Recommendations for successful project execution

The Project Management Institute (PMI) and KPMG, India, in consultation with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI), has jointly released a study titled Revamping Project Management: Assessment of Infrastructure Projects and Corrective Recommendations for Infrastructure Projects at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The objective of this study is to bring out the core issues in implementing the Government’s large infrastructure initiatives and provide corrective recommendations to strengthen project and programme management capabilities along with an analysis on the potential for job creation.“As per the study, the implementation status of most projects points out the gaps in the application of project management practices,” said Murat Bicak, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, PMI. “Therefore, systematic adoption of this discipline and implementation of project management techniques are crucial for a country like India.”Pravin Srivastava, Secretary & Chief Statistician of India, MoSPI, said, “The Government has been implementing various initiatives to encourage the growth of the sector, such as e-Suvidha and India Investment Grid. This report will prove to be useful for policymakers to promote successful implementation of projects within the scheduled time and costs.’’And Puneet Narang, Partner, Major Project Advisory Infrastructure, Government and Healthcare, KPMG India, said,  “This report aims to provide a reflection on what is not working and, more important, what can be done to help debottleneck infrastructure creation in India.” About Rs 50 trillion of investment is required over the next four to five years (2018-22). Given this, it is crucial to focus on core industry issues and the opportunity that lies therein. On the whole, the study’s recommendations can lead to improved project management capabilities as they address causes that contribute to above 60 per cent of time overruns and above 70 per cent of cost overruns.Recommendations: Invest heavily in preplanning and site investigationImplement collaborative and agile planningReform procurement process and strengthen contract management Implement lean construction principles for productivity improvement Embed a culture of risk management; from concept to commissioningStrengthen people management processesAugment organisational skill-setsDeepen stakeholder management for land acquisition and regulatory approvals.Establish a robust project governance structure.These recommendations will be useful for policymakers, public-sector enterprises and engineering and contracting firms in the country that are implementing these programmes and projects to promote successful project implementation within scheduled time and cost.