Previous research raised the question of why South African organisations do not extend their Knowledge Management (KM) practices beyond their organisational borders. Therefore, there is a need to examine the barriers faced by construction organisations when trying to extend KM activities beyond organisational borders towards encouraging the South African construction sector to improve upon its collective KM maturity. This research utilised a quantitative approach which initially examined the available literature on the topic of Knowledge Management and the barriers found inhibiting its implementation. From this knowledge a survey instrument was developed and circulated to 499 construction professionals based in South Africa to elicit their opinions on Knowledge Management, extending KM activities beyond organisational boundaries and the barriers potentially inhibiting these activities. A total of 93 usable data sets were received and subjected to statistical analysis. This research found that there was a clear positive opinion towards KM and to extending these activities beyond organisational borders. The perception that by extending KM activities beyond organisational borders may negatively impact the organisations competitiveness is still prevalent and is a barrier to extending KM activities beyond organisational borders. Further it was found that the lack of time allocated to KM activities was an inhibitor to KM activities bother internally and from extending these KM activities beyond organisational borders. However, the amount of training given on KM and support of management was only found to be of significant concern in the less mature organisations and therefore may inhibit KM activities but were not a clear inhibitor to extending these activities beyond organisational borders. Continuity in the makeup of project teams was identified as a potential route to improve project performance and the current contracts utilised in the sector did not appear to currently impact knowledge sharing. Encouragingly it was found that knowledge was not withheld by employees to improve job security and further the challenges faced by multiple languages being spoken in the project environment and in coordinating TMO's did not register as significant inhibitors to knowledge sharing. This research's findings show that professionals in the South African construction sector have a positive opinion towards KM and extending these activities beyond organisational borders. Barriers do exist in the sector that are inhibiting knowledge managements implementation and growth, however by highlighting these issues it is possible for organisations to overcome the challenges faced, grow their knowledge management maturity and extract the most out of the strategies implemented. Based on these findings, the study recommended that there is a need to establish partnerships and longstanding relationships which foster knowledge transfer to overcome the negative perception that extending knowledge management activities beyond organisational borders may negatively impact competitiveness. This research was limited by the response rate to the survey circulated being low with only 93 valid data sets in the sample for statistical analysis. Further most respondents to the survey were from small and micro organisations who had low KM maturities and therefore the results for this research cannot claim to represent the construction sector of South Africa as a whole.

Purpose - This research seeks to develop a revised list of Key Success Factors for a petro-chemical project-specific Project Implementation Profile (PIP) tool and to identify the petro-chemical success factors that are not currently included in the PIP tool. Through the identification of petro-chemical key success factors not currently included in the PIP tool, and removing current PIP KSFs that are less applicable to petro-chemical project success. Design - Conducting a literature review a set of 10 additional key success factors are identified to be relevant to petro-chemical projects that are currently not included in the PIP. A web-based survey with a set of 20 KSFs was sent to petrochemical project stakeholders to determine their perceived importance of each key success factor in achieving petro-chemical survey project success. Findings - It is found that the top ten of the key success factors considered to be most relevant to achieving petro-chemical project success contain only six of the original PIP KSFs. The four new success factors are Change management, Client requirements, Estimating and Project implementation timeframe. PIP factors found to be the least important in achieving petro-chemical project success are Top management support, Technical tasks, Personnel and Project mission. Practical Implications - The analysed survey results lead to a revised list of ten KSFs for a possible petro-chemical project-specific PIP tool. Some limitations are noted. However, difficulty in choosing respondents representing all petro-chemical project stakeholders and the idiosyncratic views of the respondents may have skewed the results. It is recommended that further research is undertaken to confirm the research findings and to identify additional key success factors that may have been left out from this research. Testing of the revised tool is also recommended.

Background: Projects have become larger, technologically more sophisticated and are organised with a higher number of contractors and partners, compared to 40 years ago. The majority of large, complex capital projects often incur significant cost/budget and schedule overruns. Delays and cost overruns are seemingly, the rule rather than an exception these days. Research shows that one of the reasons for project failure is the increasing complexity of projects or an underestimation of the project complexity. There is therefore a fundamental need to develop a tool or model that will assist project managers to measure complexity within their projects Research Purpose: To define project complexity, develop a model or tool to measure complexity within projects and to improve the understanding of the dimensions of project complexity. Research Methodology: The case study methodology was employed, and the unit of analysis was the refuelling outage in a nuclear power generating plant. Focus group was adopted as a technique to gather information. A group of project managers with wealth of knowledge in refuelling outages were assembled. They were given the complexity assessment matrix to assess their respective subprojects, in order to rate the refuelling outage project Findings: Two main scientific approaches to project complexity, namely; descriptive complexity and perceived complexity were established. Descriptive complexity considers complexity as an intrinsic property of a system. Perceived complexity considers complexity as subjective, since the complexity of a system is understood through the perception of an observer and both approaches can coexist. There are vital layers of complexity such as: social, cultural, operative and cognitive complexity that must be considered when dealing with complexity within projects. A three dimensional model that encompasses the complexity dimensions (origin of project complexity), severity factors (the extent to which complexity dimension will be a problem) and the nature of interdependences (pooled, sequential, and reciprocal) was developed. This model was used to assess complexity of the refuelling outage in a power generating plant. The results of this assessment indicated that this project is a very complex project.

Includes bibliographical references. / Integrating Project Management practices with other management practices and processes such as Knowledge Management, Total Quality Management, Concurrent Engineering, Risk Management and Change Management has become a coping mechanism for many organisations operating in volatile business environments (Kerzner 2000). Companies have come to realize that leveraging knowledge gained on projects is an important resource to improve performance and have started to look for strategies that help them to achieve 'excellence' and 'maturity' in PM and help formally "manage" this intellectual property gained on projects (Kerzner 2003). One of the strategies that many companies are adopting for the structured collection, distribution, and updating of the intellectual property gained on projects and to facilitate their maturity in PM practices is the 'project management office' (PMO) (Dai & Wells 2004; PMI 2004a; Santosus 2003; Rad & Levin 2002; Bates 1998). This is referred to by different writers alternatively as the project office (PO) (Englund et al. 2003; Kermer 2003; Turbit 2003; PM! 2000a), PM centre of excellence (COE) (Kermer 2001) or Project support office (PSO) (Marsh 2001; Marsh 2000).

Purpose - Value management has been in use for many decades, yet in Namibia most built environment professionals are vaguely familiar with the concept and are not aware of the benefits of this practice, and that it can add value for money without reducing quality. This research seeks to focus on the value management methodology and more specifically give insight into the use of the Functional Analysis Systems Technique (FAST) diagram in the built environment within a local government context. Design/methodology/approach - To establish how a FAST model can be used as a tool to design roads and introduce alternative materials with a focus on reducing cost for municipal projects. This would address the design methods, design team composition, construction methods and availability of material taking environmental sustainability into consideration. The benefits and cost of value management are reviewed and the importance of value management as an integrated practice of the project management process of the Municipality is explored. A quantitative method is used to determine the applicability of the FAST diagram within the project team and current project environment. A likert Scale questionnaire was used to establish the current use of value management techniques, effectiveness of project implementation process and additional challenges related to availability of material in the Windhoek Municipality. Results – The research delineated project management challenges which reduce project success rate. It also outlines the impact of FAST model and its advantages. This includes improving project cost, monitoring and successful execution of a construction project. The FAST has a positive impact on challenges as established by the research. Project risks are mitigated early during the planning, composition of the project team, efficiency is improved and scope is managed. There is a reduction in time and cost overrun resulting in improved project success. Limitations – Given the exploratory nature of this research, the amount of data is restricted to a single municipality of Namibia.

Includes bibliographical references / Purpose: Architectural firms are characterized by their professional identity and knowledge-driven nature; knowledge is crucial to their success in the competitive and dynamic business environment. As knowledge management is still in its infancy in the construction industry and structured knowledge management processes have not yet been adequately deployed in the architecture discipline, this research seeks to focus on the implicit knowledge management processes and more specifically give insight into the effective communication of lessons learned from an individual project to the wider organisation through the use of graphical methods such as the Function Analysis Systems Technique (FAST diagram) that can be undertaken in professional architectural firms. Design/methodology/approach: To establish if a FAST model can be used as a tool to capture and then communicate lessons learned. This would address the difficulty experienced in the project management of transmitting knowledge from one project to future projects of similar nature. To achieve this objective, a FAST diagram was developed from a Project Learning Roadmap developed by Carrillo et al. (2013) and other lessons learned process models which are based on detailed literature review in an attempt to enhance the lessons learned dissemination in South African professional architectural firms. The applicability and validity of the FAST diagram (Appendices B.13 and B.14) was verified by quantitative research methods. Based on the proposed process model, a combination of a brainstorming session and a pilot study with reflective learning approach was utilised on a selected sample population to study the opinions of professional architects on the details of these processes and the diagram. Data presentation was in text and graphic format. Findings - Once all the data were collected and analysed, the findings were that the research has confidently proven that graphical methods and especially FAST diagrams can effectively be used to communicate lessons learned from one project to the wider organisation. Practical implications: A clear policy/strategy governing the ways in which lessons learned should be disseminated is not prevalent among South African architectural firms. Originality/value: Although the study applies uniquely to architectural professional services firms and may not yield an evaluation that is comparable with previous similar studies, it is hoped that the FAST Diagram developed can be applied to other types of project-based professional service organizations in order to find out whether this tool can be used in their context in terms of how they manage their organizational learning. In addition, these future studies can offer a benchmarking effect to firms striving to establish matured project management offices (PMOs) through continuous improvement processes by using lessons learned. Limitations: Given the exploratory nature of this research, the amount of data obtained is restricted to a single architectural firm in South Africa.

Organizations invest millions in planning for investments and projects and apportion very little to nothing for evaluating and learning from them. This study reviewed the current knowledge management practices, particularly project closeout information at the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Public Works. This report provides a review and interpretation of knowledge management literatures in the project environment with a focus on the project closeout stage and the role and value that lessons learnt from post project reviews could potentially provide to project teams to improve current and future project implementation efficiency. A qualitative research approach, using thematic analysis and interpretive philosophy was used to analyse the data collected in this study. Semi-structured interviews, along with a survey questionnaire, were conducted with a selected sample of construction project managers and portfolio managers. Furthermore, the results of this study indicate that project managers see the value in cross project learning and senior management must have a structured knowledge management system in place that supports sharing of information and cross project learning that if implemented efficiently can aid in improving the performance and outputs for current and future projects. The proposed study will contribute to the fields of project management, cross project learning and knowledge management in the project environment. The study will look at means of fostering and improving the existing learning platforms within organizations with the aim of growing the organization's capacity and project implementation efficiency.

This research examines the micro -political risks affecting international construction projects in Namibia and whether these risks are effectively managed. A case study research design was used for the study and the findings were that key threat risks identified in this context were repudiation, contract problems, labour unrest, hostile press, delay in permit approvals while local ownership requirements and expatriate labour restrictions are both threat and opportunity risks . It further emerged that qualitative (heuristic) techniques were commonly used in an ad hoc fashion for risk assessment and that the risk management strategy of cooperation was the most preferred. In addition, evidence suggest s that the execution phase is most prone to micro political risk. A significant number of the micro -political risks identified arise from the host government, while the balance arise from the host society. These findings are likely to apply to other international construction projects in Namibia and have serious implication s for the role of government in the success or failure of infrastructural projects which are badly needed for national development. Therefore, the Namibian Government can positively contribute through introduction of regulations, laws or amendments to laws that enhance opportunities, minimise downside risk, and thereby reduce overall construction costs on international construction projects in the country. It is recommended that systematic risk management in which both qualitative and quantitative techniques are used for risk assessment, be adopted in dealing with micro political risks associated with international construction projects in Namibia. Additionally, tertiary institutions offering risk management training need to focus on qualitative methods to facilitate maximum benefit when these methods are applied by their graduates. The existence of both threat s and opportunities in the micro -political risk environment in international construction means contractors in international construction need to be on the lookout for downside risks as well as opportunities.

Value creation has emerged as an integral part of project management to necessitate customer satisfaction, profitability, and long-lasting value. Value creation in the context of construction is related to the benefits that can be realised after the project is completed. There is little information in the literature which articulates the impediments that hinder the adoption of value co-creation for the benefit of all stakeholders. The study is concerned about why value co-creation is not a common practice in the South African project management industry. The study adopted an explanatory research design based on qualitative approach to gather data using semi-structured interview from ten (10) participants selected using purposive sampling. The study was based on a single case study and interviews were audio recorded. Data was analysed using thematic analysis using manual method on Microsoft Word document. Findings identified that impediments that hinder value co-creation in project management include project scope changes, lack of performance standards and poor communication, stakeholder involvement, lack of knowledge and unrealistic expectations. The impact of ineffective management of value outcomes include bad company reputation and financial implications. Ways to manage impediments that hinder value co-creation in project management include risk assessment, setting realistic goals, value interaction, and accountability. Recommendations are made to the project managers, project clients, project stakeholders and future researchers in the field of Project Management.

Purpose Ship repair companies that employ a greater degree of the project management process functions enjoys greater business value and business success. Such certainty within a business' structure supports its longer-term sustainability and improves its growth potential. This research seeks to address the problem relating to the inability of ship repair companies to continually achieve targeted project estimates because of a lower levels of project management maturity. Research Design The research is exploratory in nature as the response in term of the selected maturity model used, seeks to understand the level of application of the ten PMI knowledge areas and how deeply engrained the function is adopted in the performance and within the organisation within the ship repair industry. The principle of communities of practise was adopted for this study which implies that the response and the data obtained will be based on the information shared by the respondents on their insights, experience, knowledge, and common interests within the industry. Findings - This study found an active, informal, and partially structured project management function present within the Western Cape's ship repair industry. The study further found the actual project maturity level at an average of 3.24, in line expectations for the industry and following the same direction, though at a lower level as similar research done on South Africa's IT, mining, engineering, and construction industries. Research Limitations - The study is limited to the Western Cape province's ship repair industry and based on the views of the industry's community of practise as indicator of its project management maturity.