Follow-up is a natural component of both project management and projects which, curiously enough, the research community has not previously addressed. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of the follow-up process in project management. The follow-up process is defined as a process where execution and implementation is improved through the exertion of continuous control. The method used was a multiple-case study, building on data from four organizations actively implementing follow-up processes. The data comprised interviews with project managers from the case organizations, company documentation, annual reports, publicly available information and presentations. The sectors the case organizations operated in were IT services, manufacturing, event organization, and a governmental administrative authority. Five themes emerged from an analysis of the empirical data which were found to influence the follow-up process in projects. The five themes are Documentation, Standardization, Accountability, Learning and Risk Assessment. With insights from the five themes, the research community and project managers can gain a strong understanding of what the follow-up process looks like and its role in project management. The implications for project managers include a better appreciation of the follow-up process and knowledge of the aspects to consider when setting up a new project process. With this paper the authors hope to contribute to the improvement of project management research and practice through a heightened awareness and understanding of the follow-up process.

Die vorliegende Dissertation hat die Monitoring und Evaluation (M&E) Komponente von Entwicklungsprojekten zum Schwerpunkt sowie die Partizipation der Zielgruppen des Projekts im M&E Prozess. Die Partizipation der Zielgruppen bei M&E wird in den meisten Fällen zwar geplant aber in der Realität nicht effektiv genug ausgeführt. Dies wird beispielsweise darauf zurückgeführt, dass M&E als eine teure, zeitverschwendende, schwere, Fehler suchende und nur für Fachkräfte gedachte Aufgabe aufgefasst wird. Gleichermaßen wird es hauptsächlich aus Gründen der Rechenschaftspflicht ausgeführt, um eine weitere Finanzierung sicherzustellen und meist geben die Geldgeber anderen Programmen gegenüber M&E den Vorzug, da letzteres als Geld fordernd angesehen wird. Darüber hinaus liegt der Schwerpunkt auf professionellen Evaluatoren, welche wissenschaftliche Sorgfalt im Prozess anzuwenden haben, falls Laien das M&E durchführen. Daher ist die Partizipation der Zielgruppen an M&E limitiert. Die empirischen Forschungsarbeiten wurden innerhalb der RH-OBA und der APHIA II Projekte in Kenia durchgeführt. Die M&E Mitarbeiter beider Organisationen wurden interviewt und den Nutznießern des Projektes wurden Fragebögen ausgehändigt. Die Nutznießer von APHIA II Projekte (FAIR) führten gleichermaßen M&E Aktivitäten durch, was der Herangehensweise mittels Peer Education, welche in dem Projekt verwendet wurde, zu verdanken ist. Die Zielgruppen zeigten Bereitschaft, bei M&E zu partizipieren und wiesen die Motivation auf, den Prozess fortzuführen. Sie waren in viele Aspekte des M&E involviert, jedoch bestand die Notwendigkeit, ihnen zu helfen, ihre M&E Aufgaben auf eine geplante und systematische Art und Weise durchzuführen. Hierdurch wurde es ihnen ermöglicht, ihre Partizipation im M&E zu überwachen sowie das Projekt besser zu verstehen und imstande zu sein, Projekt-Aktivitäten einzuschätzen. Ihre Ausbildung wurde als ein Weg identifiziert, sie mit dem relevanten Wissen und den einschlägigen Fertigkeiten auszustatten. Auf der Grundlage der Ergebnisse der Forschungsarbeiten wurde für die Zielgruppe von APHIA II / FAIR die „Participatory M&E LIGHT© Assessment Checklist“ für Projekt-Zielgruppen entwickelt und Instruktionen, wie diese verwendet werden kann, damit die Zielgruppe ihre M&E-Aktivitäten auf eine partizipatorische Art und Weise planen und durchführen kann und damit sie ihre Partizipation im Prozess überwachen kann.

The increasing electricity demand in South Africa has lead to a shortage in electricity supply. In response to this problem Eskom has introduced multiple capacity expansion programs. Unfortunately the electricity shortage is expected to continue until Eskom’s capacity expansion programs are completed. Demand Side Management (DSM) is widely accepted as an immediate solution to the high electricity demand of South Africa. Numerous DSM projects implemented by ESCo’s have been successful, but over the years have not been sustainable. Without regular maintenance from the relevant ESCo, many projects have failed to achieve sustainable savings. After the implementation of DSM projects, all installed equipment and software becomes the property of the client. Experience has illustrated that some mines did not always have the expertise or available resources to monitor and maintain the projects. As a result the electrical energy savings of the project would gradually deteriorate. A feasibility study was conducted to determine whether the re-instatement of redundant and debilitated mine DSM projects could be marketed as the “low hanging fruit” of the industry. A key driver for this study, was the fact that costs involved for re-instatement of such DSM projects are generally considerably lower than those of new projects, yet still producing lucrative electricity savings. Three major mining entities discussed in this dissertation have neglected to realise a collaborative cost saving of R 55,5 Million per annum. This loss of opportunity can mainly be attributed to a lack of maintenance and monitoring of operational DSM projects on their mining sites. Three DSM projects related to the water reticulation system of the mine were investigated. It was discerned in all three cases that the successful re-instatement of DSM projects are indeed possible, but only when subjected to continuous monitoring. The maintenance performed on two of the three projects, respectively realised approximately R2,7 Million and R 750 000. This was achieved through the process of load shifting, over a period of one year. Maintenance on the third project realised approximately R1,5 Million through energy efficiency over a three month period. This dissertation illustrates that attractive savings in electricity and cost can be realised when re-instating redundant DSM projects in the mining industry. It also demonstrates the cost and time effectiveness of implementing such projects, compared to the focus on new DSM installations. / Thesis (MIng (Mechanical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The increasing electricity demand in South Africa has lead to a shortage in electricity supply. In response to this problem Eskom has introduced multiple capacity expansion programs. Unfortunately the electricity shortage is expected to continue until Eskom’s capacity expansion programs are completed. Demand Side Management (DSM) is widely accepted as an immediate solution to the high electricity demand of South Africa. Numerous DSM projects implemented by ESCo’s have been successful, but over the years have not been sustainable. Without regular maintenance from the relevant ESCo, many projects have failed to achieve sustainable savings. After the implementation of DSM projects, all installed equipment and software becomes the property of the client. Experience has illustrated that some mines did not always have the expertise or available resources to monitor and maintain the projects. As a result the electrical energy savings of the project would gradually deteriorate. A feasibility study was conducted to determine whether the re-instatement of redundant and debilitated mine DSM projects could be marketed as the “low hanging fruit” of the industry. A key driver for this study, was the fact that costs involved for re-instatement of such DSM projects are generally considerably lower than those of new projects, yet still producing lucrative electricity savings. Three major mining entities discussed in this dissertation have neglected to realise a collaborative cost saving of R 55,5 Million per annum. This loss of opportunity can mainly be attributed to a lack of maintenance and monitoring of operational DSM projects on their mining sites. Three DSM projects related to the water reticulation system of the mine were investigated. It was discerned in all three cases that the successful re-instatement of DSM projects are indeed possible, but only when subjected to continuous monitoring. The maintenance performed on two of the three projects, respectively realised approximately R2,7 Million and R 750 000. This was achieved through the process of load shifting, over a period of one year. Maintenance on the third project realised approximately R1,5 Million through energy efficiency over a three month period. This dissertation illustrates that attractive savings in electricity and cost can be realised when re-instating redundant DSM projects in the mining industry. It also demonstrates the cost and time effectiveness of implementing such projects, compared to the focus on new DSM installations. / Thesis (MIng (Mechanical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Researchers studying the alignment of business resources usually focus on business cases that inherently have a going-concern interaction built on long-term relationships at the firm level (e.g., Barney, 1991) dyadic level (e.g., Eisenhardt & Martin, 2000) or the broader network level (e.g., Dyer, 1996). Resource alignment is usually flexible in terms of the timeline for identifying and aligning resources and resource engagement. While contractual limitations can be applied to resource alignment, resource engagement holds a notion of persistent value adding relationship. However, there are multitudes of contexts where relationships are bounded by the limited life of a project and by the way where resources must be rapidly aligned and managed. Examples exist in sectors as diverse as construction, filmmaking, and oil exploration. The study examined theories and empirical studies of resource alignment ranging from resource-based views (e.g., Wernerfelt, 1984) to more complex network views of social organizational interactions (e.g., Gulati et al., 2000). The majority of these literatures treat the development of business relationships and the acquisition of resources as a phenomenon that occurs over an extended period. Time-bound transactions challenge these theoretical perspectives built around the longevity of inter-organizational relations. Thus, the key strategic management problem this research addresses is how resources and capabilities can be rapidly aligned and managed in a time-bound network to achieve sustainable competitive advantages (SCA) at the network level. The fieldwork was conducted on more than 20 construction projects in the United Arab Emirates. Using secondary source data, I mapped the projects??? networks and interviewed 45 industry experts about the resources and capabilities their firms bring to the network, and how quickly they can be aligned to achieve the objectives of the project. The interviews were conducted over 11 months between 2011 and 2012 and amounted to more than 20 hours of audio and hundreds of notes including network sketches. I also investigated the transfer of resources and capabilities that may help network members to increase their competitive advantage when bidding on future projects. The benefits of long-term relationships are evident in any business; however, firms in the project-based construction industry often cannot reap those benefits. This study built upon theories of network-based resource alignment in the extreme situation of time-bound projects. The two-phase qualitative research approach relied on intensive interviews with key decision makers. Template analysis was used as the primary method of data analysis. This research???s primary finding is that there is no evidence of the concept of sustainable competitive advantage at the network level, while it is evident at the firm level. Other findings confirm that the events of full replication and non-replication of networks after project completion do not exist nor do decision makers favour them. While these findings imply the lack of attention to the benefits of contributing to a network, the more apparent scenario is replication of parts of a network, which is a result of two factors: 1) capabilities developed at firm level, which in return develop resources, and other capabilities, 2) movement of resources across network entities. The results shed light on decision-making techniques for efficient management of resources in time-bound business transactions such as construction and other projects. However, they may also generalize to dynamic business situations such as the entry of a firm into a new market or the entrepreneurial start-up of a new company in which resources must also be quickly aligned.

The nature of the construction industry and the complexities accompanying the sector of the economy globally, necessitates that role players review their positions continuously in an effort to stay abreast of the most modern best practice value chain developments, not only in terms of relationships formed within the upstream supply chain (client supply chain), but also within the downstream supply chain (main contractor/supplier supply chain). Not only is it a natural phenomenon for role players to shift their focus from best practise value chain development to a more relaxed state during a boom in the global economy, but also to shift their focus back to best practices during a slump in the global economy, in order to protect their margins and competitive position established during economic prosperity. To this extent, this dissertation offers an overview of the core aspects that cause misalignment between the objectives of the role players in the construction industry as well as the critical need for role players to proactively shift their paradigm in an effort to mitigate any potential effects the economy might have on role player relationships as well as on the productivity of the industry and the supply chain. Chapter 1 provides the overview, the problem statement and the primary and secondary objectives of the study, and in particular, achieving alignment of the objectives of the role players in a typical construction project. This is followed by a detailed literature study in chapter 2 that provides information regarding role player relationships and the alignment of objectives in the construction industry. This is supported by an empirical study in chapter 3 that links the practical state of affairs with the literature study. The dissertation then concludes by introducing recommendations and a generic project strategic model that can be implemented in an effort to achieve alignment of the objectives of the role players in a typical construction project. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Informationstechnologie (IT) ist im heutigen Marktumfeld für viele Unternehmen längst zu einem erfolgsrelevanten Faktor geworden. Den Management- und Controllingprozessen von IT-Projekten ist somit besondere Aufmerksamkeit zu widmen, da sie die IT-Fähigkeiten der gesamten Organisation maßgeblich beeinflussen. Um diese Prozesse zu bewerten und zielgerichtet weiterzuentwickeln, sind Reifegradmodelle (Maturity Models) ein effektives Instrument. Für den speziellen Bereich des IT-Projektmanagements und -controllings existiert bereits eine Vielzahl von Reifegradmodellen. Obwohl einer der meistgenannten Nutzenaspekte von Reifegradmodellen in der Verbesserung der Prozesse liegt, ist die Erfolgsquote von IT-Projekten gering. Die Gründe hierfür sind vielfältig, liegen jedoch in erster Linie in einer unzureichenden Planung, Steuerung und Kontrolle des Projektverlaufs, zu geringer Beachtung von Projektinterdependenzen sowie einer fehlenden Ausrichtung der Prozesse an einer übergeordneten Strategie (Business-ITAlignment). In der vorliegenden Arbeit werden daher einige weit verbreitete Reifegradmodelle analysiert und gegenübergestellt. Es wird unter anderem untersucht, inwiefern bestehende Reifegradmodelle zum IT-Projektmanagement die wichtigen Teilaspekte des IT-Projektcontrollings sowie des Business-IT-Alignments abbilden. Die Untersuchung zeigt vor allem zwei Schwachstellen: Zum einen fokussieren viele Modelle bei der Prozessbetrachtung lediglich auf die operative Ebene und vernachlässigen strategische Aspekte des IT-Projektmanagements und -controllings. Zum anderen liefern zwar alle Modelle eine Beschreibung der Ist-Situation, können aber kaum konkrete Hinweise oder Handlungsanweisungen zur Verbesserung der Prozesse bereitstellen. Aufgrund dieser Erkenntnisse wird ein Ansatz für ein Reifegradmodell entwickelt, welcher die identifizierten Problembereiche adressiert. Besonders die Verknüpfung strategischer und operativer Elemente des Einzel- und Multiprojektcontrollings, die Beachtung spezieller Merkmale von IT-Projekten sowie der Vorschlag konkreter Maßnahmen und Controllinginstrumente zur Prozessverbesserung können einen erheblichen Mehrwert zu bereits vorhandenen Modellen erzeugen. Das entwickelte Modell trägt somit zum Verständnis der Relevanz eines erfolgreichen IT-Projektcontrollings bei, hilft durch seine Spezialisierung die entsprechenden Prozesse genauer zu analysieren und gibt praktische Hinweise zur gezielten Verbesserung. Für eine empirische Validierung und Weiterentwicklung sind jedoch weitere Studien notwendig.

I study the role of licensed technologies in the R&D development process, the knowledge assimilation mechanism and the patent litigation procedure. I document that the use and adoption of licensed technologies is not a linear process and it has important strategic consequences. First, I focus on the joint effect of external and internal technologies and possible firm-level drivers of this relation. I find that, on average, internal R&D and licensing investments are neither complements nor substitutes. However, firms with higher levels of absorptive capacity, economies of scope, and past licensing experience are able to create positive synergies by combining the two types of investments. In addition, I find that the integration and the adoption of external technology may be limited by internal knowledge accumulation. Firms that experience an inward oriented knowledge accumulation process need to balance the trade-off between internal knowledge reliance and external knowledge assimilation. The negative relation between internal and external knowledge is positively mitigated by two organizational factors: absorptive capacity and the level of decentralization. Finally, assuming that companies are able to adopt external technologies, I find that licensed patents are more reliable than internal ones. In other words, external patents increase the probability of winning a patent lawsuit. Under this circumstance, firms are able to reduce patent uncertainty, limit market entry, and protect future revenue streams.

Incorporating a psychological contract perspective into information technology projects, this study intends to explore the elements of the software publisher-reseller-end user psychological contract in the context of IT projects and contribute to existing literature in the field of IT psychological contracts. The data for this study was collected via 10 interviews conducted across 5 different cases. Interviewees were asked to describe IT projects they were recently involved in and outline what they perceived to be their obligations towards the other stakeholders and likewise, the obligations of the other stakeholders upon them. Interviews were transcribed and coded in accordance with existing IT project psychological contract elements derived from literature. The results of this study provided support to all psychological contract elements of the existing model and suggest refinements to better capture the perceived obligations of stakeholders in IT Projects. Furthermore, we observe that while the resellers’ and software publishers’ psychological contracts with end users conformed to the obligations expected under the model of supplier-customer relationships, the software reseller-software publisher psychological contracts reciprocally contained elements of both supplier and customer obligations. Finally, the findings of this study revealed that critical to the success of IT projects are the elements of transparency, accuracy, dedication, knowledge and responsibility.

The nature of the construction industry and the complexities accompanying the sector of the economy globally, necessitates that role players review their positions continuously in an effort to stay abreast of the most modern best practice value chain developments, not only in terms of relationships formed within the upstream supply chain (client supply chain), but also within the downstream supply chain (main contractor/supplier supply chain). Not only is it a natural phenomenon for role players to shift their focus from best practise value chain development to a more relaxed state during a boom in the global economy, but also to shift their focus back to best practices during a slump in the global economy, in order to protect their margins and competitive position established during economic prosperity. To this extent, this dissertation offers an overview of the core aspects that cause misalignment between the objectives of the role players in the construction industry as well as the critical need for role players to proactively shift their paradigm in an effort to mitigate any potential effects the economy might have on role player relationships as well as on the productivity of the industry and the supply chain. Chapter 1 provides the overview, the problem statement and the primary and secondary objectives of the study, and in particular, achieving alignment of the objectives of the role players in a typical construction project. This is followed by a detailed literature study in chapter 2 that provides information regarding role player relationships and the alignment of objectives in the construction industry. This is supported by an empirical study in chapter 3 that links the practical state of affairs with the literature study. The dissertation then concludes by introducing recommendations and a generic project strategic model that can be implemented in an effort to achieve alignment of the objectives of the role players in a typical construction project. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.