AN EXAMINATION OF PROJECT PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING TOOLS FOR EFFECTIVE PROJECT DELIVERY

AN EXAMINATION OF PROJECT PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING TOOLS FOR EFFECTIVE PROJECT DELIVERY

Background of the Study

The document that serves as a guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge According to the PM BOK (2004), a project is a transitory human endeavor that has established beginning and ending dates as well as distinct goals. According to AbdulAzeez (2022), a project is defined as a collection of actions that are interconnected and are bound by parameters such as specific scope, money, and time in order to provide a certain product or service. The development of a piece of software, the building of a home, and the completion of a space mission are all examples of projects. As a result, a project is distinguished by its duration, its scope, and its aims.

The activities involved in construction share characteristics with projects as well. This is due to the fact that construction entails the transformation of raw materials, finished or semi-finished goods into a facility through the utilization of management, manpower, and technology within an agreed-upon specification of time and quality. According to AbdulAzeez (2021), construction may be described as a set of acts carried out by an organization to generate, modify, or alter a building or infrastructure.

No matter how it's referred to, every project involves the completion of a series of unique or interrelated phases. These stages are known as the project life cycle and include ideation, planning, execution, and completion. Every part of a project has to be prepared or planned in advance in order for the project as a whole to be successful. According to Abimbola, (2020), project planning is the stage of a project that identifies the tasks that will be completed as part of the project as well as the methods that will be used to complete each activity. Identifying each key job, estimating the amount of time and resources that will be needed, and providing a framework for management or owners to assess and oversee the project's progress are the goals of the planning phase of the project.

Planning a construction project involves specifying the work that has to be done, as well as its goals and limits, as well as the methods and technology that will be used to carry out the construction. It also involves defining essential actions that need to be completed, the order in which they should be completed, and any potential interconnections that exist between activities.

A construction project's life cycle is comparable to the life cycles of projects in other industries; however, according to Achuenu, (2022), construction projects are unique. This is because construction projects almost always result in the production of facilities that house or serve as means of future production; they also deal with differences in geographical location; and they involve the assembly of a team that has been hired for a particular purpose. According to Abimbola (2020), construction projects include a large number of stakeholders, need a significant amount of labor, and use a large quantity of physical resources. Construction projects also make use of physical tools and machinery. Because of their one-of-a-kind characteristics, building projects each come with their own set of obstacles, they are carried out in their own distinctive ways, and as a result, their planning has to be adjusted accordingly.

It is possible to define the construction industry as that sector of the economy that, through the processes of planning, designing, construction, maintenance, and repair, converts a variety of resources into constructed facilities. This definition holds true for both developed and developing countries ( Fred and Janet, 1976). Indigenous construction businesses were characterized by Achuenu,(2022) and Uduak (2006) as contracting organizations that are wholly owned and operated by Nigerians.

This categorization provides a foundation for government intervention, socioeconomic planning, and research in Nigeria, where businesses are categorized according to factors such as their size, location, or capabilities. Because construction is such a labor-intensive industry, construction businesses are sometimes classed according to the number of permanent people they have on staff. This categorization includes that of Abdul Azeez (2022), who recognized four groups, namely: micro (ranging from one to nine workers), small (10 to 99 employees), medium (ranging from 100 to 299 people), and big (300 or more employees) (300 and above employees). According to Abdul Azeez (2022), the majority of businesses in Nigeria rely heavily on human labor, and the size of an organization may be determined by the number of its permanent employee work force.

Researchers such as Graham and John (2005) critique the efficacy of construction planning, and this criticism has led to discussion on the effectiveness of building project planning. In spite of this argument, Adebayo (2020) said that it is generally accepted knowledge that ineffective planning of construction projects play a part in the development of unsuccessful projects. This defeat is nevertheless considered significant, especially in light of the fact that White and Fortune (2002) found that the success percentage for construction and engineering projects is still less than 40 percent.

The planning and evaluation of planning processes are insufficient, there is an emphasis on critical path methods, inexperience of the construction process and a lack of information gathering methods by construction planners hinder the construction project planning process, according to some critiques of construction project planning, such as Adebayo (2020). The planning stage of a construction project frequently shifts its focus from being action-oriented to being more control-oriented. Additionally, construction planning frequently involves the use of complicated and technical terminology that can only be understood by trained construction industry professionals.

According to Adebayo (2020), despite the fundamental importance of the debates, recent research has progressed into the refinement of existing planning tools and has placed an emphasis on the use of software for construction planning. However, research into the organizational context of construction planning has been neglected. According to Adebayo,(2020), who reported that lack of successful construction project planning to be an important factor that lead to death of newly formed small and medium construction firms in Nigeria within their first five years of in cooperation, this method of studying planning has not provided the required improvement in construction project planning. This is indicated by the fact that this approach has not provided the required improvement in construction project planning.

The planning phase of a construction project is one of the four stages that make up the construction project life cycle. Planning involves the identification of activities and actions, as well as time and cost objectives, and performance milestones. Adebayo (2020) indicated that contractors of the developed countries have embraced planning of construction project, because the performance and profitability of the companies were found to be directly affected by efforts expanded in planning, careful and controlled construction project delivery. Construction planning was shown to have a positive impact on projects. However, a large number of Nigerian construction businesses that are indigenous to the country are unable to fulfill the criteria of their contracts because of their inability to create and carry out an effective strategy for the execution of successful construction projects (AbdulAzeez, 2022). According to AbdulAzeez(2022), this has been a contributing factor in the industry's failure to satisfy the building demands of Nigeria.

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