module specification

Construction project managers and contract administrators are expert professional disciplines in demand around the globe. They occupy a central role in the construction project development and delivery process, and are key to driving the successful completion of projects.

This module will introduce you to the tools and techniques available for successful construction project management and contract administration. It examines best practice in the built environment industries in a local and a global context. It will consider how organisational strategic objectives drive projects and the role the project manager performs in the early stages of the project lifecycle. It will take a detailed look at contract, procurement and tendering practice, and the construction, commissioning and handover stages of a project.  The importance of stakeholder management will be covered throughout. It will consider the role of construction project management in the global move towards a sustainable and low/zero carbon, built environment.

Through studying the module, you will develop a critical awareness of project procurement, tendering, planning and delivery principles alongside developing the skills necessary to deploy them to manage a construction project.  Through enquiry-based learning you will study an authentic project scenario to allow you to deploy the tools necessary to successfully plan a project and monitor a project's resources. Throughout, the module will contextualize construction project management with regards to the sustainable, inclusive and ethical, project management of projects. 

The syllabus is guided by professional body project management bodies of knowledge and codes of practice (such as the APM and CIOB). The module explains the strategic context within which projects operate to enable the students to understand that a project needs to have a strategic fit with the organisation's wider aims and ambitions, and the operational phases of project management including pre-construction, construction, and handover.  By the end of the module students should be able to critically evaluate the following:

• the link between organisational strategy, programmes, and projects
• project management tools and techniques to monitor and control the complete project lifecycle
• the challenges of leading a complex project
• procurement and tendering practice
• effective methods to manage the operational project stage
• the competencies required of their project team
• project value
• the link between project change and risk and how to manage them
• the contribution project management makes towards a sustainable built environment
• internal and external stakeholders and how to manage their expectations.
• the production and control of a detailed project delivery plan which evaluates and manages project risk and includes a programme identifying project milestones, resource requirements, critical path and a site layout

The syllabus is informed by the course syllabus and reading material alongside contemporary issues, research, and practice within the built environment. Topics will include:

• Construction contracts (LO1)
• Project economics and finance mechanisms (LO2)
• Procurement of projects (LO3)
• Preparing the project delivery plan: site and surrounding area constraints and layout (LO4)
• Project Planning - work breakdown structures, Gantt charts, critical path and resourcing (LO4)
• Risk identification, classification, and management (LO4)
• Supply chain management (LO3,4)
• Change management (LO3,4,5)
• Earned value management as a project tracking tool (LO4)
• Construction law and dispute resolution methods (LO5)
• Ethical and inclusive project management practice (LO2,6)

A blended/ technology enhanced learning approach will be employed in the delivery of this module. Study will be supported via online lectures, tutorials, seminars, and guided asynchronous activities. Where appropriate, activities will be captured and made available to allow asynchronous access.

Workshops and seminars will be held in which students will engage in discussions about topical areas around construction project management within the built environment and wider sectors.  Students will be given the opportunity to engage in seminar activities in which the use of case studies from around the world stimulates discussion and helps them to develop a deep understanding of construction project management in context and within the framework of the existing project management bodies of knowledge and codes of practice.

Problem based learning will be used to encourage independent learning through proposing a problem which is complex with more than one right answer, challenging the students to work individually and in small groups to develop solutions, thereby developing their problem-solving abilities.  Staff will act as facilitators throughout the activities. Tasks will be performed through group and independent study, to develop critical thinking skills of analysis, evaluation, and synthesis. Throughout the module student outputs will be reviewed, and formative feedback will be given to ensure clarity and comprehension.

The learning and teaching in classes will be supported by the University’s VLE and a blended learning approach, sharing class materials, recommended reading, and case studies. Group tutorials will also be offered to support students in the preparation of their assessments, with opportunities for students to receive forward feedback.

You will reflect on your learning which will contribute towards your online Professional Development Journal (PDJ).

On completion of the module the learner, operating independently and applying their knowledge and skills, should be able to:

1. Investigate the contractual roles undertaken by construction project stakeholders in practice.
2. Appraise a project proposal measuring its aims and objectives against an organisation's strategic objectives and available finance mechanisms.
3. Select an appropriate project procurement route, considering ESG goals, the project approach to risk and other influencing factors.
4. Interpret project requirements to design and deliver appropriate plans to control and monitor key elements within the project life cycle and a client setting that is complex and unpredictable.
5. Understand the legal context of construction and real estate with regards to dispute avoidance and resolution techniques within the built environment.
6. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of cultural diversity, gender equality, and intercultural issues to support ethically aware, collaborative professional practice.

The 2 module assessments test the student’s knowledge and understanding that should have been developed throughout the module. The module assessment reflects the real industry experience of collaborative working in construction project management, presenting the students with scenarios that require group interrogation of the subject to produce innovative and novel solutions.

Students will be supported throughout their assessment preparations through having access to formative feedback which will be available throughout the module, during lectures, seminars, and workshops.

Coursework 1: Individual Project Report (2750 words) 50%

Coursework 1 is an individual submission which requires students to consider a project scenario provided to them and, through research and design, justify a suitable procurement strategy for the project, supported by tender documentation and a proposal of how to manage the contract for the client through the tender, construction and handover phase. The submission will contain narrative, tables and supporting calculations. The project brief will provide more detail about the scope, aims and objectives of the project scenario.

Coursework 2: Individual Project Report (2750 words) 50%

Coursework 2 is an individual submission and requires the students to assume the contractor’s role for the project tendered in coursework 1 and create a response to the tender.  The response will include a project delivery plan which will be required to respond to a dynamic project scenario. The project brief will provide more detail about the scope, aims and objectives of the project.

There is no single text currently in publication that provides a comprehensive coverage of all aspects of this module. There are several books which cover various parts of the module in some detail, and these are listed in the core text list.  There is excellent coverage of the subject available via the Construction Information Service (CIS).  

CIS is accessed via Construction Information Service  and provides a huge range of information relevant to this module.

Useful books and articles for this course are listed below:

Link to library reading list

Core:
APM (2019) APM Body of Knowledge. 7th edn. Princes Risborough: APM.
CIOB (2022) Code of Practice for Project Management for Construction and Development. 6th edn. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
Cooke, B. and Williams, P. (2009) Construction Planning, Programming and Control. 3rd edn. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
Harris, F., McCaffer, R., Baldwin, A. and Edum-Fotwe, F. (2021) Modern Construction Management. 8th edn. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
Loosemore, M., Raftery, J., Reilly, C. and Higgon, D. (2005) Risk Management in Projects. 2nd edn. London: Taylor and Francis.
UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

Additional Reading:
Cartlidge, D. (2020) Construction Project Manager’s Pocket Book. 2nd edn. London: Routledge.
Mason, J. (2023) Construction Law: From Beginner to Practitioner. 2nd edn. Abingdon: Routledge
Myers, D. (2022) Construction Economics: a new approach. 5th edn. Abingdon: Routledge.
Construction Information Service 
Construction Management Magazine
CIOB Global Construction Review
Association for Project Management news
RICS news and insight
RICS Black Book
United Nations Climate Action