Project Management Careers for Architects & Civil Engineers

By Prof.Anand Wadadekar

According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India’s (ASSOCHAM) survey, “India faces a shortage of 10 lakh project management professionals annually”. ASSOCHAM is one of India’s apex trade associations.

While, as per a new study by the Oxford Economics and Global Construction Perspectives (GCP), India is expected to be the world’s third largest construction market by 2025”.

Also, according to India’s 12^th Five Year Plan, $1 Trillion of investments are required in infrastructure and about 50% of this need to come from private sector.

All the above points strongly suggest that construction / infrastructure industry will grow leaps and bounds with involvement of private companies but, will face shortage of talent in the construction / infrastructure project management area.

Construction industry is today regarded as un-organized industry, however with the technological advancement, supply of relatively skilled labour force, demand for housing and infrastructure development, construction industry is on the way to becoming an organized industry. But still, one lacking area remains is of business management and project management. National Skill Development Council (NSDC) has also stressed the point of lack of trained human resource in this industry.

As stated above, ‘project management’ is one critical area where the construction / infrastructure industry is facing huge challenges in terms of human resource and project completion.

“Project Management is the discipline of planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling resources to achieve specific goals. The primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goal and objectives while honoring the preconceived constraints. The primary constraints are scope, time, quality and budget.”

The professionals who play a key role in construction / infrastructure project companies are Architects, Civil Engineers and Mechanical/Electrical Engineers, apart from the business management professionals who look after finance, human resource and marketing.

Budding Architects, Civil Engineers and Mechanical/Electrical Engineers have huge job and career opportunities in the field of ‘Project Management’.

The below diagram explains the Project Management Life Cycle:

 

ARCHITECTS bring with them the conceptual clarity, designing mastery and understanding of feasibility of a construction / infrastructure project. CIVIL ENGINEERS on the other hand bring with them the much needed technical implementation ability about excavation, execution, erection and sustenance which is a part of Construction Management. MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS bring with them the operational, mechanical and electrical mastery behind the technology used in the project which is a part of Operations Management.

There is a need that the budding Architects, Civil Engineers learn Project Management to be able to understand and handle projects. Architects mastering the Construction Management aspects like Procurement, Supervision, Cost Control, Quality Control, will act as a value add to their conceptual and designing proves, which in turn result into enhanced project management and see the project get completed within the limited resources, time and with superior quality standards. Civil Engineers mastering project management will enhance their knowledge and will be equipped to take on the responsibility of the project.

Architects learning Project Management can provide them the opportunity to rise to the Project Manager level from a Project Architect. Civil Engineers learning Project Management can provide them the opportunity to rise to the Construction Business Manager level from a Site Supervisor/Site Engineer.

It is high time that Architects and Civil Engineers consider Project Management as their post graduate career option.

Some of the educational institutes offering post graduate courses in Project Management for Architects and Civil Engineers are:

• Samvit School of Infrastructure Business, Shivaji Nagar, Pune. Samvit is supported by Larsen & Toubro’s Group Companies. Also recognized by University of Mysore as an Institution for Specialised Studies & Research and is also recognized as a ‘partner institution’ of CIDC – Planning Commission, Govt. of India.

• National Institute of Construction Management And Research (NICMAR), Balewadi, Pune. NICMAR is an autonomous institute of Govt. of India.

• Adani Institute of Infrastructure Management, Ahmedabad, Gujarat is an autonomous institution of Adani Group of Companies.

The author is a faculty, economist, author, career consultant from Pune, India.