Infrastructure Project Manager vs.

Corporate Project Manager

John Constance MSc in Project Management, University of Liverpool Introduction Infrastructure projects for the public sector is much more challenging and difficult as compared to corporate projects. Infrastructure projects are built for the public that includes everyone, whereas corporate projects are implemented to satisfy the needs and demands of an organization, company or individual. Other intense facts include significant environmental issues, planning, the community, frequentlyconflicting goals and expected outcomes that leads to little or no acceptance for failure. This means infrastructure project managers must be aware that unlike corporate project managers, they have to work with numerous clients and interest partners, first, second and third tier suppliers. Infrastructure project managers have to be skilled and experience in managing diverse complex and expensive technologies, and liquidity challenges, all under stringent and uncompromising uncertainties, risks and media scrutiny. Challenges managing Infrastructure projects Davis, Gann & Douglas (2010 p.101) tells us that megaprojects are projects that invest no less than a billion dollars, and requires the construction of a physical infrastructure that facilitate the movement of people, assets and supplies, and information within structures and between world-wide localities. Flyvbjerg, Garbuio & Lovallo (2010, p.172) tells us megaprojects are most of the time over-schedule, over-budget, and below quality and performance expectations. The challenges managing infrastructure project includes:

Managing numerous stakeholders and partners Balancing product and process, distinction and overlaps between planning, design, construction, handover and operational readiness Applying effective and collaborative model for management process and system integration Integrating systems, components and processes Incorporating digital design technologies and people factors Enhancing project and program management in the design process Employing appropriate procurement strategy and contract type Establishing, controlling and managing several diverse project teams and operational processes Managing the transition from project activities to operations activities

Challenge similarities and differences between infrastructure project management and corporate project management Infrastructure projects are quite similar to corporate projects because both must plan and

manage processes, people, resources, as well as finance; undergo the challenges of inception, feasibility, strategy, pre-construction, construction, testing and commissioning, completion, handover, and occupation and review and closeout (CIOB; 2010). They must meet clients requirements, reduce waste, and cost and schedule overruns, solve environmental, quality, safety, risks and uncertainty issues; conduct tests and trials, and manage change, constructability and price increases. The difference lies in the size, diversities and complexities. Unlike the corporate project manager, the infrastructure project manager must consider stakeholders diversity and interests, investment cost and interest of the public, politicians and the media. Also, infrastructure project management must apply systems integration, maintain an complex supply chain; and apply digital design technology, improve productivity, health and safety and predictability by managing fabrication off site, pre-assembling and production of modular components, and applying logistics strategies that is just-in-time, speedy and efficient, and undertake operational integration to test and try systems and ensure non accidental and highly reliable hand-over to operations. Conclusion Infrastructure project managers and corporate project managers have similar project challenges to manage stakeholders, scope, cost, schedule, quality, communication and procurement. But the difference is that the infrastructure project manager must manage numerous and a diversified general public, clients, policy makers, politicians and the media. The infrastructure project manager must apply system integration, digital design technologies, lean construction, concurrent engineering, project management and program management, integrated supply chain, operational processes, and the effective transition from project to operations. In other words, the infrastructure project manager has to do more holistic thinking, process orientation, cost tracing, uncertainty management (Santander, C. & SanchezSilva, M. (2007) and innovation than the corporate project manager.
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References Chartered Institute of Building (2010) Code of practice for project management for construction and development 4th ed. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell Davis, A. Gann, D. & Douglas, T. (2010) Innovation in megaprojects: systems integration at London Heathrow Terminal 5, California Management Review, 51 (2), pp.101-125. Bent Flyvbjerg, Massimo Garbuio, and Dan Lovallo. Delusion and Deception in Large Infrastructure Projects Global Economy The University Press, pp 363-376, 2010

Santander, C. & Sanchez-Silva, M. (2007) Design and maintenance programme optimization for large infrastructure systems, Structure and Infrastructure Engineering, 4 (4), pp. 297-309.