Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The project manager is facing many challenges when planning and managing an Emerging Contractor project. Constraints experienced by Emerging Contractors are exerting risks on the project and pose a challenge to the project manager to guide the project to successful completion. The constraints and risks experienced on an Emerging Contractor project are mostly related to inexperience and unproven track record. The Emerging Contractor has not been in business long enough to build trust relationships with suppliers. Suppliers are limiting their exposure to risk and are therefore not prepared to supply material in bulk or on credit to the Emerging Contractor. The term Emerging Contractor is a well-known term in the South African construction industry, but no clear definition exists of what criteria qualifies a contractor to be an Emerging Contractor. The assumption in the industry is that an Emerging Contractor is a construction business which is 100% controlled and managed by a black person. Emerging Contractors are conducting business at the bottom end of the market where there is no barrier to entry. This makes the competition very severe and the profit margins are very slim. Even though the contract values are low, the Emerging Contractor projects require a considerable amount of effort to manage and are therefore not cost effective for the experienced project manager. The constraints experienced by the Emerging Contractor can be addressed by co-opting experience to the project team to provide guidance, training and management assistance. The proposal will require additional funding, but after a few projects the Emerging Contractor would have built up a reputation as a successful contractor and will therefore be self sustaining. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die projekbestuurder moet baie uitdagings trotseer met die beplanning en bestuur van 'n Opkomende Kontrakteur. Beperkings wat deur die Opkomende Kontrakteur ervaar word lei tot 'n risiko vir die projek en bied dus 'n uitdaging aan die projekbestuurder om die projek te lei tot suksesvolle voltooiing. Die beperkings en risiko's wat deur 'n Opkomende Kontrakteur projek ervaar word, hou meerendeels verband met onervarendheid en gebrekkige ondervinding. Die Opkomende Kontrakteur is nog nie lank genoeg in die bedryf om vertrouensverhoudings met verskaffers op te gebou het nie. Verskaffers verskans dus hul blootstelling aan risiko en is dus nie bereid om materiaal in grootmaat of op krediet aan die Opkomende Kontrakteur te lewer nie. Die term "Emerging Contractor" is welbekend in die Suid-Afrikaanse konstruksiebedryf, maar 'n duidelike definisie kon nie gevind word wat die vereistes stel om as 'n Opkomende Kontrakteur te kwalifiseer nie. In die konstruksiebedryf word dit algemeen aanvaar dat 'n Opkomende Kontrakteur 'n konstruksie besigheid is wat 100% deur 'n swart persoon beheer en bestuur word. Opkomende Kontrakteurs ding mee op die intreevlak van die konstruksiebedryf waar daar weinig min versperring vir toetrede is. Dit maak die kompetisie baie straf en die winsmarge laag. Selfs al is die kontrakwaarde laag behels die Opkomende Kontrakteur projek buitengewone aandag en bestuur en is dit dan ook nie 'n koste effekiewe projek vir 'n ervare projekbestuurder nie. Die beperkings wat deur die Opkomende Kontrakteur ervaar word, kan aangespreek word deur ervare diensverskaffers na die projekspan te bring om leiding, opleiding en bestuurshulp te verskaf. Die voorgestelde projekbestuursplan benodig addisionele fondse, maar na 'n paar projekte het die kontrakteur vir hom/haar 'n reputasie opgebou wat hom/haar toelaat om volhoubaar te wees sonder die hulp van die diensverskaffers.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The development of mass housing is an excellent example of multi-disciplinary projects. Several housing projects have been unsuccessful due to a misunderstanding of the necessary collaboration and buy-in that are required from all parties concerned. The focus of this study is to identify the required skill sets and responsibilities of the Housing Project Manager in the Housing environment, and in turn, will support the development of the foundation of the civil engineering postgraduate curricula. Civil engineers are educated with a strong focus on technical subjects, but not much attention is paid to many of the less technical aspects as found in housing projects. Furthermore, the multi-disciplinary aspects of large projects do not receive sufficient attention in either the undergraduate or postgraduate curricula. Considering that many civil engineers become actively involved as managers of housing projects, this paper will present an investigation into the requirements of the curricula of a postgraduate qualification for civil engineers towards becoming managers in housing projects. The investigation will include aspects of multi-disciplinary coordination, the less technical aspects of housing development, but will not exclude a comprehension of technical involvement. In order to identify these skill sets and responsibilities several approaches were adopted. The approaches adopted in this dissertation include: (i) a comprehensive literature study regarding the housing environment and the position of the housing project manager, (ii) a review of several housing case studies with project management related problems, (iii) consulting with several housing management professionals from different sectors in the housing industry, and (iv) a review of existing formulations of the role and responsibilities of the housing project manager. The findings from this study provide evidence that civil engineers operating in the housing environment as project managers require additional education, due to the multi-disciplinary nature of housing projects. The main conclusion drawn from this study is that educating civil engineers towards the management of housing projects would contribute significantly to the housing environment through increasing productivity and quality, and can contribute to meet the housing targets of the government. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die ontwikkeling van massa behuising is 'n uitstekende voorbeeld van multidissiplinêre projekte. Verskeie behuisingsprojekte was al onsuksesvol as gevolg van 'n misverstand oor die nodige samewerking en bydraes wat vereis word van alle betrokke partye. Die fokus van hierdie studie is om die vaardighede en verantwoordelikhede van die behuisingsprojekbestuurder in die behuisingsomgewing te identifiseer. Hierdie kennis ondersteun die ontwikkeling van ʼn raamwerk vir ʼn nagraadse kurrikulum in behuisingsbestuur. Siviele ingenieurs is opgelei met 'n sterk fokus op tegniese vaardighede, maar relatief min aandag word geskenk aan minder tegniese aspekte soos gevind word in behuisingsprojekte. Verder, multidissiplinêre bestuursaspekte van groot projekte ontvang nie voldoende aandag in óf die voorgraadse óf nagraadse kurrikula nie. Wetende dat baie siviele ingenieurs aktief betrokke raak as bestuurders van behuisingsprojekte, ondersoek hierdie studie ʼn raamwerk vir ʼn nagraadse kwalifikasie vir siviele ingenieurs as bestuurders van behuisingsprojekte. Die ondersoek sluit in aspekte van die multidissiplinêre koördinasie asook minder tegniese aspekte van behuisingsontwikkeling, maar dit sluit nie 'n begrip van die tegniese betrokkenheid uit nie. Verskeie benaderings is toegepas om die vaardighede en verantwoordelikhede van behuisingsbestuurders te identifiseer. Die benaderings sluit in: (i) 'n omvattende literatuurstudie ten opsigte van behuising en die posisie van die behuisings-projekbestuurder, (ii) 'n oorsig van verskeie behuisings- gevallestudies met projekbestuur verwante probleme, (iii) raadpleging met verskeie professionele rolspelers van verskillende sektore in die behuisingbestuur omgewing, en (iv) 'n hersiening van bestaande beskrywings van die rol en verantwoordelikhede van die behuisings-projekbestuurder. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie verskaf bewyse dat siviele ingenieurs wat in die behuisingsbedryf as projekbestuurders optree, bykomende opleiding benodig as gevolg van die multidissiplinêre aard van projekte. Die belangrikste gevolgtrekking van hierdie studie is dat die opleiding van siviele ingenieurs in die bestuur van behuisingsprojekte ʼn aansienlike bydrae kan lewer tot behuising deur produktiwiteit en kwaliteit te verhoog. Dit kan bydra tot die bereiking van die regering se behuisingsdoelwitte.