PROJECT PLANNING AND ITS PRACTICE IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY (A CASE OF OROMIA HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT BUREAU)

Abstract

This research deals with the study of construction project planning practice taking in to account a case of Oromia Regional state, Housing and Urban Development Bureau; an organization responsible for consulting, construction projects owned by regional public bodies. The objectives of the research were to assess Project planning knowledge of professionals, the extent to which project management knowledge areas are practiced during the planning process of construction projects and identify the level of use of project management tools and techniques during planning stage of construction projects in the organization under study. Different literatures were assessed to show the significance of project planning knowledge in the construction projects. A descriptive research design has been considered and both probability and non-probability sampling techniques applied. Findings of the assessment suggest that, project planning and management knowledge is not sufficient enough in order to successfully manage construction projects and project planning practice in the organization when evaluated from the nine project management body of knowledge perspective is found to be not satisfactory; Specifically, project risk management planning, procurement planning, project quality planning and scheduling are not well considered. Moreover, use of project management tools and techniques during project planning phase is limited to WBS and LFA; the rest are not well known and not utilized. This paper recommends the study organization equip its employees with project management knowledge and the application of tools and techniques through trainings so as to improve the poor/inadequate planning performance of the identified knowledge areas. It is also recommended that the organization structure of the study organization undertaking large number of civil work activities to from the existing process /functional based to a matrix system. A further research on how pre-project execution phase activities affect project performance in the organization is also a major recommendation of the assessment