Phương pháp tiếp cận quản lý dự án toàn diện và các công cụ để đạt chất lượng cao cho các dự án xây dựng

PGS-TS BHW. Hadikusumo

Chất lượng là một trong những mục tiêu quan trọng nhất trong quản  lý dự án cùng với việc quản lý chi phí và tiến độ. Một công trình chất lượng kém thường được gây ra bởi quy trình quản lý dự án không rõ ràng và các sai lầm trong việc xác định các yêu cầu của dự án.

Các chủ đầu tư thường mong muốn hoàn thành dự án theo các mục tiêu chất lượng đã đề ra. Các yếu tố ảnh hưởng chất lượng dự án, các thảo luận về vòng đời quản lý dự án, các hoạt động ảnh hưởng chất lượng dự án xây dựng và các phương pháp tối ưu rút ra từ thực tế (bao gồm giai đoạn  thiết kế, đấu thầu và xây dựng) để đạt được chất lượng tốt sẽ được đề cập theo sau.

Trong giai đoạn thiết kế, các yêu cầu của chủ đầu tư cần phải được xác định rõ ràng. Các nhà thiết kế phải phát triển một mô tả ngắn gọn hợp lý về thiết kế sao cho các chủ đầu tư ít kinh nghiệm có thể xác định được cái họ muốn xây dựng và cân bằng yêu cầu này với giá thành và chất lượng dự án.

Giai đoạn đấu thầu, hồ sơ hợp lý và quá trình đấu thầu rất quan trọng. Chủ đầu tư cần chọn phương pháp đấu thầu thích hợp nhất và sau đó phát triển hồ sơ thầu theo hướng đó. Các hồ sơ thầu không rõ ràng chắc chắn sẽ ảnh hưởng không chỉ đến chất lượng dự án mà còn ảnh hưởng đến chi phí và tiến độ dự án.

Trong quá trình xây dựng, việc quản lý hợp đồng chặt chẽ phải được thực hiện. Những yêu cầu đã được thỏa thuận trong hợp đồng phải được tuân theo và quản lý để tránh các vấn đề phát sinh. Trong giai đoạn này, lỗi và thay đổi thiết kế là hai vấn đề phổ biến nhất. Chủ đầu tư cần phát triển chiến lược rõ ràng để xử lý việc này, ngược lại các vấn đề nàysẽ bị kéo dài mà không có giải pháp cụ thể.

Ngoài các tiến trình quản lý dự án như đã nêu trên, rất nhiều công cụ thích hợp có thể được sử dụng để cải tiến chất lượng trong các dự án xây dựng như rà soát thịết kế, tối ưu hóa tính toán kĩ thuật, lập mô hình 3 chiều, lập kế hoạch chất lượng dự án, sử dụng internet chuyên biệt để giao tiếp trong dự án, và triển khai chức năng chất lượng. 

Để cung cấp thêm thông tin về vấn đề nêu trên, PGS-TS BHW Hadikusumo đến từ Viện Công nghệ châu Á, AIT, Thái Lan sẽ trình bày và trao đổi kinh nghiệm tại

Hội thảo CÁCH TIẾP CẬN VÀ CÁC CÔNG CỤ QUẢN LÝ CHO VIỆC CẢI TIẾN VÀ ĐẢM BẢO CHẤT LƯỢNG DỰ ÁN XÂY DỰNG Tp. Hồ Chí Minh: 9:00, ngày 17/03/2013 Phòng A1.1, 45 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, p. Bến Nghé, Q.1, (đối diện HTV) www.professionalprojectmanagement.blogspot.com

Thông tin liên hệ: - Tp. Hồ Chí Minh: Lầu 6, FCC, 45 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Q.1. Tel: 08-39107423(117)–01285265168 (C.Tường) - Hà Nội: B3, ĐH GTVT. Tel: 04-37669450(131)–01285 687168 (A. Tuấn) - Cần Thơ: Trung tâm Học liệu, ĐH Cần Thơ. Tel: 0710-3815523 (C.Chi) Email: mpm@aitcv.ac.vn

Chương trình Thạc sĩ chuyên nghiệp Quản lý dự án Xây dựng đang tiến hành tuyển sinh khóa 7 vào tháng 9/2013 với các đặc điểm chính: Thời gian đào tạo 1 năm; Cấp bằng quốc tế của AIT, được Bộ Giáo dục và Đào tạo Việt Nam công nhận; Học ngoài giờ làm việc và cuối tuần; Lớp Tiếng Anh hỗ trợ trước khi nhập học:19/03/2013.

Balanced Scorecard and KPIs for Small and Medium-sized Contractors in Vietnam

Strategic planning is one of the radical responsibilities of senior management in any company. It involves the survey of business environment and analysis of the company’s performance and main resources, from that a competitive strategy can be drawn (Warszawski, 1996). Therefore, strategic planning is a way to understand the company’s current situation and to plan for the future by a long-range perspective. In other words, strategic planning helps people prepare for the future by simulating the future. It focuses on long-term issues which are how the company succeeds and thrives. Strategic planning sets up major goals that the company must strive for, instead of being overwhelmed with short-term and immediate problems. It has been proven that the companies concentrating on long-term directions by strategic planning tend to outperform the ones not caring about long-term goals.

However, the application of strategic planning in construction sector and especially in construction SMEs is not straightforward. Even when a construction company applies strategic planning, there is a chance that the execution of strategies will not be thorough. And it is an often-heard story. Right after the launch of strategic plan, it becomes secondary and is dominated by daily activities and the compulsion of meeting immediate milestones of ongoing projects. In addition, being obsessed by business precariousness, top management is too eager for any opportunities of new projects, even though they could be a deviation from strategic objectives. Andersen et al. (2001) has mentioned the risk of neglecting established long-term goals. After a time, senior executives look at one another and wonder why so little progress has been made toward strategic goals. Here, they are devoid of a framework to pursue the determined strategies.

The above obstacles and problems bring the role of a comprehensive strategic management system to prominence. Such systems are effective means of strategic planning and execution. Nowadays, the most popular management system is the Balanced Scorecard (BSC). Created in the early-1990s by two professors R. Kaplan and D. Norton from Harvard University, the BSC is now utilized widely all over the world. Its usefulness and effectiveness have been taken for granted for nearly two decades. It is believed that 60% of Fortune 500 companies have applied or experimented with the BSC.

The BSC puts strategic planning at the center of value creation of the company, then translates strategies into objectives and sets up a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure these objectives. By this way, strategy execution is monitored and evaluated. So the BSC provides a framework for strategic planning and execution. It aligns the whole company performance with strategic goals. Furthermore, the BSC is not based on separate functions of the company. In contrast, the BSC gives an outlook from four perspectives (Financial, Customer, Internal Business and Learning & Growth), which cover all respects of the company’s overall performance. Besides, the BSC is also an effective means to communicate strategies and objectives throughout the company. It interprets strategies to all levels of the company in a plain and intelligible manner.

In a nutshell, the BSC is an approach of ‘3 in 1’: a performance measurement system, an effective communication tool, and above all - a strategy management method.

Though the BSC system has been very popular worldwide for nearly two decades and its benefits are beyond dispute, the BSC is still a nascent concept and is hardly known in Vietnam. Since the visit of R. Kaplan, one of the authors of the BSC, to Vietnam in 2011 the awareness of the BSC has an increase. Nevertheless, the application of the BSC system in Vietnam is still extremely rare. Very few enterprises have adopted the BSC and they all are the large-sized.

Mr. Tran Xuan Le made a case study to explore the possibility of BSC adoption in construction SMEs in Vietnam. The four main objectives were to : (i) conduct strategy formulation; (ii) develop the BSC model; (iii) establish KPI set to support the BSC; and (iv) propose a process of BSC deployment.

Conclusion

(1) The Final Balanced Scorecard Model

Balanced Scorecard (BSC) development here comes to the last step. So far we have conducted the assessment of overall situation of the company and carried out strategy formulation. We have also translated the strategies into strategic objectives and established set of KPIs to support those objectives. During the establishment of KPIs, setting targets and weight factors for each KPI was discussed. And initiatives and programs is the final key component of the BSC. In addition, to launch the BSC into real use, a process of BSC deployment was proposed and discussed.

Now the BSC has been accomplished. There is still a great length to go and a lot of encumbrances ahead waiting for the company when realizing the BSC and its goals. But now is the time to look at the result obtained: the Balanced Scorecard model of the company.

In Financial perspective, there are KPIs that represent short-term results (F1.1 Return on Equity), long-term results (F2.1 Revenue growth rate) as well as performance process indicators (F3.1 Cash flow, F3.2 Backlog). In Customer perspective, KPI C1.1 Target customer satisfaction needs direct involvement of customers, whereas C2.1 Rate of target customers share and C3.1 Profit margin from customers use indirect customer assessment.

KPIs in Internal Business perspective cover all stages of the project life cycle (see Figure 4.2). In which, I2.1 PM Competency has very high weight factor since it reflects the project-based nature of a contractor and competency of project management is the crucial determinant of the company’s success. Finally, KPIs in Learning & Growth perspective specify the quality of workforce – the fundamental drivers of performance outcomes in the three upper perspectives. They include both qualitative indicators (L2.1 Employee attitude, L1.1 Employee competency) and quantitative indicators (L2.2 Key staff turnover rate, L3.1 Employee productivity).

When comparing the BSC model of CBM JSC in this particular case with theories, the following can be drawn:

-     The core of the BSC, as we’ve known, is strategic planning. According to Warszawski (1996), the appropriate strategy for smaller companies is “focus” strategy. This matter is partly true in the case of CBM JSC. The company has chosen a certain type of customers (foreign investors of small-medium scale) to focus on, finding out their particular needs, and then trying to acquire advantages by satisfying these focused customers.

-    Kaplan and Norton (2000) pointed out three generic differentiators of the value proposition in Customer perspective: operational excellence, customer intimacy and product leaderships. CBM JSC has opted for customer intimacy since it is the strong point of the company comparing with the other two. SMEs usually do not have an excellent management system and high technologies to pursue operational excellence and product leaderships. Furthermore, as indicated earlier, construction industry is to sell directly to individual customers, not to massive market. This nature stresses the importance of customer relationships and customized services.

-      To prepare the Internal Business perspective, companies should specify their internal-process value chain, and measures should be formulated for all phases (Kaplan and Norton 1993, 2000). It can be seen that KPIs in this perspective of CBM JSC would cover all stages of its value chain, here is project life cycle:

(i) Identify customer needs: extensive services rate;

(ii) Offer services & win (tender): tender winning rate, tender price index;

(iii) Prepare and perform: PM competency index, change order rate, committed cost rate;

(iv) Closeout: payment & close-out cycle.

 

It can be concluded that no enterprise is too small for strategic planning. Conversely, strategic planning must be the backbone of any enterprise. The BSC can be entirely exerted in construction SMEs and it provides a framework for strategic management. In order to conduct strategic planning, managers must have a profound understanding of current situation of the enterprise, and from that critical issues and solutions should be pointed out. Strategic planning and a management system is a vital choice, a guarantee to stable growth and future success for enterprises; no matter they are small or large.

Recommendations

Now when this study comes to the final section, some recommendations can be obtained:

-       Due to the limitations of the study framework, not all the details of the company’s BSC have been clarified. In order to launch this BSC to real use, a further elaborate study is needed and it must be a collective effort of BSC development team. For examples, KPIs must be more in-depth with respect to setting targets for each KPI, designing survey forms, making up assessment and scoring criteria system, assigning responsibilities, setting procedures for collecting and computing data, and so on.

-       BSC approach can be recommended to any kind of company. However, the BSC model in this study is proposed for the particular case of CBM JSC. Different companies will have different demands, problems and circumstances, and thus lead to different strategies and objectives. There is no common BSC for all. Moreover, the BSC theory was originally created for large and mega enterprises. Companies should adapt the concepts and develop the most suitable BSC for them. They should not force themselves to adopt a Harvard’s mould.

-    BSC should be continuously monitored and reviewed to ensure the fitness for the company. Some adjustments and modification could be made. Besides, even if the company succeeds in deploying the BSC and develops stably, strategies should be still revised after 3 – 5 years. The rapid increase in the company’s size (in case of success) and changes in business environment will create new requirements and demands to be assessed and dealt with.

The last words of this study are to convey the message of Alan Fell, a famous BSC specialist,

Small and medium-sized enterprises not thinking of strategy will be small and medium for ever and will always be in the situation of struggling for survival.

On the contrary, enterprises with in-depth strategic planning will get giant leaps and will attain great achievements, and Balanced Scorecard is the very means.

  

His thesis abstract is copied and posted.

Abstract

Originated in the early-1990s, the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) has now evolved as one of the most widely used models of strategic management all over the world. Made up from a balanced and coherent set of Key performance indicators (KPIs), the BSC provides a holistic and comprehensive view of the organization’s performance from four perspectives: Financial, Customer, Internal Business and Learning & Growth. Moreover, the BSC turns strategic planning into the backbone of any organization. It helps to translate vision and strategies into concretized objectives and targets to monitor and control the strategic execution.

Although the prominent benefits of the BSC system have been taken for granted worldwide for the last two decades, yet it still seems to be rather a nascent concept in Vietnam. The application of the BSC is very rare especially as far as small & medium-sized construction contractors are concerned. There is still an ambivalent attitude towards such a strategic management system among small & medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) due to their nature of flexibility and limited resources.

The aim of this study is to explore the possibility of BSC adoption in small & medium-sized contractors in Vietnam. A typical medium-sized contractor was selected for the case study. The procedure of BSC development consisted of five steps as following: First, an in-depth survey of business environment and company’s performance was conducted, which leaded to second step - strategy formulation. Mission, vision and strategies were set up. Third, strategic objectives and strategy map, which transformed the vision and strategies into specific terms, were built based on four perspectives. Fourth, a set of KPIs was established to measure and track the progress toward strategic objectives. And in the last step, initiatives and programs needed to realize strategic objectives were put forward. Finally, the study would be accomplished by proposing a process of BSC deployment, which is necessary to launch the BSC into real use, and discussing potential benefits of the BSC for the particular case of this study.

Turnkey/Epc Contract Administration For Chemical & Fertilizer Project - A Case Study Of Di-Ammonia Phosphat (Fertilizer) Project In Vietnam

In order to meet the needs of chemicals and fertilizers in Vietnam, the Government has many projects which are being done under Vinachem. To develop these projects, Vinachem needs to consider which contracting method is appropriate for its particular institutional and technical strength and weakness (including access to financing). Export financing tend to favor the turkey contract/EPC contract and many developing countries are willing to adopt a turkey contract as a mean of financing a project (Merna and Smith, 1990). Turkey contracting is appropriate for both employer and contractor who have knowledge and experience of it.

However, in the past, Vinachem developed project under Design-Bid-Build form. The project is separated into many packages. The employer managed the project and solved the interface and conflicts, but it usually applied for small and medium size under about 50 million dollars. Some trouble happened at the closed out stage of project, because of the employer’s decision to separate it into many packages. At the commissioning and performance test run, no one is fully responsible for this duty, it made difficulty for employer.

Recently, Vinachem developed three large scale projects on investment. The chemical-fertilizer plant cost about 500 to 600 million dollars. All selected contractor comes from China and the quality is not so good in contract and project management. Most of the major and modern chemical and fertilizer projects have never met the high expectation. Therefore, this project is determined as critical case and selected in order to learn lessons for the further project.    

Due to the advancement in process and technology needs in developing countries, especially Vietnam, the chemical & fertilizer projects are increasing in size and becoming complex. As the result, contract forms are more complex and difficult, and causing adversarial impacts such as increase in number and frequency of claims and disputes, besides time and cost overruns. To overcome the worsening scenario, it is essential to develop a system that can assist the contract administrators to understand and evaluate worth of their claims prior to taking it to litigation (Lyer et al, 2007).

Nguyen Hong Hanh made a case study which aimed to: (i) examine the organization structure of the project and their performance with contractor’s effort in EPC project; (ii) study contract administration practice in EPC of Di-ammonia phosphate project problem in term of time and cost objectives; (iii) conduct comparative study of important clauses between International Standard Turnkey Contract (FIDIC Silver) and Di-ammonia phosphate Contract to identify strengths and weaknesses, and (iv) generalize and purpose the recommendation for improving EPC Contract implementation process for chemical & fertilizer project implemented by Vinachem.

Conclusion

The contract management is essential for construction project in every stage from conceptual phase until project completion. The appropriate contract administration is significantly important to determine the success or failure of any construction project. It is impossible to know unforeseeable difficulties in advance and complicated to cover all possible risks of both parties during contract negotiation stage. Different projects have different uniqueness in many ways such as organization administration, nature of construction work itself even when it is copied from another similar project. There are many types of International contract forms for Turnkey/EPC project to give guidance; therefore, both of parties need to consider which contract form is appropriate for uniqueness of project characteristic such as particular institutional and technical strength and weakness of parties.

Although it offers several advantages for large and complex projects, it brings some risks and complexities. Each contract form affects in its own way the allocation of risk and responsibility and co-ordination of the project. The most successful turnkey/EPC projects have been those where most contingencies were resolved in negotiation prior to contract signing. Turnkey procurement method is suitable for both employer and contractor who have knowledge and experience of it in past.

The result of this study are presented into three main categories, namely, organization analysis in DAP project, analysis the procedure and comment with actual execution, and comparison of DAP contract conditions with FIDIC Silver Book.

(1) Organization Interface Analysis in DAP project

As a result of the organization analysis in DAP project, some factors are found out which negatively affect to the performance of project. These all factors affect the actual execution, some factor may occur in the future.

(a) Negative during negotiation with Licensor:

      - Lack of consistency to deal with Licensor during the Bidding and Negotiation.

      - The method for working with Licensor

(b) Negative factor of interfacing of scope between Contractor and Owner

      - Interfacing during execution of three main packages has separated in the project   (administrative area and road by Local; Process areas by foreign contractor and railway system by Owner) may occur due to deference schedule.

(c) Negative factors of Employer’s Organization in DAP project

      - Lack of Co-ordination among employer’s organization

      - Lack of experience and knowledge of employer’s personnel in turnkey/EPC contract.

      - PMC is mobilized for project too late.

(d) Procedures in execution

      - Engineering, Procurement and Construction are clearly to execution.

      - Way for execution may difference among parties relate to project.

(2) Contract Administration and Critical Problems at DAP project

Though the study contract administration from mobilization, project organization, procedures, schedule and payment method of project, it would be impossible to identify all problems in DAP project due to the project just start in May 2012. It may forecast based on analysis above. Most of critical may or apart has happened as follows:

  - Time and Cost impacted by Licensor

  - Schedule delay in interfacing among scope of Owner and Contractors.

  - Time impacted due to site preparation and some temporary system provided by Owner.

  - Schedule delayed due to payment method, may cause the overall schedule in the future.

There are many factors caused to schedule delay of DAP2. Among of these, the significant factor is payment delay to Contractor, it make the Contractor cannot catch progress and speed up the project ahead. Consequently, this fact may lead to be late procurement of materials. Otherwise, other parties relate project such as the Licensor, PMC, and other contractor should consider carefully.

(3) Comparison of DAP contract with FIDIC

The potential problems found in this study caused from inadequacy contract administration to cover the risk of management in the employer’s organization. As a result of investigation in DAP contract, the Contract Price was not adjusted to take account with some conditions related to cost that unforeseen difficulties, lack of co-operation the employer’s personnel, interfacing among parties relate to project, payment method, hence the employer typically placed the risks regarding on the contractor. Consequently, due to the absence of some sub clause that coordination of the employer’s organization and payment schedule, the contractor has no potential claim to the employer.

Recommendation for improving EPC project in chemical & fertilizer field in Vietnam

The contract administration among the parties should provide a proper fair risk allocation that covers all possible risk in accordance with the nature of each project. The feasibility study is a significant role to determine not only any possible risk during contract negotiation stage but also long term and short term benefits of the particular project. In order to achieve success of chemical & fertilizer project, the contractor should aware of all possible risks including organizational risk, additional payment risk, payment method risk, interfacing of all participants should develop effective communication and coordination system.

DAP contract complied with Silver Book. Hence, according to Huse, (2002), the conditions of contract for EPC/Turnkey Projects (FIDIC Silver Book, 1999) are not suitable for use in the following circumstances:

   - If there is insufficient time or information for tenders to scrutinize and check the Employer’s Requirements or for them to carry out their designs, risk assessment studies and estimating

   - If the Employer intends to supervise closely or control the Contractor’s work, or to review most of the construction drawings.

If a contractor needs develop the EPC contract on chemical & fertilizer project in Vietnam, there are some useful recommendations for EPC contract administration that should be considered as following:

(i) Licensors - Set clear provisions of Licensor and its responsibilities before EPC contract.

(ii) Payment term

     - Set clear provision on payment method & term, considering carefully the cash flow and agree with Owner in advance, may consider sub-clause in FIDIC Silver Book.

     - Payment should pay thought Consortium Leader to control other member.

(iii) Extension of Time

     - Make sure that to entitle time extension due to any delay, impediment or prevention caused by not only the Employer but also its personnel.

(iv) Employer’s Personnel

     - To provide Employer’s Personnel Clause if a contractor needs to coordinate with employer’s organization.

     - To provide for a remedy in the event that employer fails to ensure that his personnel cooperate with the contractor’s effort

     - The time limit for the employer’s schedule delay should be provided in the provision; otherwise, if the contractor suffers delay, the employer should pay for acceleration cost.

(v) Risk and Responsibility

    - Describe adequate definition of their responsibilities and provisions for impact of any delay or damages due to failure of its responsibilities

    - Clearly identify and allocate risks through the owner/sponsor's procurement/contracting policies and procedures

    - Set clear interface and request proper conditions with Owner and other parties involved to project.

The thesis abstract is copied and pasted below.

Abstract

The contract administration is essential for construction project in every stage from conceptual phase until project close out. The appropriate contract administration is vitally important to determine the success or failure of any construction project. In recent years, turkey/EPC projects have seen rapid growth and have been a popular system in public sector. Due to the development in construction industry, the natures of construction project are increase in size and becoming more complex. In order to decrease number and frequency of claims and disputes, it is essential to have knowledge, understanding in contract administration and strong negotiation skill. The objective of this study intends to assist the process of turnkey/EPC contract implementation in chemical & fertilizer project in Vietnam, which is increasingly developed in public sector.

This study emphasizes particular on turnkey/EPC contract implementation of chemical & fertilizer project in Vietnam, Di-Ammonia Phosphate Project (DAP) as a critical and single case. Due to the project just has started in May 2012 and only getting about 30% engineering, so limit of information from project, and therefore this study is conducted from mobilization and procedures of project on engineering, procurement and construction, it also focus on critical issue relate to schedule delay and payment process of project and comparative between contract and FIDIC Silver form.

Finding from this study is that inadequacy contract administration to cover the risk of management in the employer’s organization, the dealing with Licensor and payment issue are concerned as the weakness of the project contract from the point of view of contractor. Accordingly, unclear contract conditions may lead to the dispute arising and losing chances to recover claim. To overcome the worsening situations, it is recommended that the contract administration among the parties should provide a proper fair risk allocation that covers all possible risk in accordance with the nature of each project.

Safety Management in High-Rise Construction

High-rise buildings are the current trend in construction nowadays because of its convenience, advantages, architectural design, grade and luxury. Not known to many, it has many safety risks for occupancy. Mr. Nguyen Phu Hoi made a case study which mainly focused in safety aspects to come up with the solutions on how to control risk and to prevent accidents as much as possible as well as to foresee/handle emergencies/contingencies during the construction duration.

The most frequent problems/accidents related to safety in high-rise construction often include:

1. Ladders

2. Falling Debris

3. Falling From Heights

4. Electrical shock & Machinery

5. Trips and Slips

6. Crane and hoist operation

Due to time and resources constraints, Mr. Hoi’s study focused only in the following objectives:

1. To study SMS (Safety Management System) at a high-rise construction project in Vietnam

2. To study safety risk in construction of high-rise building in Vietnam

3. To analyze strength, weakness and propose recommendations for improvement of safety in high-rise construction in Vietnam

Conclusion

Throughout the core basis of safety literature and actual high-rise tower now under construction, the main important issues can be summarized as below:

(1) Summary of Safety Management System (SMS)

           

The SMS is a must for every construction project, especially for high-rise construction because this area is consisting of many latent hazard and risk. Without SMS, the owners, developers, investors, shareholders, and managers cannot reach the goal and target as expected. On the other hand, the contractors, suppliers, installers, and workers cannot fulfill and complete their mission.

In overall, without SMS, the construction of a high-rise will become very dangerous and the casualty/damage cannot be prevented. The SMS must be set up and strictly implemented and it should comprise of the main frames:

-          - Safety Policy

-          - Safety Organization

-          - Safety Plan & Program

-          - Hazard & Risk analysis and identification

-          - Safety Documenting & Recording

-          - Safety Review & Upgrading

In addition, high-rise construction project should also have strong and powerful PM/CM team who will monitor, control, and handle the safety matters (e.g. review and approval of safety plan/program submitted by the contractors and sub-contractors). It is also their duty to strictly implement these safety plans which normally and basically include the following: 

- Safety management/hierarchy/organization

- PPE availability, use and condition

- Scaffolding (fixed and mobile) including ladders & platforms

- Electro-mechanical activities and controls

- Site status

- Temporary power supply and tools

- Health & welfares

- Storage condition

- Fire prevention

- Waste/pollution control

- Monitoring and control of working on height

- Aid/first aid and evacuation

- Emergency plan for unanticipated circumstances

It is recommended that for bid and high-rise construction project, the owner should seek and hire a professional project management team usually PMC companies (project management consultancy), as the project & construction manager and their representative as well. The PM/CN then will be enthusiastically and heartily dedicated to the multi-goal completion of a high-rise construction project: schedule reached, within budget, quality achieved and also well perform the high safety requirements/demands.    

The PM/CM as the owner representative should have strong and effective ways to force all contractors and their subs at site to totally and absolutely comply with safety rules. It is necessarily to cleverly apply the method of fine and reward to guarantee the safe situation at site workplace.

(2) Summary of Hazard/Risk Identification:

This is the most important portion of every specific SMS especially for high-rise project. Depending on the specific condition and particular situation, the PM/CM should:

(i) Thoroughly analyze all aspect of the project: geographical, structure, sub-water, vicinity, surrounding inhabitants

(ii) Far-seeing and fore-seeing for all possible causes/reasons may lead to hazard/risk

(iii) Focusing in the most would-be hazard/risk of high-rise construction: fall/falling, trip/slip, fire, electrical shocking/flashing, tower crane/hoist, lift/elevator, scaffolding, PPE

(iv) Periodically and frequently (weekly/bi-weekly) conduct site-safety check carefully and thoroughly. The same for site-safety audit

(v) Evaluation the site-safety check/audit and requires improvements

(vi) Always available for an emergency plan to cope with an unanticipated circumstance (drill of evacuation…)

(vii) Always keep best relationship for availability of a hot-contact with nearest local authorities and utilities

(viii) Frequently review, analyze and search for other possible hazards and identification of its risks

(3) Strength & Weakness of the actual SMS at Pullman Saigon Center project

Strength:

-    - Strong and powerful: the PM/CM monitor, control and force the contactors & their subs to execute the safety rules.

-    - Standardized & professional: the safety rules & items based on the advanced standards/norms of site-safety and implemented by a long-history PMC like Turner.

-    - Sufficient: the SMS and its rules/items comprising the most frequent issues in high-rise construction

Weakness:

-     - Lack of identification of hazard/risk from some potential possibilities such as: glass wall, lift, sub-water, overhead power line

-     - No considering on the role of 3^rd safety party for audit/verification

-     - Only involving the actions in construction phase.

-     - No mentioning the other phase: commissioning and delivery

-     - No mentioning on safety training, especially for induction training

-     -Take much time much, paper for meeting and inspection so the time schedule may be impacted.

           

(4) Suggestions & Recommendations

-     - Build-up a comprehensive safety plan and extensive safety programs: the plan should involve all factors that possibly cause risks and hazards of unsafe conditions.

-    - Strictly abiding and complying with local code and governmental regulations and stipulations.

-    - Build and maintain very good relationship with local authorities and utilities.

-    - Pay special attention on the geographical, geological, environmental, hydro-geological characteristics of the area, to foresee/ anticipate suitable counter measures and actions.

-    - PLAN – DO – CHECK – ACT: strictly and thoroughly executing the established safety plan/program; frequently review and improve for better outcomes.

-    - NO COMPROMISE on safety especially in high -rise construction.

-    - Ready for safety egress in site for rescue and emergency exit

-    - Emergency Action Plan: ready for reaction plan/scenarios to any unexpected circumstance/contingency; prepare plan, scenarios and evacuation method for readiness and coping with even the worst case might be happened: fire, collapse, seismic, terrorism

-     - Periodically organize training, re-training for emergency drill/rehearsal and contingency scenarios of evacuation.

-    - Check and review design for specific items which may cause risk of un-safety by professional 3^rd party.

-    - NO SMOKING at construction site: so no hazard and no risk for fire occurrence. Of course we should strictly control and monitor all possible causes and reasons may lead to fire and explosive from materials and chemicals and from interaction among themselves.

-    - Increasing safety awareness: although we have rules, notices, regulations, fine sufficiently but the hazard/risk/accident are still be possible to occur. In order to avoid and prevent more and more the possibility of hazard, risk and accident, the awareness/perception on safety in high-rise construction of every involved people must be increased and enhanced.  

This can be got by education level of every worker, person participated on site. This can be increased by frequently training/re-training them on safety subject by various type: oriented safety, 15-minute tool-box meeting every morning, safety inspection daily, weekly safety audit, safety signs/panel/billboards/notice on site, safety lunch for every 100,000 safe-working hours.

-     - Motivation and incentives: similar to job and wage, performance and bonus; safety in high-rise construction needs to have encouragement to the people who are good examples for well-performed of safety on site. There are various ways/forms to enhance and support safety goal: safety lunch, safety lottery, safety award to the best-performed worker, bonus, pay-rise, promotion etc.

-    - More attention – less occurrence: the more attention on safety the less accident and problems occurred.

-   - Strengthen functions of employers and supervisors: employers and supervisors must ensure compliance with the provisions of the OHSA and its regulations. Key requirements for employers include:

(a) Employer

(i) instruct, inform and supervise workers to protect their health and safety

(ii) appoint competent persons as supervisors

(iii) take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker

(iv) prepare and review at least annually a written occupational health and safety policy, and develop and maintain a program to implement that policy if the workplace has six or more full-time employees

(v) post a copy of the occupational health and safety policy in the workplace, where workers will be most likely to see it

(b) Supervisors

(i) ensure workers work in compliance with protective devices, measures and procedures required by the act and regulations

(ii) ensure workers use or wear any equipment, protective device or clothing required by the employer

(iii) advise workers of any potential or actual health or safety dangers known by the supervisor

(iv) if required, provide workers with written instructions on the measures and procedures to be taken for the workers’ protection

(v) take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of workers

* Frequently carry out preventing methods/measures for safety:

* Periodically check and verify crane/hoist by 3rd independent parties.

* Frequently training and certificating operators

* Review and amendment/adjusting safety plan/program from safety audits

-                      Frequently TRAINING on safety to all workers. Make sure them always to keep in mind that safety does not depend on luck or destiny but it depends on themselves. 

His thesis abstract is copied and pasted below.

Abstract

Construction is indispensable for the growing up of any country and cities. The more development of society/community, the more projects are going on. Construction industry brings up the new picture of country/city; attracts investors to come in and provides more jobs/incomes to people/community; especially for the under-developing countries.

However, construction industry is one of the most dangerous/risky economic sectors. In Vietnam, in the year 2011, official reports recorded that 5896 accidents occurred in construction led 6154 injuries included 504 severe cases with 574 deaths. (SG newspaper dated 26-June-2012). Note that 2011 is the year which construction was depressing nationwide due to the problems of high inflation and high interest rate. Further a certain accident amount was not put in the above official report.

 Accident cases from machines/tools always being a major percentage but deaths are mainly by falling and electric shocks. In most cases, the control of safety management at sites is not strictly, frequently slacken while the owner and contractors only focusing on completion schedule and profits; insufficient interest to safety for people on sites. Another part is from the lack of understandings/perception on safety of the workers themselves.

Everyone is aware on the important of safety, everyone is told about the preciousness of human being and many losses comes from the accidents; but casualties still be recorded. How to find out and apply an effective manner to minimize and – may be - eliminate all unsafe conditions and possible causes /risks of the would-be hazards?

World Bank Tendering and Contract Administration Procedure

Contract administration is very complex which sometimes lead to cost overrun and delay of the construction project. It is extremely difficult to verify the authenticity of the contract and it requires skillful human resource to control and evaluate the process to ensure the transparency especially in the procurement. Documentation in the bidding stage must be written accurately so that contractors can fully understand the owner’s preferences. All pertinent documents must be monitored, diligently recorded and filed before, during and after construction for auditing.  If these processes are not done well, the project will be delayed, suspended or even terminated.

Mr. Ngo Viet Hoang made a case study on Trung Son Hydropower Project aimed to: (i) study the World Bank contract requirements and procedures; (ii) analyze strengths and weaknesses of 2 packages of entire project; (iii) study the practice of owner contract administration in Trung Son hydropower project; and (iv) discuss the lessons learned from the strengths and provide recommendations to improve the weaknesses.

Conclusion

The contract administration is perceived to start from simple to the complex. Its processes are of importance and how problems had been happened in case. The World Bank contract requirements and procedures recognize the basic similar theory, but World Bank focus on fair, transparent, anti-fraud and incorrupt bidders.

Furthermore, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the 2 packages of the entire project, it was found out that the difficult thing is in contract administration. The manager or the project team has no capability and experience as well as ethics to handle the project very well. The Trung Son Company is using the guidelines of the World Bank and coordinates it with some tools that are created by the company to improve the contract administration process. Summarizing these, it is recommended to verifying the step to make the framework perfectly suited for the other future project in Vietnam.

Recommendations

Based on the case study, it is revealed that the World Bank funded projects are being performed with commitments financially, environmental development sustainability, and socially by making the pre-feasibility study using a lot of program such as Environmental Impact Assessment and Supplemental (SESIA), Resettlement, Livelihoods and Ethnic Minorities Development Program (RLDP), Policy Framework for Compensation, Ethnic Minorities' Planning Framework and Environment Guidance under the Transmission Line Component, Trung Son Hydropower Project, Final Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for Bridges and Access Road under Trung Son Access Road work item.

Furthermore, the borrowers also commit to have a skillful, ethnic and experience human resource. In addition, the borrowers must follow the World Bank’s guideline in procurement tightly. Another important thing behind a successful project is the finance.  In construction, the contractors cannot finish the workload on time if they do not receive the payment based on schedule. However, not all guidelines are suited for some areas especially in Vietnam where contract administration is unprofessional. There are still problems in corruption and fraud leading to wrong bidding result and choosing contractors. The author opined that the World Bank should allow the borrower to propose the adjustment suitable for their countries in terms of policies, economy, and social but still keeping the core things of World Bank guidelines.

His thesis abstract is copied and pasted below.

Abstract

The economic growth over several years is at the root of many of the issues in Vietnam’s energy sector. It lead to the government must have a plan to develop the power generation .

Vietnam’s options for power generation include a hydropower, sizable resources of coal and gas, renewable energy potential of possibly as well as some nuclear power.

From an emissions standpoint, every source that displaces coal from the generation mix would reduce emissions of both local pollutants including sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen and particulates and global pollutants, especially carbon dioxide (CO₂). And Development of hydropower could have a decisive impact on Vietnam’s future emissions path, since it will avoid building new coal fired plant.  Hydropower represents one of the lowest cost sources of new power supply and Vietnam is constructing the Son La (2,400MW) and developing the Lai Chau (1,200MW) large plants on the Da River, adding to the current facility at Hoa Binh (1,920MW).  Besides these large projects, the main focus is on medium-sized projects (typically 100-600 MW each) distributed throughout the country. About 22 such projects are under construction or are planned to enter construction over the next decade, providing a total of about 4,800 MW.

 Trung Son hydropower project is the first hydropower project that’s funded by World Bank, and its processes must follow the World Bank guideline. It’s the challenge for entire member of Trung Son hydropower company. Especially, in contract administration. How to avoid the threat of delay(time), over budget(cost), uncetain risk of construction(quality) is the big question. 

Through this final report,the author hope everyone, who read it, can find out their own way to solve the edges related to contract administration problems in the difference projects.