Project Management and Urban Planning - Literature review Example

 Monitoring and Evaluating Urban Projects There are many challenges in project management, but learning a lot about the topic is one of the ways to achieve success in project management. A large proportion of project management aims at avoiding problems. This is why project management involves tackling new challenges, using a group of people to accomplish objectives promptly and effectively. Moreover, owing to the new challenges, new problems occur in project management. Therefore, being able to foresee the problems, prior to undertaking projects, the manager can save time and money (Atkinson, 1993). There is an assumption that project management experts can help organizations avoid problems, but this may fail due to the nature of their work. Nonetheless, an excellent project is achievable if the experts can avoid problems, prior to and after the project has started (Reiss, 1995). Financial problems are challenges in achieving the goals of a given project. The funds available for a project have substantial influence because the funds will determine the approach of the project. Therefore, for urban projects the managers should choose proper sources of finance for the project. Organizations can employ project managers to help in evaluating alternative sources for funding and avoid financial constrains when the project is in progress. This will help managers recognize the limits in relation to financial manoeuvrability within the given development plan model (Ratcliffe, Stubbs, & Keeping, 2009). Alternatively, new projects come with new problems due to the need to employ the strategic options available. Monitoring and evaluation are among the working strategic options available, and can contribute to successful projects. Although they are important elements in the managing of projects, they are often overlooked (Seasons, 2003). Additionally, literature has suggested that because the process of monitoring and evaluation comes in when the project has already started, they cannot influence the project. Therefore, there has been an emphasis on undertaking early planning processes. The two are equally important in project management, and in current practice, monitoring and evaluation are increasingly becoming accepted (Samset, 2003). This is because there is an acknowledged need to better the performance of development assistance, which needs thought, especially because of provision of management information that will support the execution of projects. Monitoring and evaluation also provides a framework for responsibility when using development resources. Stakeholders are to respond to accomplish successful projects considering the transparency required of the development community. Therefore, all stages of the project cycle will require monitoring and evaluation in an effort to strengthen project design, including later implementation and enhance partnerships with project managers (Sang, 1995). Evaluating projects and monitoring their progress, will help project managers highlight the outcomes of previous measures, and the strengths and weaknesses of their implementation, which will further improve the project design (World Bank Group, 1996). Monitoring and Evaluation The process of monitoring seeks to provide the project managers, including stakeholder’s regular feedback and early indications of either progress or failure of the achievement of the expected results (Nutt, 2007). Monitoring involves collecting and analyzing information about the implementation activities, strategies and results, and proposes any corrective measure. In this regard, evaluation refers to the methodical and subjective assessment of a progressing project or a completed project, program or policy, and this includes its approach, execution and outcomes. Evaluation is essential in managing projects because it helps in determining the relevance and accomplishment of objectives, efficacy, effectiveness, influence and sustainability. Evaluation should provide credible, useful and appropriate information, which can facilitate a corporation to integrate the learnt lessons into the decision-making process. Monitoring and evaluation allows project managers to use project tools such as the logical framework, which provides an approach to use in monitoring the progress of the project. It is also possible to improve the project design because of the indicators that can help to realize the project’s objectives’ (Samset, 2003). Moreover, there is emerging evidence that inclusion of the stakeholders in the design and subsequent implementation of the project’s aims can enhance the sustainability of the project. There are five constituents of monitoring and evaluation, which are more than the selection of indicators. In a successful design, there has to be clear statements and they must include measurable objectives. Components should allow the selection and identification of indicators. It should also have a structured set of indicators, which cover the outcomes of goods and services produced by the project, and their influence. The design should have a method for collecting data, and managing project records. The design must also allow compatibility with existing statistics. Moreover, they should be available at proper costs. The components provide a framework, which ensures that monitoring, evaluation is relevant, and yields expected project outcomes (World Bank Group, 1996). Failure of Projects Project management helps organizations avoid common problems associated with projects. New projects unveil new challenges, which make project managers essential due to their skills in evaluating and monitoring projects (Sang, 1995). One of the most referred failed projects is the “Milton Keynes”. The project failed to foresee the potential problems in its design (Edwards, 2001). The projects’ design was to be implemented as intended, but the experts had to modify the details in an attempt to ensure success. However, the experts had failed to evaluate the outcomes of the project, and instead, they justified the plan-making process (Berke & Conroy, 2000). The new city of Milton Keynes was far much a disappointment because the initial environment and the project objectives were unachievable. Although there were major changes to the plan, including other changes in the implementation process, the project, was unsuccessful. Notably, these changes were some of the problems brought about during the initiation of new projects, but failure to evaluate the plans prior to implementation was among the contributors to the failure of the project. The experts failed to realize the difference between evaluating the plan, and the implementation of the plan (Norton, 2008). Importance of Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring and evaluation is among the least expensive and complicated processes (Appleton, 1996). However, it is not all advised not to hire project managers, mainly because of the need for advice to point out particular stages of the project, which may require monitoring or evaluation. The studies have provided evidence that monitoring and evaluation are effective because they enhance the provision of constant feedback, and subsequently, the findings can apply in favour or against the objectives of the project. This will help in evaluating the potential profits, which may result from the project. When organizations embrace monitoring and evaluation, this means that it is ready to promote transparency and accountability. In this context, all the finances used or budgeted will be accounted for, which will enhance transparency. In addition, it is an effective approach, which will help to achieve the objectives of project management; identifying problems at an early stage and proposing working solutions (Oliveira & Pinho, 2010). This will help in monitoring the efficacy of the given solutions, and ensure the components are working to improve the project. In the evaluation period, monitoring and evaluation will make it possible to measure the probability of achieving the general purpose of the project (Casley & Krishna, 1987). After realizing the problems in the project, and offering working solutions, it is possible to provide a guide for planning of future projects. Monitoring and evaluation can influence the sector for assistance strategies. Necessary analysis concerning the project and policy evaluation can stress the results of prior measures. This reveals their strengths and weaknesses for future reference (Talen, 1996). Monitoring and evaluation can lead to the improvement of the overall project. Monitoring and evaluation allows information flow in the implementation phase, helping managers keep track of the project’s progress. It is evident that the approach of monitoring and evaluation is important in project management; moreover, there is evidence from prior literature on its effectiveness (Munns & Bjeirmi, 1996). Monitoring and Evaluation Techniques Different projects will call for different monitoring and evaluation techniques. Some approaches employed in monitoring and evaluations of projects are still new. Therefore, their effectiveness is still under investigation. Recent studies document that improving existing techniques can lead to the success of urban projects (Uphoff, 1991). This is because monitoring and evaluation is often the approach used to assess the efficiency, effectiveness, relevance and causality of a project. In most contexts, it is also supposed to enhance responsibility and transparency. In addition, there are approaches that managers can use to ensure success of urban projects. Managers should take part in social activism, and rely on both quantitative and qualitative information to ensure that they influence social change. In this regard, urban projects will influence the society more than the people fuelling the project. Therefore, it is only appropriate for managers to ensure that the society accepts the project. It is essential to enhance the participatory monitoring and evaluation technique by allowing the stakeholders who the project will influence (Cernea, 2001). In most cases, the stakeholders are not fully part of the project, and research has offered an improvement for this sector. Allowing the local people, staff in all the stages, from planning to the end, will help in ensuring success of the project. Studies have reported that most of the projects fail because the primary stakeholders, particularly the project insiders contribute largely on their own. When things go bad, they often do not feel the effects, but the largest proportion of stakeholders are the most affected. For an urban project, managers would find it imperative to conduct cost-benefit analysis to evaluate the value of the entire project. This is because urban projects tend to require substantial finances and it is only strategic to measure its value against the funds to use. Correcting this issue and allowing for full participation is essential and can contribute to the success of the project. Alternatively, improving the data collection techniques is also vital in the realization of success of a project. Proper methodologies should be adopted, particularly, those, which will serve to reduce potential bias in the information to assess the progress of the project (Edgerton et al., 2000). Approaches such as the questionnaire survey, should not only include the staff, and project staff, but also the people who the project will influence the most. In addition, using a random sample to answer the survey questionnaire can contribute to the success of the project. Improving the monitoring and evaluation techniques can contribute to the success of urban projects (GTZ, 1998). Most importantly, the used questions on the survey should comment something important concerning the project’s anticipated outcomes. The questions should show an apparent link with the hypothesis, and managers should adopt creative approaches to present the collected data. Conclusion There are substantial problems in project management, but having awareness about the topic is one of the ways to accomplish successful projects. The most significant objective of project management is to avoid the many problems. This is mainly because project management involves tackling new challenges, using a group of people to achieve the set objectives quickly and efficiently. Because of the new challenges, new problems are likely to occur in project management. Therefore, there is a need to use the strategic options available in an effort to avoid some of the problems. Monitoring and evaluation or M&E are among the many strategic options available, in that, if followed can result to successful projects. Prior studies have shown that evaluating projects and monitoring the progress, will help project managers identify the results of prior interventions, and the strengths and weaknesses of their execution, which will result to improvements of the project design. The failure of the Milton Keynes project is a typical example of how evaluation of the implementation plan, including the plan is essential in the success of projects. There are many techniques employed in monitoring and evaluation, however, some of them have contributed to failure of projects. In addition, studies have suggested that improving the monitoring and evaluation techniques can contribute to the success of urban projects. Bibliography Appleton, S. 1996 ‘Problems in Measuring Changes in Poverty over Time’. IDS Bulletin, Vol. 27, No.1, Institute for Development Studies, Brighton, UK. Atkinson, R. 1999 ‘Project management: cost, time and quality, two best guesses and a phenomenon, it’s time to accept other success criteria’. International Journal of Project Management, Vol.17, No.6, pp.337-342. Casley, D. J. & Krishna, K. 1987 ‘Project Monitoring and Evaluation in Agriculture’, World Bank, Washington, D.C. Berke, P. R, & Conroy, M. M. 2000 ‘Are we planning for sustainable development? An evaluation of 30 comprehensive plans’. Journal of the American Planning Association, Vol.66, No.21, p.31. Cernea, M. M. 1991 ‘Putting People First: Sociological Variables in Rural Development, Oxford University Press, New York. Edgerton, J., McClean, K., Robb, C., Shah, P. & Tikare, S. 2000 ‘Participatory Processes in the Poverty Reduction Strategy’ in Poverty Reduction Strategy Sourcebook, Draft for Discussion, The World Bank, Washington D.C. Edwards, M. 2001 “City Design: What went wrong in Milton Keynes”? Journal of Urban Design, Vol. 6, No.1, pp.73-82. GTZ, 1998 ‘Impact Monitoring: Approaches and Indicators, Eschborn, Germany. Munns, A. & Bjeirmi, B. 1996 ‘The role of project management in achieving success’, International Journal of Project Management, Vol.14, No.2, pp.81-87. Norton, R. K. 2008 ‘Using content analysis to evaluate local master plans and zoning codes’. Land Use Policy,Vol.25, pp.432-435. Nutt, P. 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A review of evaluation in planning’, Journal of Planning Literature, Vol. 10, pp.249-250. Uphoff, N. 1991 ‘Fitting Projects to People’, in Cernea, Michael M. (ed.), 1991, Putting World Bank Group. 1996 Design Project Monitoring and Evaluation. Read More