Finding Ways for Enhancing Postgraduate Level Education in Construction Management in Pakistan

Transcription

1 First International Conference on Construction In Developing Countries (ICCIDC I) Advancing and Integrating Construction Education, Research & Practice August 45, 28, Karachi,, Pakistan Finding Ways for Enhancing Postgraduate Level Education in Construction Management in Pakistan S. M. Khalid Huda Deputy Manager, Road Management Unit, Works & Services Department, Govt. of Sindh, Pakistan Rizwan U. Farooqui Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan & Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Construction Management, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA Muhammad Saqib Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi, Pakistan Abstract The research paper focuses on the postgraduate level education being imparted in the Engineering Universities in Pakistan and their contribution in the development of local Construction Industry. The Construction Industry is in its infancy as regards to the application of professional management practices in Pakistan. The curriculum of the engineering universities is designed to cater to the needs of the industry but due to the lack of any interaction or feedback from the industry, the universities have not been able to either lead the industry or to equip the students with the knowledge required to meet the demands of this dynamic industry. Moreover, graduates working abroad also face problems in adjusting to fast paced construction management practices and in the use of new technology. This research paper is basically focused in finding ways for the improvement of the construction industry, primarily based on the development of the human resources in the form of Engineers and Construction Managers, who in turn will be trained to face the current and future challenges faced by the industry. A study has been done to ascertain the student s expectations from these courses, before and after their completion, their improved skills, market demand, etc. An effort has also been made to gauge the industry s perception and expectations from such types of programs. Recommendations have been given for the improvement of the construction industry by focusing on the human resource being trained by the engineering universities. Keywords Construction Management, Postgraduate Courses, NED University, Construction Industry, Pakistan 1. Introduction The construction industry in Pakistan is one of the major employers of skilled and unskilled workforce. It derives its unskilled force mostly from the rural areas of Pakistan. These people are mostly illiterate and usually migrate to urban areas in search of employment. The skilled workforce comprises of masons, 33

2 carpenters, steel fixers, plumbers, electricians, etc who are usually literate, mostly matriculates, and may be local or migrants from rural areas. On the other hand, the Construction Industry in Pakistan derives its high skilled workforce i.e Engineers, Construction Managers, Project Managers, Architects, Quantity Surveyors, etc, from the lot produced by the local engineering universities. The business and construction industry is becoming increasingly global and the role of the project management professional now includes many frontend services, which increases the required skill set of new graduates (Choudhury, 2; Kay, 21). Project management is no longer a specialneed management (Arain, 25a). Alternative contractual delivery systems, collaborative partnerships, new management initiatives, and global product markets require professionals and students to have a broader awareness of construction methods and project management issues. Duncan (1996) defined project management as the application of knowledge skills, tools and techniques to project activities in order to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations from the project. Project management is rapidly becoming a standard way of doing business (Arain and Assaf, 23). An increasing percentage of the typical firm s effort is being devoted to projects. The future promises an increase in the importance and the role of projects in contributing to the strategic direction of organizations (Arain, 25b). In the developed world, many academic disciplines inside and outside of project management education have successfully used study abroad programs as an effective means of broadening project management students academic, personal, and professional views of the world (NASFA, 23). This certainly is the dawning of the age of Project Management in the developing countries. Duncan (1996) identified different stages of project management such as project initiation, planning, execution, control and the closing process. Bryde (23) discussed different terms which have emerged since the beginning of 199 s to describe the project management approach. These terms include: modern project management, managementbyprojects, projects (project management) culture, and beyond the Gantt chart. The graduate level syllabus and courses offered by the engineering universities in Pakistan are generalized i.e specialization or majors in one field or subject is not allowed. In other words, a graduate in Civil Engineering is exposed to most of the fields of Civil Engineering at the undergraduate level and he/she may not be able to opt for a degree having majors in, say, Transportation Engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Structures, Water Resources, Environment, etc. The construction industry thus employs these graduates and has to mould them according to its needs. The satisfaction level of the industry may be judged indirectly from the employment statistics, market demand, etc. In order to keep their employment options open, both in local and foreign markets, the graduates also prefer a generalized degree in Engineering. On the face of it, this trend might seem to be quite justifiable and logical but its adverse effects are that the fresh graduates waste considerable time of their initial years in the industry in discovering their fields of interest. A final year project and internships might pave the way, but graduates are found switching jobs, changing departments, pursuing other degrees rather than in Engineering, etc. The main loser in this scenario is the construction industry that finds non serious graduates who are switching gears. The industry has to pay for these Discovery and Learning processes. Lately, there has been considerable interest in the fields of Construction Management and Project Management in Pakistan. The construction industry has realized its short comings and now emphasis is on having a professional approach towards the delivery of the end products and services. In order to catch up with the construction industry and to fulfill its demands, the engineering universities in Pakistan have started offering post graduate degrees in Construction/Engineering Management. The syllabus is set keeping in view the demand, the latest trends, technology, management needs, etc. The response from the students is overwhelming which is evident from the demand for such courses. 34

3 The postgraduate program in Engineering Management is designed for engineers and scientists moving toward technical management responsibilities while maintaining identity in their technology. The programme provides students with a comprehensive knowledge base to meet the needs of engineers and scientists whose objective is to advance to technical management positions in business, industry, or government. This paper primarily focuses on studying the usefulness and applicability of such courses offered by the engineering universities and in finding ways for their improvement. The scope of the research has been limited to the M. Engg. program (major in Engineering Management) offered by NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi. 2. Background NED University has been offering M.Sc. courses in Civil Engineering since 1984, as part of its program to offer post graduate degrees. The courses were offered both as full time (morning) and part time (evening) programs. Initially it was a foursemester 32 credit hour program. The students had the option to opt for an 8 credit hours research course or enroll for two 4 credit hour courses in their final semester. The full time course was not popular among the students as they had to take time off from their work/job. The full time course was later abandoned due to its low demand. The part time M.Sc. course was, however, quite popular. Students had the choice for opting for majors in Structural Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Soil Engineering and in Environment Engineering. Over the years, the M.Sc program has been upgraded and refined keeping in view the demand of the construction industry. Since the year 24, the department of Civil engineering has been offering M. Engg. course in Engineering Management. The course is spread over five semesters, comprising of 3 credit hours. 15 credit hours have been allocated for Compulsory courses and 15 credit hours have been reserved for al courses. The compulsory courses specifically relate to Construction and Project Management. As regards the optional courses, students have the option to either take Construction Management related courses or opt for courses from any field of their interest or job related. The faculty comprises of both in house and visiting professional. This benefits the students in the form of exposure in both theoretical and practical fields. An overwhelming response has been received from the students as well as from the construction industry. Two batches have successfully completed this course. Since NED University is a perfect example of the institutions, imparting education in the field of engineering in Pakistan, the study results may be generalized. The Higher Education Commission (HEC), is striving to maintain same standards in all the local engineering universities and to uplift the standard of engineering education at par with foreign universities. The standard of teaching and research is somewhat the same in all the engineering universities of Pakistan; hence it is safe to assume that the results obtained may be generalized for the entire construction industry of Pakistan. The construction industry in Pakistan on the other hand does not have a professional body or organization which may provide information on the prevailing trends and demands of the industry. No research organization in the public or private sector is engaged with ascertaining the present and future needs of the industry. Lack of research and lack of constructive feedback has not let the industry to rise to its full potential. The demands and needs of the industry are then gauged by questionnaires and personal interviews that might be misleading as they are based upon a person s personal experiences and vested interests. 35

4 3. Objective and Scope The specific objectives of this paper are to ascertain: The student s expectations before taking admission in M. Engg. Program in Construction Management at NED University The student s satisfaction level after completion of this course. The expectations of the construction industry from this course in terms of their employees who take this course The expectation of the graduated students from their employers once they have improved their knowledge base and begin perceiving the industry from a more refined perspective. 4. Methodology The research methodology consists of following steps. (a) Studying the syllabi of the postgraduate programme and its need which fulfills the industry requirement as well as conduct few focused interviews with current and passed out students. (b) Developing questionnaire survey to elicit information from students who have successfully completed this program about different courses, reasons for pursuing this postgraduate program, expectations from the program, and improvements required in the program. (c) Conducting questionnaire survey through and personal interviews. (d) Assessment of feedback from questionnaire survey to identify the major findings and the way forward to improve the postgraduate level education in construction management in Pakistan. The questionnaire dealt with the student s perspective, such as, regarding reasons for enrolling for this course; their views regarding the content and design of various courses; their expectations; their evolvement in terms of managers; increase in knowledge, position, salary; recommendations; etc. A fairly good response (36 responses) was received from the students as well as from their employers. Since management students realize the importance of feedback and the need for continuous improvement, the response was responsible, dutiful and enlightening. 5. Analyses and Discussion: The results received from the questionnaire survey were divided into two parts as stated above and were then analyzed. The results and responses received are given in percentages, wherever necessary. In the questionnaire, 15 different types of questions were asked from the graduating students to assess their expectations, observations, experiences and their recommendation for the program. The responses are as follows. 1. Primary reason for pursuing M. Engg. program in Construction Management (limited to one answer only) Almost 5% students pursed this program to excel their project management competency and to improve their skills for their organization while remaining students acquired this degree to remain competitive in local market, to approach international market, due to employer encouragement, current responsibility 36

5 demand, and realization of the need of obtaining professional education in construction/ project management. 2. Views regarding the DESIGN of the program, in general As far as design of the program is concerned, almost 75% graduated students are satisfied with the design of the program in terms of number of courses and distribution of compulsory and optional courses. Around 25% students want the flexibility in design in terms of number of courses selected. 3. Views regarding the CONTENT of the program, in general (not limited to one answer) According to 2% graduates, the content needs substantial improvement in terms of making the content uptodate to current techniques and technologies while approximately 7% graduates are completely satisfied with the program content and according to them the program provides adequately knowledge and skills needed for construction/ project management. Approximately 2% graduates are in favor of improvement in terms of tailoring the content to local industry practices. 4. Views regarding COMPULSORY and OPTIONAL courses (not limited to one answer) The response is as given in the following table. They adequately provide the core knowledge and skills needed for general engineering/pm Their content needs substantial improvement More courses need to be added Compulsory al Courses Courses Responses indicate that the compulsory and optional courses are designed after analysis of construction industry with respect to need and requirement. These courses provide practical knowledge and improvement in the skills of the graduated students. 5. Views regarding INSTRUCTION OF COURSES in general in this program. Perceived in Percentage Percentage of response Major course content is adequately delivered by well versed and competent course instructors More than 8% 68% 46% 24% Less than 2% Disagree The course instruction is highly imbalanced: few highly competent instructors and others with quite low competence There is general lack of seriousness of purpose from the instructors More than 8% 68% 46% 24% Less than 2% Disagree More than 8% 68% 46% 24% Less than 2% Disagree

6 6. Expectations from M.Engg. program (limited to one answer only) Approximately 4% graduates are fully satisfied with the expectation of the program and 6% are partially satisfied. It is because of inadequate deliverance and inadequate course offerings during the study period. 7. Views regarding the most commendable attribute/feature of the program (limited to one answer only) The major important attribute of the program is the program content and its credibility. It is stated earlier that the program is designed to see the need and requirement of the industry. Program design Program content Program instruction/deliverance Program credibility Strategic (Long term) nature of the program Percentage of replies Changes felt in personal views, way of working, life, etc. (limited to one answer only) Quite substantially Partially, changes in view only Partially, changes in view and way of working but unable to change self and work environment The program was not suited for Pakistani construction industry The program was a waste of time Too early to comment but expect a positive change Too early to comment but personally do not expect any change Cant say, no comments Other Percentage of replies Majority of the graduates feel that their way of working become partially changed and this is because that courses offered during the program has mixed blend of engineering and management knowledge which ultimately improves the technical skills and decision making capabilities of the graduates. 9. Changes felt in students thinking and way of working by the employer and colleagues, after completion of this course? Yes No Can t say Too early to comment Job changed to work in a better and conducive environment Job changed for other reasons Percentage of replies Professional growth in terms of developing/improving skills. Approximately 87.5% graduates indicated that they have professionally developed because of getting a masters degree in construction management. The improvement level can be measured in terms of communication level, project management skills, resource management skills, decision making skills etc. This is shown in the table. 38

7 Improvements in terms of More positive approach towards work now More competent in approaching work now More structured approach to work/problem solving now More proactive approach to work/problem solving now Improved Leadership Skills Improved Team Building Skills Improved Team Coordination Skills Improved Communication Skills Improved Project Management Skills Improved Resource Management Skills Improved Time Management Skills Improved Negotiation Skills Improved Decision Making Skills Improved Ethics And Responsibility Taking Improved Project Oversight Skills Improved Technical Skills Percentage of replies Recommendation of this course to colleagues, students, professionals, etc. Yes (the program provides a good platform for improving skills) May be (the program is just OK) No (the program is not worth it) Percentage of replies Conclusions The postgraduate programme in Engineering Management at NED University is specially designed for engineers and scientists moving toward technical management responsibilities and their objective are to advance to technical management positions in business, industry, or government. The mix of management concepts and technical focus of the programme prepares working professionals to thrive in the increasingly complex managerial environment of today's technologybased organizations. Unlike a graduate degree in a science or engineering specialty, this degree offers the practical business perspective needed by technical managers. Unlike a traditional MBA program, this programme emphasizes skills specifically required in technologybased organizations. To achieve this balance, the curriculum blends business basics, quantitative methods, and behavioral science in a practical, problemsolving framework. The programme is designed to directly address the needs of local technologicalbased organizations. It allows graduates to grow professionally by advancing within and contributing to their current organization. Students apply their new skills immediately in their workplace environments. The survey conducted for this research consists of variety of graduates who have vast experiences and they are belonging to different sectors of construction industry. Some of them were on senior positions and some of them are working on junior level. The reason for pursuing this program is to excel the project management competencies and to improve their technical abilities for their organizations. This degree also helps to remain competitive in local 39

8 construction industry. The students also try to approach international market to improve their management skills. Many students agreed that the program is overall well designed with good number of compulsory and optional courses. These courses fulfill the demand of industry but some students suggested that the program should flexible in terms of selecting the course. Responses show that the content of the program need some improvement in terms of making the content uptodate to current technologies and it will only be possible if the program gets continues feed back from the industry but this provides adequate knowledge and skills needed for construction project management.. Majority of the respondents agree that the compulsory and optional courses adequately provide the core knowledge and skills needed for general engineering/ project management. These responses are quite high and it shows the popularity of the courses. 75% responses show that 6 to 8% major course content is adequately delivered by well versed and competent course instructors. This is because the instructors are qualified professional experts and they have a command on their subjects. The most admirable feature of the program is the credibility and the course design. The popular courses of the program are Strategic Planning and Decision Making, Accounting and Financial Management, Project Management and Framework and Tools, Operation Research Public Infrastructure Management and Technical Entrepreneurship and the Management & Marketing of Construction Services. The course content of these courses were interesting and provided new learning, the practical application of the courses provided insights and the courses were adequately delivered. The program changed the life of 4% students partially but they have not had the chance to make changes in their work environment. The students were professionally grownup. They feel more competent in approaching work now, have more structured approach to work and problem solving, they have a more proactive approach to problem solving, their team coordination skills, communication skills, project management skills, resource management skills are improved. Due to these factors, students encouraged their colleagues to improve their skills by taking post graduate education. 7. Reference Arain F. M. and Assaf S. A. Project design and construction interface dissonances, Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning, 23, 3 No. 2, 698. Arain F. M. Potential barriers in management of refurbishment projects, Journal of Independent Studies and Research, 25a, 3, No. 1, Arain F. M. Strategic management of variation orders for institutional buildings: Leveraging on information technology, Project Management Journal, PMI, 25b, 36, No. 4, Bryde D. J. Project management concepts, methods, and application, International Journal of Operations and Productions Management, 23, 26, No. 7, Choudhury I. Crosscultural training of project personnel for implementation of international construction projects by US contractors, International Proceedings of the Associated Schools of Construction,, Purdue University, US, 2, pp

9 Duncan W. R. The Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Project Management Institute Standards Committee, Upper Darby, US, Kay D. A survey of the foreign language preparedness of construction students, International Proceedings of the Associated Schools of Construction, University of Denver, US, 21, pp NASFA Association of International Educators: Study Abroad, 23, Retrieved March 4, 27, 41