7 CRUCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MANAGER

Focusing on the following crucial responsibilities will allow construction project managers to connect their teams and handle their multiple projects better. Construction project manager responsibilities are what take a project to success. Projects can be residential, commercial, industrial buildings or bridges and skyscrapers.

Here are the main duties of a construction project manager:

Planning Construction Activities

One of the main responsibilities of a construction project manager is planning. He needs to plan for his work as well as his team. He needs to forecast and identify the work that needs to be done for the proposed project.

Construction planning includes:

1. Identifying all the required steps to build the project.
2. Splitting these steps into defined activities.
3. Organizing these steps logically.
4. Determining the necessary materials.
5. Identifying the necessary manpower.
6. Deciding on the necessary equipment.

Delivering Projects on Time

Time is critical because there are many penalties included against the builder if the project is late.

Time management in construction means organizing activities and implementing conscious time frames to these activities.

In order for a project to be delivered on time, the project manager must be able to set a realistic timeline and consistently meet deadlines.

Here are some strategies:

1. Keep the project schedule at the forefront
2. Prioritize your task list
3. Delegate tasks when needed
4. Organize actionable meetings
5. Communicate clearly and efficiently
6. Get the right tools

Managing Risk

Construction risk management is one of the most important construction project manager responsibilities. It is defined as the process of evaluating and implementing procedures to reduce the impact of risks in construction projects. This risk management process includes thorough planning to build a risk management plan that make it easy to project managers to determine, monitor and mitigate risks as they arise.

Thus, The risk management plan describes how the project is organized and the procedures used to manage the project risks, addressing in the plan:

• Roles and responsibilities of project staff in risk management
• Identification of project risks
• Categorization of risks in terms of probability of occurrence and impact on project cost, schedule, scope, and/or quality
• Risk handling should the risk event occur, through either:
  • Assumption: Accepting the consequences of the risk.
  • Avoidance: Changing the project deliverable design or work methods that lead to the risk.
  • Control: Developing measures to reduce the risk’s probability of occurrence, continually re-evaluating the risk, and having in place contingency plans to adopt, that mitigate the impacts of the risk.
  • Transfer: Sharing or transferring the consequences of the risk with others, for example, through insurance or warranty provisions.

Allocating Resources

Resource management is the process of planning the supply and management of the resources necessary to satisfy the client’s requirements on time and to budget. Proper resource management ensures that resource demand is satisfied and that the benefit derived from resources is maximized.

For an effective resource management construction managers should have a clear understanding of what resources are needed, what resources are available, where resources are located, and the ability to schedule those resources accordingly.

Without adequate resource management, projects can fall behind schedule, or can become unprofitable. In some circumstances, the resources required may simply not be available, and alternatives will have to be found.

Managing and Monitoring Project Budget

A project manager should continuously keep track of spending and forecast changes to the budget, and this is one of the most difficult construction project manager responsibilities. They must keep their team informed about forecasts and be prepared for unplanned costs. The more prepared a construction project manager is, the fewer problems they will have to handle.

Good construction project managers plan detailed project budgets by considering past job cost reports and double-checking for mistakes that can blow up the budget.

Finding and Managing Subcontractors

As a construction project manager, you would need an effective process for building a list of reliable subcontractors. You would not only need to manage their contracts but also engage with them to establish a successful partnership.

Tips: Use a web and mobile software to effectively manage communication with subcontractor, share project documentation and send direct messages, check progress…

Keeping Stakeholders in the Loop

While internal communication between project team members and the project manager is necessary, external communication to key stakeholders is crucial as well. Construction project manager responsibilities also involve updating key stakeholders and clients about the progress and health of the project.

Conclusion

These are the construction project managers responsibilities in general. There might be additional duties based on the unique requirements of a company.

If you’re considering purchasing a software for your construction business, we recommend visiting our construction project management software page.

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