineer’s perspective differs from how a client may view the project – clients are most focused on the final development (the product) achieved through construction, operations, maintenance, and delivered value. From the civil engineer’s perspective, project management and success are typically limited to a specific assignment, such as the engineer’s responsibility for creating a site layout. However, project management and success are much broader for the client. To fully appreciate and support client goals, engineers must recognize the client’s perspective and how the engineer’s work affects the comprehensive objectives of a project.
To fully appreciate and support client goals, engineers must recognize the client’s perspective and how the engineer’s work affects the comprehensive objectives of a project.
Typically, the client’s perspective is based on undertaking the entire development process: identifying and acquiring a site, obtaining the necessary entitlements, securing financing, completing the site and building design, finishing construction, and beginning operations. For private-sector real estate developers, the process also includes additional cost- and profit-related activities such as conducting a market analysis, constructing improvements on the land, and selling or leasing the completed asset to capture financial returns.
Development is a lengthy process that can take several years, regardless of project type. During this time, the client incurs tremendous cost without yet realizing any future value and must manage various project risks, evolving stakeholder concerns, and relationships with an extensive array of professional service providers, including coordinating the timing and interaction of the various contracts, schedules, and deliverables. The client’s project management efforts extend beyond any single element, such as the civil engineering design. Before and after the civil engineer has completed the design tasks, the client is involved in contractual and noncontractual relationships that shape the project and are often not visible to the civil engineer. Figure 1.1 shows the client’s development partners and the civil engineer’s relationship with the client in this context.
FIGURE 1.1 Example of stakeholder relationships from the client’s perspective.
Stakeholder relationships often influence the scope, cost, and schedule throughout the project life cycle. For example, various circumstances can necessitate site layout changes as the client adapts to new constraints and requirements. Clients will monitor the need for scope modifications as they consider the costs associated with additional engineering work to accommodate changed conditions. The client will also consider schedule penalties associated with delays for rework. For example, missing a construction delivery date can impact tenant occupancy and can represent a significant financial burden that jeopardizes project success.
Clients also manage the anticipated operations when establishing project success criteria. As design solutions are established, the client expects that the site layout accommodates operational components such as phasing, tenant or end-user requirements, maintenance, etc. Examples of this might be the location of a large utility box in the front yard of a home, steep grades along pedestrian routes, or locating retaining walls in the middle of a yard rather than at the lot edge. While the engineer may provide these design solutions and satisfy the technical requirements, the project’s success is based on the client’s validation that the project has satisfied their needs. In these examples, a solution’s technical correctness may fail to deliver the necessary value if it does not meet the end-user’s practical needs for functionality, aesthetics, and accessibility.
An engineer with a full appreciation of the development process can anticipate these “common sense” choices to build a positive client relationship and improve the firm’s reputation as a valuable development team member. In this way, engineers contribute to project success in a way that is measured not just by the precision of designs but by integrating the right solution with the client’s objectives for functionality, cost-efficiency, and timely delivery.
Engineers contribute to project success in a way that is measured not just by the precision of designs but by integrating the right solution with the client’s objectives for functionality, cost-efficiency, and timely delivery.
1.3.2 Project Success
Achieving project success entails more than compliance with project requirements. Success is about fulfilling project objectives and satisfying stakeholder needs. Additionally, successful projects must ensure the well-being of the project team. Measures of success extend beyond the confines of an individual project and team. Recognizing that each project operates within a broader system and contributes to overarching goals is essential. Each project should advance the client and the engineering firm toward their unique strategic objectives and new opportunities. Furthermore, projects should be approached to enhance the firm’s reputation and prominence. This mindset creates the stage for project management operations, recognizing the interconnected relationships between the engineering team and stakeholders.
Engineering firms, clients, and other stakeholders will have disparate measures of success. For example, an engineering firm may deem a project successful only if the project is profitable for the engineering firm. From the client’s perspective, there is little attention (or visibility) to the engineering firm’s financial performance. Instead, a developer’s success will likely be measured based on whether the project met the schedule so tenant rent could be collected as early as possible. Alternatively, a transportation agency may track schedule compliance but focus more on project costs to ensure compliance with available budgets. Still other types of clients may measure success by quality, safety, risk mitigation, resilience, life cycle costs, or other criteria. While all factors are important to project objectives, stakeholders will determine the acceptable trade-offs to prioritize the project success criteria.
These priority criteria for each stakeholder and the associated trade-offs operate under the triple constraints of scope, schedule, and cost (also referred to as the project management triangle) and rely on resources to meet these criteria. These factors are interconnected and interdependent on a project’s risk and quality, which vary throughout the project life cycle. A few examples are:
Scope vs. Resources:
An increase in the project’s scope without adjusting the timeline might necessitate additional resources, leading to potential cost overruns.
Schedule vs. Cost:
A client’s demand to accelerate the schedule would require increased costs to accommodate larger teams (more resources) and additional communication channels.
Cost vs. Scope:
Reducing the budget without altering the scope might extend the project’s duration, as resource selection is constrained by price.
Quality vs. Cost:
Cutting costs might lead to compromises in quality, which in the long run could affect the project’s sustainability or require corrective actions.
Risk vs. Schedule:
Retroactively addressing risks might require extending the project’s schedule or increasing the budget to ensure that the scope and quality are not compromised.
These are just a few examples demonstrating that project success requires balancing, prioritizing, and acknowledging trade-offs. A standard graphic visual representation of the interconnected constraints is shown in Figure 1.2.
FIGURE 1.2 Project management triangle with a reliance on resources
Each project’s unique goals and priorities must be communicated across the team, accompanied by unambiguous and measurable criteria. While this is intuitive, many project teams erroneously prioritize technical problem-solving before adequately defining the problem. Project objectives should align with the client’s vision and the engineering firm’s mission of delivering business value. Project-specific objectives, like generating revenue from the design services of a road construction project, can sometimes become overly narrow and unintentionally obscure the organization’s broader goals. These broader goals could include building brand recognition, fostering positive relationships with the community, or achieving long-term societal benefits. Understanding how to define and communicate objectives is critical to the measurable success of a project. Other chapters of this book provide greater detail on the principles of scope, quality, schedule, resources, cost, and risk.
Many project teams erroneously prioritize technical problem-solving before adequately defining the problem.
1.3.3 Technical Solutions vs. Client Value
Technical viability alone won’t guarantee client satisfaction; success requires aligning the right design solutions with client objectives. Engineers have many technical options for addressing infrastructure and real estate development project challenges. To ensure success, engineers should differentiate between a solution that meets technical requirements and a better alternative that adds value for the client. The distinction lies in the fact that clients might not be satisfied if the solution doesn’t align with their explicit or implicit objectives. For example, a structural engineering design that places a column in the middle of a kitchen may satisfy the load-bearing capacity requirements but would likely displease the client by creating an undesirable space for the end-customer and, therefore, reduce the rental or sale income the client can charge for the space. A large concrete trapezoidal ditch may satisfy drainage conveyance requirements but is likely discouraged for a residential backyard. A public park that focuses only on cost savings could lack the expected amenities of recreation facilities and landscaping that provide community value. Engineers must understand their client’s (or end users’) objectives to succeed.
Technical viability alone won’t guarantee client satisfaction; success requires aligning the right design solutions with client objectives.
1.4 Principles of Project Life Cycles
A project has a definitive initiation and closure process – a start and end. Projects progress to completion through planning, executing, and continuously monitoring and controlling the project work. These operations rely on managing project risk, quality, scope, cost, schedule, stakeholders, resources, and communication. Before a project begins, pre-project work often includes the operations necessary to evaluate, fund, scope, prioritize, and select a project. From a client’s perspective, this might consist of reviewing a capital infrastructure plan to assess and prioritize the projects that address community needs. From the engineer’s perspective, the project begins with a procurement stage as the client advertises (or otherwise communicates) a need for engineering services. This procurement process initiates the project work, often through competitive bidding and then authorization from the client to the engineer to proceed with work (with a notice to proceed, or NTP). Then, there is a constant effort in planning, executing, monitoring, and controlling the project. Understanding that management proficiencies are continuously applied throughout the project is vital. For example, risk and quality management require upfront planning but rely on continuous implementation and updates throughout the project life cycle to maintain relevancy and applicability as project and environmental situations change. Finally, projects require a closure process involving transferring products and documentation to the client, who begins operating and commissioning the project.
For civil infrastructure and real estate development projects, the life cycle encompasses the engineering and design of plans and reports used by the client to construct the project. In many cases, the engineer’s role extends from design phases into construction, providing construction administrative services and addressing unforeseen conditions or owner-directed changes. The client may own, operate, maintain, or sell the asset after completing the construction (at the time of project closure). While terminology might differ across industries, Figure 1.3 gives a schematic representation of this life cycle with widely accepted terminology.
There is a crucial distinction between project work and routine operations. A project has a definitive start and end point, involves a change of state, and adds value for the client. An example would be the design and subsequent construction of a new commercial development. The project is initiated, planned, designed, constructed, and then turned over to tenants and operators. Conversely, routine operations like managing that development or an engineering firm’s day-to-day activities with accounting or tech support, will influence projects but aren’t projects themselves.
FIGURE 1.3 Project life cycle
Further insights into project life cycles, including details on predictive and adaptive life cycles, can be found in Chapter 6 (Section 6.3).
Programs and Portfolios
Projects are evaluated in the larger context of an organization’s strategic objectives to ensure consistency in design and monitor interdependencies that focus on supporting the client’s multiple endeavors. Multiple projects within an organization are often interconnected and typically organized under a structured hierarchy of programs and portfolios. For example, a retail client may have a project for one new site, which is part of a program focusing on several sites built across the region. Each new site is an independent project under the same program because they share similar resources and stakeholders, and coordinated management activities will benefit the projects. Portfolios are a level higher than programs, which include a collection of programs and projects. With the same example, the client may have a food services portfolio that provides for different restaurant programs at the different sites. Figure 1.4 shows the hierarchy of portfolios, programs, and projects. More information on programs and portfolios is included in Chapter 10 (Section 10.2).
Multiple projects within an organization are often interconnected and typically organized under a structured hierarchy of programs and portfolios.
FIGURE 1.4 Hierarchy of programs and portfolios
1.5 Principles of Communication
In infrastructure and real estate development, successful project outcomes are influenced as much by communication as by technical design. As project managers, civil engineers spend most of their time communicating as they capture new work, meet with clients, present to community members, work with technical consultants, and lead the engineering project team. This section establishes some communication principles and encourages engineers to be deliberate in their communication with team members, clients, and other stakeholders. More information about communication is included in Chapter 9, but this section includes a primer on communication principles.
Communication is a powerful nontechnical skill that must be tailored to various stakeholders and situations. Word choice, for example, is about providing appropriate background or contextual information, controlling emotional responses, and choosing the appropriate style and format to deliver a message. Active listening is a critical part of communication. Listening, when performed to improve understanding, can lead to more effective and creative problem-solving by helping the parties fully appreciate each other’s perspectives, needs, and constraints. Communication is ultimately only successful if a clear message is sent, received, and understood (ideally with minimal noise and interference). Depending on the circumstance, acknowledgment of the message and the nature of any resulting action is essential to successful communication.
Ethical considerations related to communication are often linked to what was communicated and when it was communicated. Usually, what is communicated should be fact-based information provided to stakeholders that have a need to know. Just as important is the timing of communication, which should be prompt in delivery and response to inquiries. Much of engineering project work is interdependent, where ambiguous language and delayed responses can have cascading impacts on team members and stakeholders who rely on timely communication to make informed decisions.
Much of engineering project work is interdependent, where ambiguous language and delayed responses can have cascading impacts on team members and stakeholders who rely on timely communication to make informed decisions.
From a legal perspective, the decisions about word choice and what information is included in a message become extremely important in the context of liability. Work emails and messages are often perceived as private communication between the addressed parties; however, the content of any communication, such as an email, is “discoverable” and used as evidence in a legal dispute involving the engineering firm. The need for professionally written emails is critical in the months or years after an email is sent if litigation surrounding a project requires old messages to be produced as part of a lawsuit. For example, an email message could identify when an error was first recognized and how quickly it was addressed compared to the requisite timing established by law or contract language. In all cases, it is important to understand that most forms of communication associated with professional work are discoverable. The legal procedures of an engineering firm will often mandate the nature and duration of data retention for information accessibility.
Engineers should also understand how technical notes on plans may intersect with, or contradict, the project contract. Many engineering notes are concise because the design documents must provide substantial information with limited space. Brevity is encouraged, but notes should be clear to the reader and are best written as complete sentences. While contractually established conditions will govern the project requirements, unclear language with notes will create confusion, particularly during construction operations. For example, the contract language may stipulate that certain published specifications must be adhered to for the project; if the engineer does not understand these project conditions, then the engineering plan may contradict this requirement by providing different specifications.
The following section introduces communication concepts that consider the various audiences encountered with engineering projects and the many forms of communication required throughout the project.
1.5.1 Audiences
Engineers must communicate with various audiences, including their project teams, supervisors and firm principals, clients, government agencies, community members, and others. Each of these groups is a stakeholder because the group has some form of vested interest – or a “stake” – in the outcome of a project. Engineers must understand how to engage in a two-way dialogue with stakeholders rather than simply directing information to them. Successfully interacting with each of the different stakeholders requires different communication strategies. To this end, stakeholders can be categorized in various ways to help guide the appropriate communication approach.
Engineers must understand how to engage in a two-way dialogue with stakeholders rather than simply directing information to them.
Internal versus External
One way to understand different audiences is in relation to the engineer’s organization or as internal audiences and external audiences. Internal audiences are those people or groups internal to the engineering firm, such as other team members, managers, firm principals, and other firm employees or contractors. Communication with internal stakeholders may be more technical and focused on engineering solutions for a development project. External audiences are stakeholders outside the engineer’s firm, such as clients, government bodies, and community members. Project team members from other consulting firms are considered part of an external audience, although this may depend on the nature of the contract between the various project firms. It is essential not to share proprietary information with external audiences, and many engineering firms will have policies that dictate what and how information should be shared.
When engaging with external audiences, it is also crucial for engineers to appreciate the context of the client’s project objectives beyond their technical considerations. Engineers are just one of the many project team members. There may be larger concerns or considerations that have a significant influence on the overall project. Engineers enhance their value to the client by being knowledgeable allies and actively collaborating with the development team to propose comprehensive solutions that align with the overarching project objectives. Engineers should maintain a high level of professionalism and formality in both written and verbal communication, always respecting the other party.
Engineers enhance their value to the client by being knowledgeable allies and actively collaborating with the development team to propose comprehensive solutions that align with the overarching project objectives.
Technical versus Nontechnical
Another way to understand different audiences is through technical expertise. Communication styles and mediums will vary for technical and nontechnical audiences. It is the engineer’s responsibility to understand the audience and tailor the communication style as needed. Technical engineering proficiency can vary within the same group of stakeholders. For example, some clients will have an engineering background instead of (or in addition to) a business administration background. Similarly, community members can include engineers or people with esoteric knowledge about the community settings, politics, environmental conditions, and other elements.
A technical audience includes stakeholders with sufficient technical background to understand the engineering issues, constraints, and concepts. This can include sophisticated technical review staff employed by a public agency, certain external project team members, such as architects or construction managers, and some clients. This audience will be familiar with reading engineering plans or reviewing calculations when discussing the project scope. When communicating with a technical audience, engineers should maintain a professional tone. Still, they can generally use technical explanations (and industry jargon) and focus on detailed requirements without fear of alienating the audience.
A nontechnical audience includes those stakeholders that do not have a technical background. This may include community members, elected public officials, and some clients. When communicating with nontechnical audiences, it is essential to recognize that these stakeholders are unlikely to comprehend all terms and methods used by engineering professionals. So, communicating in an overly technical way may alienate this stakeholder group and jeopardize the intended communication outcome. Therefore, when engaging with nontechnical audiences, the engineer must consider tone and word choice. Striking the right balance in communication style is crucial; overly technical language can come across as intimidating or pretentious, possibly alienating an audience not versed in industry-specific terminology. On the other hand, oversimplification risks patronizing the audience, which can be equally damaging to the engineer’s rapport with them. Engineers must tailor their communication to the audience’s level of understanding, ensuring clarity without compromising respect and inclusivity. A lack of shared understanding creates a communication barrier that can frustrate both parties. Maintaining a respectful tone, patience, and emotional control is critical to engaging with nontechnical audiences.
Developing the skill to communicate effectively with stakeholders is learned over time. Aspiring project managers can seek opportunities to shadow more experienced team members or ask to attend public-facing meetings to observe what works – and what does not – when communicating with various audiences.
1.5.2 Forms of Communication
Information can be communicated using a range of different forms: verbal; written; and nonverbal communication, such as body language, gestures, or facial expressions. Engineers need to be cognizant of the diverse communication styles inherent in different cultures and norms, and tailor their approach accordingly to ensure effective and appropriate interactions. Active listening is also a form of non-verbal communication that expresses the participant’s willingness to understand the other party and shows respect for their perspective.
Written
Of the different types of communication, technical writing is perhaps the most common form of communication for engineers early in their careers, where a direct style is used to communicate facts. This includes using technical notes on drawings, outlining specifications, or narratives demonstrating compliance with project requirements. However, written communication is used far more broadly than technical documents. Reports, status updates, emails, presentations, requests for information (RFI), and proposal submissions are just a few of the many examples of communication in written form.
The choice of words is important in all types of written communication, mainly because tone and intention are challenging to convey in written form. Word choice can signal a message about the sender’s level of professionalism, respect for the recipient, and understanding of the issue. Misunderstandings are often exacerbated because there is no opportunity (or no immediate opportunity) to clarify intent when submitting a written product. Email exchanges may not result in complete understanding if the recipient mistakenly believes they understand the message or escalates the situation without seeking clarification. Table 1.1 provides examples of considerations for written communication.
TABLE 1.1Guidelines for written communication
Proper formatting
Use company templates for letterheads, logos, and other content.
Include a cover page, table of contents, and page numbers in reports and similar products.
Be consistent.
Context
Address communication “gaps” by identifying what information is being assumed, either by yourself or by the recipient, and clarifying.
Include new information that the recipient may not be aware of.
Provide a background or summary to ensure common understanding.
Outline your understanding, or the facts you relied on.
Explain the “why” behind decisions, changes of plan, or unexpected results.
When receiving emails, ask for clarification if there is any doubt regarding the message.
Choice of language
Always avoid slang and jargon.
Use technical language when appropriate, but explain as necessary.
Be aware of inclusivity and professionalism.
When working as part of a team, use terms like “we” rather than “I” to acknowledge the group effort and the engineering firm’s support.
Use respectful language.
Visual presentations
Choose images that help reinforce the message.
Present data clearly and consistently.
Use bullet points or numbered lists, and do not “overload” slides with too many words.
Social Media
Engineering firms often use social media strategically to promote their products and services or signal their support for various causes. Often, sharing updates on project work on social media platforms can advertise the accomplishments of a project team and support a client’s objectives. These platforms can also help connect stakeholders and share professional updates.
However, employees also use social media platforms in their personal capacity. Many engineers may not be aware that their firm’s policies may contain regulations that have consequences for their out-of-work behavior, which may be seen in social media posts. The professional–personal balance can be further complicated if an engineer is connected to fellow employees on social media platforms, who may feel the need to report certain behaviors. An example of a possible conflict might occur when an employee posts derogatory comments about their employer or client on their personal accounts that could be perceived to harm the firm or client’s reputation. Engineers should be cognizant of their social media activity and recognize that personal posts can be recorded and shared, which may not be revealed until much later.
Verbal Communication
Verbal communication occurs during any conversation with team members, upper management, clients, and others. Word choice is often equally important in verbal and written communication, but clarifications are possible during live exchanges. Tone is also easier to express verbally but still requires self-awareness on the speaker’s part. While the ability to adjust messaging is an example of the benefits of a live exchange, there are also downsides to verbal communication. Maintaining a calm, impartial communication style during contentious or difficult conversations can be difficult, particularly if the engineer feels like a stakeholder is being unreasonable. Strategies for managing difficult verbal exchanges include:
