Wednesday 16 September 2009

Corporate Social Responsibility in Real Estate Construction: A Case Study Of Preuksa Real Estate Public Company Limited

In the past, developer companies usually engaged on CSR depending on management priorities or market drivers such as laws and regulations, and stakeholders. They always make their own strategic choices regarding how they want their image to be in the market. Even though companies know how to develop CSR, they will still face problems such as when should companies be considered as being a socially responsible business, how to put CSR concept into practice, and when should CSR questions be raised, companies are not ready to answer and often lack of information and knowledge (Panapanaan, 2006).

It shows that although companies know their goal and how to promote CSR, it is still difficult to succeed on CSR effects. One of the most important things that can lead companies to fail on their business achievements is how company’s mission, vision, and strategy apply in practice level. These can cause companies to face problem on both internal and external companies caused by owner or director’s decision making.

In order to overcome these problems, Mr. Jirachai Thaewthiang made a study that focused on developing the information for Developer Company to succeed their goals on CSR. His objectives are to (1) determine how developer company succeeds in real estate construction with Corporate Social Responsibility; (2) identify mechanisms and problems faced when developer company conduct business with Corporate Social Responsibility; and (3) propose recommendations to improve the implemented Corporate Social Responsibility.
He found out that generally, the developer company’s objectives are to construct and sell projects to customers. Evidently, this type of business dealing with real estates and construction projects in Thailand is in a highly competitive market and rivalries.

Therefore, there should be some mechanisms that can ensure or, at least, promote the successful housing business. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a tool that many succeeded developer companies employ in their business conduct. Preuksa Real Estate Public Company Limited applies this concept and prospers in its business.

In Mr. Thaewthiang’s study, he discussed on how company conduct its business on CSR. Five CSR areas are mainly focused for its long term succeeds: customer, community, employee/worker, environmental and subcontractor/supplier area. However, customer area is still the major target area that company focuses for CSR involvement according to market target. Yearly budget generally allocates from yearly target sell for CSR activities. This is the main key that easily brings company conduct business on CSR. Although there is high investment, it can improve company image and value for long term succeed. Finally, there are four easy steps to improve on CSR involvement through these improvement factors: understanding, identification, development, and integration. These steps can easily understand and conduct business on CSR and also how to involve step by step.

His thesis abstract is copied and posted.

ABSTRACT

Generally, the developer company’s objectives are to construct and sell projects to customers. Evidently, this type of business dealing with real estates and construction projects in Thailand is in a highly competitive market and rivalries. Therefore, there should be some mechanisms that can ensure or, at least, promote the successful housing business. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a tool that many succeeded developer companies employ in their business conduct. Preuksa Real Estate Public Company Limited, for instance, applies this concept and prospers in its business. Accordingly, this study investigates and observes how this particular company implements its CSR in the current project site as well as in its administration.

The purpose of this study is to: 1) determine how developer company succeeds in real estate construction with CSR, 2) to identify mechanisms and problems faced when developer company conduct business with CSR, and 3) to propose recommendations to improve the implemented CSR.

The data was collected in all levels from the top to the bottom levels, which comprise everything from the mission statement to the public interaction of the selected companies by interview, observation, and documentation on how it conducts housing business using CSR. This study’s findings are discussed and analyzed in detail to propose recommendations to improve housing business on Corporate Social Responsibility.

Tuesday 15 September 2009

High-End Residential Property Project Development Process: A Case Study of High-End Residential Property Projects In Bangkok

In Thailand’s attractive cities such as Phuket, Pattaya and Samui, most high-end residential property products are developed by foreigners, large real estate companies from Bangkok and by local Thai developers who joint with foreigners for brand credit. All developers have already known this process but the key factors and particular property development process for this market is still ambiguous for local Thai developers.

It is impossible to provide the guideline for local Thai developers in order to promote their competitive potential without understanding the whole process of property development. Ms. Surangkana Trangkanont made a case study to investigate the high-end residential property project development stages to know the key factors of successful project are. Her three sub-objectives are to (1) investigate how the high-end residential property project development process is developed; (2) identify the significant keys in high-end residential property project development process; and (3) propose the high-end residential property project development process and significant keys the high-end residential property project development.

She found out that the project development process is one of the important issues for high-end residential property project. To be competent, the local investors and developers have to scrutinize on how the high-end residential real estate development project process is done. The high-end real estate project development process conducted feasibility study which is related to saleable area, source of fund and term of repayment, project cash in and out flow or project cost and revenue including project return rate. The more details of feasibility study, the more possible successful project is. The database of feasibility study derived from the developer company database or the results of marketing analysis in terms of project concept and absorption rate. If the result of feasibility studies satisfies the developer, the project concept will follow. Project master plan, project landscape, project facilities and amenities including project unit and project unit models are appeared on blueprint. The project management team is only emphasized on construction works and sale. However, the project management team becomes the most important when the project execution and control are run.

Her thesis abstract is copied and posted.

ABSTRACT

Currently, some major cities in Thailand become more attractive to prosperous people both Thais and foreigners. They want to live in there but the native developers fail to meet their needs. This is because the native developers lack of the high-end residential property project development process system. The research; therefore, firstly aims to investigate the high-end residential property project development process. Secondly, it aims to identify the significant keys in high-end residential property project development process.

Finally, the high-end residential property project development process and the significant keys of high end residential property project development are proposed. To be systematic investigation, the theoretical framework is created and become the roadmap of the research including which issues should be concerned. Next, the case study research methodology is conducted in order to comprehensive the high-end residential property project development process.

After that, five high-end residential real estate projects in Bangkok and perimeter are investigated their project development process. Each project development procedure of each project case study is compared to one another by using logic models and cross case synthesis technique in order to examine the project development process and draw the
phenomena respectively. The results of the research show the key parameters, factors and
influences of each project development procedure. Then, the high-end residential property project development process is proposed including the significant issues concerned by developer.

Monday 14 September 2009

Risk Management In Offshore Platform Installation Projects: A Case Study Of Ptsc Offshore Services

The development of petroleum industry during past years has created bigger demand, bigger market on both size and scale. Vietnam is a nation with enormous oil and gas resources. These opportunities have attracted international oil and gas companies to invest in the oil and gas sector in Vietnam. Production of oil and gas is probably the most demanding aspect of offshore operation. At the end of the day, we have to deliver the project safety, smoothly and profitably. In order to improve quality, safety and commercial issue of an oil and gas project, service companies continue to investment lots of new equipment including multiple offshore support vessel, accommodation barge, heavy crane barge, anchor handling tug and towing tug vessel.

However, in term of safety, technical and commercial aspect, the oil and gas service company now is dealing with some problems in offshore platform installation activities such as heavy investment in offshore platform installation project and the need in a very careful risk management to ensure that the offshore platform installation work can be successful implemented.

Mr. Do Hong Hai made a case study to (1) identify the risk factors in the offshore platform installation project; and (2) conduct a risk management study for offshore platform installation project.

He found out that the offshore platform installation is normally performed by Contractor to ensure that the work is completed successfully before handover to first oil activities and put project into operation stage. Risk factors in offshore platform installation project are Politics, Economic, Health and Safety, Commerce, Environment, Financing, Natural Events, Contract Condition, Software. The Offshore platform installation is one of the very important stages of exploring and exploiting petroleum activities in the continental shelf with much money in total investment.

He also conducted a risk management study for the real offshore platform installation and simulate with the frame work that referred before. The Compression Module installation project in this case study utilized the systematic approach to manage the main risk. The Compression Module project had a very successfulness in risk management and met the expectation of client BP. The involvements of some stakeholders as client, contractors, and subcontractor have very good attitude in the risk management.

His thesis abstract is copied and posted.

ABSTRACT

In the Project management, risk management is a very important sector using particular method to achieve the best practices in the project of company. Risk management is a systematic approach to managing unexpected related to a threat, through a sequence of human activities including: Risk identification, Risk classification, Risk control, Risk monitor, Risk evaluation.
In the organization, there are some ways of risk dealing such as transfers the risk to another party, avoiding the risk, reducing the negative effect of the risk, and accepting some or all of the consequences of a particular risk. Some kind of traditional risk managements are focused on risks stemming from physical or legal causes (e.g. natural disasters or fires, accidents, death and lawsuits).
The purpose of risk management is to reduce different risks. It may refer to numerous types of threats caused by environment, technology, humans, organizations and politics. On the other hand it involves all means available for humans, or in particular, for a risk management entity (person, staff, and organization).

Friday 11 September 2009

Factors Affecting Project Delivery Time Delays And Cost Overruns Of Project Development At The Royal Irrigation Department Of Thailand

In Thailand, water management is considered as one of the major problems. To solve these problems, the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC) was created. The Royal Irrigation Department construction projects are government projects that provide water resources to the community in Thailand.

Mr. Rathsayam Tiyarathtagarn made a case study to identify the problems related with project time delays and cost overrun in irrigation projects and also to develop a framework for managing irrigation project effectively. His three sub-objectives are (1) to investigate the project life cycle of irrigation project development; (2) to identify specific factors causing time delay and cost overruns for irrigation project development; and (3) to propose recommendations for effective managing the delivery time and cost in the process of irrigation project development.

Mr. Tiyarathtagarn found out that the major factors affecting RID’s project delivery time delays and cost overruns are project approval, land acquisition and asset compensation, design change and change order, increasing of material prices, failure to timely site access and poor planning and management.

His thesis abstract is copied and posted.

ABSTRACT

It is very important for public projects to be completed on time and within budgets. Normally, achieving the project within predetermined time, budget, and quality is the basic purpose of construction project control. Unfortunately, many construction projects at the Royal Irrigation Department can not be delivery within specified time and budget. Many projects show massive cost and time overruns. In cases, the government had to increase project time and cost. In general, the problem involved with project delays and cost overruns are avoidable. In an attempt to solve these problems, there are various strategies have been applied. Among them, many factors were found as the main source lead to manage time and cost in project efficiently.
This study wants to find out the factors causing project delivery time delays and cost overruns of project development at the Royal Irrigation Department construction project.
In order to understand the irrigation construction process, therefore the objectives of this research are established to 1) investigate the project life cycle of irrigation project development, 2) identify specific factors causing time delay and cost overruns for irrigation project development, 3) propose recommendations for effective managing the delivery time and cost in the process of irrigation project development.
The data was collected from interview survey by case study in three large scale projects of RID; PASAK, KAWNOI and NAMKUMN Project. The interviewee has been conducted in the viewpoint only of Royal Irrigation Department. The findings found that the factors pertinent the executive’s role or project sponsor in the conceptual and planning phase and factors pertinent project manager in planning, construction and closing phase. The recommend are the executive’s role need to more attention during conceptual and planning phase and work closely with project manager during construction phase. The project manager should more consider in detail work by using Work Breakdown Structure during planning phase. More controlling and monitoring in construction phase are very important. Every problems, obstacle and lesson learn during construction must be present by project manager in term of summary reports or seminars need to be conducted after project had closed.

Thursday 10 September 2009

A Study of Project Management Personnel and Competence Need For Infrastructure Development In Dongnai

Vietnam economy gains strength everyday. In Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, many infrastructures have been built since the country entered WTO. Dongnai Province is also aiming to be economically and socially developed in 2010. Thus this province focuses on the maintenance and development of the infrastructure sector in order to attract foreign investments. As a result, there have been many construction projects for building from 2000 up to this date. However, Dongnai province is now facing problem regarding slow progress and poor quality infrastructures. Therefore, the development of human resources to meet the above target is needed for consideration.

Mr. Truong Vinh Hiep made a case study which primary objective is to survey and to assess adequacy human resources in public infrastructure projects. His two minor objectives are (1) to estimate adequacy project management personnel; and (2) to assess the current competency of the project management individuals, teams, and organizational.

He found out that the project management personnel need one million dollar in order to forecast the number of total construction personnel at three organizations: owner, designer, and contractor in Dongnai province in 2007. In terms of the project management competency level, the individual contractor needs to be a good example, to get the support staff, project sponsor, technical personnel, functional manager, and project manager to manage the scope, time, quality, communication, and human resource. However, the capacity of the project manager is only fair within some areas for instance the cost, risk management, and motivation their staff. Hence, these fields they need improvement in order to meet the high requirement for the projects in the future.

Another conclusion regarding the project management competency is that the individual, team, and organization in the owners and contractors of the large-scale projects are higher than small-scale projects. However there is no significant difference in the individuals, teams, and organizations in the designers between large-scale projects and small-scale projects.

In assessing the project management competence among different projects such as building, road, and water supply system projects using the Kruskal-Wallis test, Mr. Hiep found out that there is a significant difference in project management competence among these projects. This means the capacity of the individual to do their jobs on the projects; cooperation of team members or commitment to complete the project requirement in the team as well as the organization’s support for their workers to execute jobs effectively among buildings, roads, and water supply system projects have seemed difference. While the capacity and ability of the individual to do their works or the cooperation of the team members as well as the organization’s support for their workers to execute jobs effectively between the designer and contractor does seem the same.

His abstract thesis is copied and posted

Abstract
The current competence assessment of the project management personnel in the construction field is necessary for Dongnai province to meet the demand of economy and sociality development to 2010 and 2015. Therefore, this study will provide the information regarding the project management personnel for infrastructure development in Dongnai province. The author observed and interviewed the project managers in the twenty construction projects within three organizations: the owner, designer, and contractor and get the following results:
In term of the project management competency between large-scale projects and small-scale projects, the Mann-Whitney test found that the individual work on the projects, the cooperation of these group members as well as the organization’s support for their worker in the large-scale projects seems to be higher than that of the small-scale projects. When we compare the project management competence among three project types: water supply system, road, and building projects from the Kruskal-Wallis test, there is a significant difference among these project types. But the post-hoc test doesn’t find significant difference in project management competence among these projects. However, when we compare the project management competency among different organizations: the owner, the designer, and the contractor from the Kruskal-Wallis test, there is a significant difference among these organizations and the post-hoc test also finds that the project management competence of the owner is higher than designer. But there isn’t any significant difference in the project management competence between the designer and the contractor.
For this study, the author assessed the current competence of the human resources in the construction field in Dongnai province. And it also provides the data for further research in the future to find the negative cause to affect the project management competence and to setting up the plans to improve these areas which the project management competence level is low as well as find the processes to manage the projects more effective.
Keywords: project management, competence, infrastructure, assessment, organization, personnel.

Wednesday 2 September 2009

Construction, Engineering and Infrastructure Management (AIT Thailand) August 2009 Intake

The Construction, Engineering and Infrastructure Management field of study accepted 16 applicants for Masters Program and 1 applicant for Ph. D. for August 2009 semester.


No - Name - Degree - Country

1. Mr.Asmat Nabi Hotaki - Master - Afghanistan
2. Mr. Hout Venghong - Master - Cambodia
3. Mr. Puoy Puthitha - Master - Cambodia
4 . Mr.Timo Juhappeka Myllynen - Special - Finland
5. Ms. Kyawt Phyu Phyu - Master - Myanmar
6. Mr. Kyaw Min Thu - Master - Myanmar
7. Mr. Pye Phyo Moung - Master - Myanmar
8. Mr. Mukesh Khadka - Master - Nepal
9. Mr.Hassan Ashraf - Master - Pakistan
10. Ms. Supatchana Pumpipat - Master - Thailand
11. Mr.Janeyut Naiyarat - Master - Thailand
12. Mr.Wattanachai Tanjedreu - Master - Thailand
13. MissPorntanat Kongsrisawat - Master - Thailand
14. Mr.Thanapon Buaklom - Master - Thailand
15. Mr.Kittawat Sukosi - Certificate to Master - Thailand
16. Ms. Mai Tuyet Vu - Master - Vietnam
17. Mr. Somjiat Sudprasert - Doctor - Thailand

Tuesday 1 September 2009

Private Participation In Developing Transportation Infrastructure: Case Study In Ben Tre Province

Vietnam’s economy is growing fast and the transport sector must meet the need of the national economy. Improving efficiency in the transport sector investment will be essential for regional access, integrated economy and efficient freight movement to and from terminals, ports, industrial zones, and for public services. Due to financial incapability for transport infrastructure, Vietnam has had to invite overseas and domestic private sector for improving financing sources. Most transport projects have been invested by the government budget and ODA funds. These sources cannot meet the demand.

Vietnam is facing an urgent need to find new means to finance transport capital investment. Therefore, encouraging private sector participation in the transport sector is critical issues for the government. To execute these issues the government needs to learn experiences in mobilizing private sector from other countries to apply for Vietnam. Vietnam should give up monopoly in some fields and give clearer policies for private sector.

Mr. Pham Hoang Anh made a research study to find the suitable ways to increase the fund supply for development of transportation infrastructure in Vietnam. His 4 objectives are to:

1. Investigate legal environment for PPP transportation infrastructure projects;
2. Investigate the current and future gaps of funding sources in developing transportation infrastructure.
3. Propose PPP models and test the applicability of these proposed PPP models for each kind of transport infrastructure projects.
4. Propose the recommendations for the local government in applying PPP models to fill the future funding gaps for the transportation projects.

He found out that there are 8 laws and legal regulations governed for PPP transportation projects. These complexities discouraged the investors especially foreign to invest. On PPP transportation projects at provincial level, there are 7 government parties participating in the project from the primary ideas to complete project. This process runs slowly and its complexity, these make the process of implementation of PPP transportation projects spend much time.

Based on his survey, he found out that most of developers in transportation projects are state-owned enterprise construction contractors so there is deformation about kind of capital in PPP transportation projects. In the case of Ben Tre province, the capital for transportation development is mainly dependent on allocation of budget (central, provincial and district budget), in which provincial budget contributes 50% in total.

Government budget supply will meet around 37% of total financial demand for transportation development. Between public supply and real demand is a huge financial gap. The role of private sector is very necessary in this situation to fill such the financial gaps. The partnership between public and private sector, private participation will possibly contribute 16% of total necessity investment capital in case of minimum contribution of private sector, around 41% at maximum contribution and 28.5% at average value of contribution.

With minimum private participation, the total obtainment capital is around 53%, and 65.5% for the average value. It reaches 78% of total financial requirement. It means that the Transport Master Plan of Ben Tre province up to 2020 will not be able to fulfill by 2020. The utmost, only 78% of the plan will be accomplished. Therefore, the Transport Master Pan is not feasible.

His thesis abstract is copied and posted.

ABSTRACT

The wave of transportation infrastructure investment has been booming in Vietnam recent years. Meanwhile the government budget is inadequate to meet huge demand for transportation improvement. Private participation is considered as a critical solution to solve this problem, their contribution is going to be expected to share financial burden with government budget in future. Therefore, the study concentrates on main issues of Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) models in order to apply for transportation infrastructure projects and current legal system related to PPP transportation projects. Thirteen PPP transportation projects were analyzed in light of financial and legal issues. An investigation was conducted among transportation sector’s participants including officers, investors, developers, expert and bank’s staff. The case study was conducted in Ben Tre province. The future financial requirement for constructing all future transportation projects in the Transport Master Plan was determined. The PPP models for each kind of transportation projects were proposed to identify private financial contribution to fill a part of financial gap. The study suggests possible solutions to solve difficulties of the government in applying PPPs for transportation development, such as diversification of financial sources, administrative reform, and more.