Revisiting terminology in construction project management

Abstract

Terms like Project Management, Construction Management, Construction Project Management, Production Management and Operations Management, can convey different meanings in the construction industry. Similarly, the basic roles of Project Managers and/or Construction Managers would depend on (1) the type of project, and the procurement and delivery system used; and (2) whether the 'Manager' represents the Client, Consultant or Contractor. This paper indicates how recently proliferating procurement options have increased the potential confusion from such overlapping terminology, for example in 'Design & Build' or other integrated/mixed scenarios. Moreover, the upsurge of 'Partnering' and 'Alliancing' arrangements is shown to have further blurred the lines demarcating Clients, Consultants and Contractors e.g. with the development of 'integrated teams' and 'relational contracts'. Furthermore, the increasing popularity of Public Private Partnerships, and growing importance of asset management are shown to have accentuated the need to rationalise the labels that are applied to key managers of project processes. A case is made for rationalising relevant terminology and for launching the development of a CPM_BOK: a 'body of knowledge' in Construction Project Management. © 2008 Taylors Francis Group.