Project management

The impact of critical project events on project commitment

This research aims to measure changes in stakeholder project commitment in response to critical project events, over the lifespan of a project.

It is commonly accepted that commitment to an organisation has benefits such as staff retention and increased productivity. But the characteristics of commitment to a project are unknown.

An IT project with an expected duration of six months has been identified as a source of primary data. Documentary evidence of critical events will be collected during the project, and project stakeholders will be invited to complete a commitment measurement tool at regular intervals during the project, between commencement and completion. The research will inspect the data for trends in commitment that are common to stakeholders and chronological correlation with critical events.

Potential outcomes include identification of critical events and their impact on commitment, and the most appropriate time for intervention that maintains a high level of commitment.

Dates: January - December 2013
Funding: None
Host institution: RMIT University
Researchers: Dr Guinevere Gilbert and Dr Sarah Holdsworth

Value Management (VM) in South Africa: industry comparisons

This project explores the nature and perceived effectiveness of VM practice in the construction, manufacturing and food and beverages industries in South Africa.

Value management has a history of more than fifty years, but little is known about contemporary practice of this project management technique. Using web-based opinion surveys and case based interview techniques, the study aimed to provide key insights in to the field.

Dates: 2008 - ongoing
Funding: South Africa (NRF)
Host institution: University of Cape Town
Researchers: Professor P A Bowen (UCT), Professor K Cattell (UCT), Dr P J Edwards (RMIT)