A project can be illustrated as a temporary endeavour undertaken to develop a unique service, product or results. Project can also referred as a temporary business unit to which several types of resources are assigned to bring significant amount of changes. Project management audit refers to an examination designed to identify the true status of the performed work on a project (Winch 2014). Auditing of project also conformance with the different work statement of projects including budget and schedule constraints. Now, UAE is among the biggest market for conducting capital projects. Over the past few years, several massive capital projects with huge budget. For that reason, proper utilization of all the available resources is extremely essential for keeping cost of the project at the desired level. Therefore, it allows capital projects in achieving sustainability in an effective way. Different driving forces developing from government, society, stakeholders and employees can also affect the sustainability perspectives of any long-term capital projects (Campbell et al. 2012). These factors can instant changes the duration or cost associated with a massive capital projects in Abu Dhabi. For that reason, auditing process need to include all these factors for assessing the best possible way to achieve sustainability in the market. This study will focus on highlighting the way project auditing can be utilized as a tool for managing project sustainability in an effective way. For that reason, the study will explore different major capital projects conducted in Abu Dhabi area for understanding the significance of using effective project auditing procedure in an effective way.
Formulation of proper research questions is critical for covering all areas of the research topic (Nicholas and Steyn 2017). It also allows the study to move toward a specific direction for accomplishing all the objectives in an effective way. In order to identify the significance of project auditing tool in sustainable life cycle management process, the study will focus on following questions:
Sustainable project life cycle management:
The concept of sustainable life cycle management is extremely vague, as it depends on different internal and external factors. The nature of project management has completely changed over the past few decades. Several businesses have focused on conducting projects in an informal basis for reducing dependence of paper work, as it often increases the time required for successful completion of the projects (Yildiz et al. 2014). The drivers for incorporating sustainable development in project practices are provided as follows:
Figure 1: Drivers of sustainable project development
(Source: Handzic and Durmic 2015)
The above figure has primarily highlighted four factors that can have impact on the sustainability perspective of project life cycle. For instance, proper support from investors and international financing are likely to help capital projects to achieve sustainability in an effective way. It will also push the activity procedure of the projects, which is likely to create positive impact on the project efficiency (Alasamri, Chrisp and Bowles 2012). On the other hand, factors like corporate social responsibility, sustainable development framework and care principles are also like to support sustainability aspects of the capital project. On the contrary, changes in the international civil project guidelines, government actions and expectations of the society can create major challenges to remain sustainable in future as well. For that reason, Abu Dhabi government has made a conscious effort in utilizing short-term policies for the capital projects for handling any financial crisis situations in an effective way (Potts and Ankrah 2014). Abu Dhabi government has also focused on reviewing all the spending in capital projects including media investments and other factors for achieving sustainability in the market. Thus, it highlights the significance of project auditing in handling sustainable perspective of project life cycle.
Auditing reflects an independent, systematic and documented process for obtaining audit evidence and analyzing it objectively to select the extent to which all the criteria related to audit are fulfilled in an effective way. As per the article by El-Sayegh (2014) project auditing is an independent systematic investigation to assessing whether project is performing at the expected project standard or not. Several terms such as quick scan, project health check and most common project review is used for analyzing the viability of any project. Now, capital projects in Abu Dhabi are generally very big that involves massive investment from different investors. As a result, prices or cost of different resources of raw materials varies with time that eventually creates challenges on sustainable development perspectives (Alinaitwe, Apolot and Tindiwensi 2013). Now, the audit can be performed at the appropriate time for identifying the prime threat factors. As a result, it will allow project management team to make necessary adjustments for accomplishing all the aims and objectives of massive capital projects. Project auditing also helps to include external perspectives of the project. Therefore, it highlighted the scope area of any capital project for achieving continues success in the market. As described by Hashim Motaleb and Kishk (2014) project audit is an integral part of management system, as it helps to enhance the efficiency level of the decision-making process. Majority of the time audit influences project to make different changes for enhancing the efficiency of the process. Thus, it allows capital projects to counter different future challenges in an effective way. For that reason, Balasubramanian (2014) have highlighted the significance of utilizing project auditing technique as a tool for achieving sustainability in the market.
As highlighted by Harris and McCaffer (2013) project management theory describes three prime constraint of any project such as time, scope and cost. Now, capital projects also include safety perspective of the employees working for the project. Traditionally, every project has its unique risk factors that can affect the overall objectives in a major way. For that reason, appropriate use of project auditing is essential to identify all the risk factors associated with the capital projects. As per the article by Hamani and Al-Haji (2014), project auditing has different phase including initiation, planning, execution, controlling and closing that allows effective performance of all the objectives. In the initiation phase of project auditing, the focus provided on identifying the main objectives associated with the capital project. Therefore, it allows auditing team to breakdown of the entire work in different groups so that it can able to review all the activities in an effective manner. It allows project auditing to establish all the project deliverables and also help to schedule the way entire activities in an appropriate manner (Azmy 2012). As a result, project auditing helps to provide a clear guideline through which all the activities can be performed at the expected level. Moreover, it also allows identifying required amount of investment for successfully completing any capital project. Therefore, it helps managers of capital project to assess the way budget fluctuates with time. For that reason, Hallowell et al. (2013) have mentioned the fact that project auditing needs to conduct review meetings for understanding the areas of challenges in an effective manner. As a result, it will help capital projects to deal with both internal and external challenges in an effective way.
The above illustration has highlighted the concept of project auditing and sustainable project life cycle management in an in-depth manner. It has highlighted the factors that can have impact on the sustainability perspectives of any project. On the other hand, it has also provided the information regarding the way project auditing is conducted for accomplishing all the aims and objectives in an effective manner. However, capital project in Abu Dhabi has to deal with different internal and external factors on regular basis. Moreover, number of capital projects in Abu Dhabi has increased at a significant rate in recent time. Therefore, it is creating new challenges for successful completion of all the capital projects. Thus, not many studies have been conducted on assessing the significance of project auditing in sustainability project life cycle perspective. For that reason, there is no clear idea regarding the exact amount of impact project auditing can have on the sustainability of capital project. Therefore, the study will look to cover all the areas associated with the project auditing and sustainable project life cycle for assessing the correlation in an effective manner.
Research philosophy:
Research philosophy represents a systematic approach that helps entire research study to maintain a proper competency and inward skill. Research philosophy has several types such as realism philosophy, positivism philosophy and interpretivism philosophy (Wiek and Lang 2016). In order to identify the importance of project auditing, the study will focus on utilizing positivism research philosophy. According to the positivism philosophy concept, the entire collected information and research work is heavily dependent on repeated observations. Thus, selection of positivism research philosophy helps to judge acute observation for identifying the reliability of the data. It also helps to include different types of logic related to the research topic. Positivism philosophy will also help the study to include practical facts and information regarding the way capital projects in Abu Dhabi has transformed in recent years. Therefore, it will allow the study to provide an idea regarding the way use of project auditing procedure has changed over the past few decades. As a result, it helps to enhance the quality of the overall research study. On the contrary, the study will not select other research philosophies for assessing the impact of project auditing on sustainability, as it will increase the required time for accomplishing all the research objectives.
Research approach focuses on identifying the best possible way to capture information about the research topic. Now, research studies generally focus on hypothetical explanation or theoretical data for fulfilling all the requirements of the research topic. According to Vaioleti (2016) research approach is composed with three prime parts such deductive approach, inductive approach and abductive approach. For analyzing the impact of project auditing as a tool in capital project, the study will focus on deductive research approach. Here, the study will focus on deductive approach as it intends to capture information through numerous case studies related to the research topic. Thus, selection of deductive approach will help the study to include all the relevant theories and models related to the topic, which eventually help to add value to the research outcome. It will also help the study to construct effective research hypothesis for enhancing the quality of the collected data.
Research design focuses on providing overall plan for accomplishing all the requirements of the research objectives. Generally, research design is constituted with two prime parts including exploratory design and explanatory design (Mackey and Gass 2015). Now, in order to highlight the significance of project auditing in capital project market in Abu Dhabi, the study will use explanatory research design. It will allow the study to test the entire developed hypothesis in an effective way. Therefore, it will help the study to clarify the correlation between project auditing and sustainability project life cycle in an effective way. Therefore, selection of explanatory research design is likely to enhance the decision-making procedure of project management team, which will help to increase the efficiency level of the project activities.
Data collection method represents the way research studies capture relevant data about the research topic. Now, data collection method is endowed with two prime types such as secondary data collection method and primary data collection method. In order to capture data about the project auditing in capital projects in Abu Dhabi, the study will use primary data collection technique. Now, Flick (2015) has mentioned the fact that primary data collection method can be divided into two parts including quantitative and qualitative data collection method. Here, the study will use on quantitative data collection technique, as it will help to identify the trend about the research topic. In addition, quantitative data will allow the study to identify the way significance of project auditing process has changed over the past few decades. The study will develop questionnaire with close-end questions for capturing quantitative data about the research topic. Here, the study will use structured interview method for covering all areas related with the project auditing in Abu Dhabi capital projects.
In order to collect appropriate quantitative data, the study will focus on utilizing sampling technique. The population of the research topic covers extremely vast area that cannot be covered within limited timeframe. For that reason, the study will focus on utilizing stratified system sampling for capturing required data about the research topic. It will help the study to divide the entire population into different homogeneous subgroups (Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault 2015). In order to identify the significance of project auditing in Abu Dhabi capital project, the study will create subgroups of Project Auditors, Managers and Planners. From these subgroups, the study will select total 75 respondents who are capable of providing proper information. The study will also include different data analysis procedure for evaluating all the captured data in an effective way. Here, the study will focus utilizing statistical tools like mean, median, mode and standard deviation of evaluating all the information in an effective manner.
The above illustration has highlighted the fact that capital projects requires long period of time. Therefore, time review is essential for covering any loopholes in an effective way. The above research process is likely to cover all the areas associated with the project audit concept. Therefore, it will highlight the significance of utilizing project audit technique for fulfilling all the requirements of any capital projects. It is also likely to highlight all the risk areas associated with the capital projects, which will help to formulate effective counter strategies. The research study will also highlight the way project audit process will enhance its significance even further near future. In fact, it is likely to recommend effective utilization of auditing procedure for providing all the stakeholders required amount of benefits.
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Actions |
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Assortment of research topic |
01/06/2017 |
05/06/2017 |
6 |
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Identification of research area |
06/06/2017 |
10/06/2017 |
5 |
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Problem statement |
11/06/2017 |
16/06/2017 |
6 |
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Research objectives and questions |
17/06/2017 |
20/06/2017 |
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Relevant literature |
21/06/2017 |
30/06/2017 |
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Methodology |
01/07/2017 |
20/07/2017 |
21 |
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Final submission |
21/07/2017 |
28/07/2017 |
8 |
Figure 2: Gantt chart
(Source: As created by the author)
References:
Alasamri, H., Chrisp, M.T. and Bowles, G., 2012, September. A framework for enhancing and improving the safety culture on Saudi construction sites. In Procs 28th Annual ARCOM Conference, Association of Researchers in Construction Management (pp. 3-5).
Alinaitwe, H., Apolot, R. and Tindiwensi, D., 2013. Investigation into the causes of delays and cost overruns in Uganda’s public sector construction projects. Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 18(2), p.33.
Azmy, N., 2012. The role of team effectiveness in construction project teams and project performance.
Balasubramanian, S., 2014. A structural analysis of green supply chain management enablers in the UAE construction sector. International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, 19(2), pp.131-150.
Campbell, H., Rosin, C., Hunt, L. and Fairweather, J., 2012. The social practice of sustainable agriculture under audit discipline: Initial insights from the ARGOS project in New Zealand. Journal of Rural Studies, 28(1), pp.129-141.
El-Sayegh, S.M., 2014. Project risk management practices in the UAE construction industry. International Journal of Project Organisation and Management, 6(1-2), pp.121-137.
Flick, U., 2015. Introducing research methodology: A beginner’s guide to doing a research project. Sage.
Hallowell, M.R., Hinze, J.W., Baud, K.C. and Wehle, A., 2013. Proactive construction safety control: Measuring, monitoring, and responding to safety leading indicators. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 139(10), p.04013010.
HAMANI, K. and AL-HAJJ, A.S.S.E.M., 2014. SUSTAINABILITY EVALUATION CRITERIA OF CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS IN THE UAE. Smart, Sustainable and Healthy Cities, p.659.
Handzic, M. and Durmic, N., 2015. Knowledge management, intellectual capital and project management: connecting the dots. Electronic Journal of Knowledge Management, 13(1), pp.51-61.
Harris, F. and McCaffer, R., 2013. Modern construction management. John Wiley & Sons.
Hashim Motaleb, O. and Kishk, M., 2014. Assessing risk response maturity: A framework for construction projects success in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 7(2), pp.247-262.
Mackey, A. and Gass, S.M., 2015. Second language research: Methodology and design. Routledge.
Nicholas, J.M. and Steyn, H., 2017. Project management for engineering, business and technology. Taylor & Francis.
Potts, K. and Ankrah, N., 2014. Construction cost management: learning from case studies. Routledge.
Taylor, S.J., Bogdan, R. and DeVault, M., 2015. Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley & Sons.
Vaioleti, T.M., 2016. Talanoa research methodology: A developing position on Pacific research. Waikato Journal of Education, 12(1).
Wiek, A. and Lang, D.J., 2016. Transformational sustainability research methodology. In Sustainability Science (pp. 31-41). Springer Netherlands.
Winch, G.M., 2014. Three domains of project organising. International Journal of Project Management, 32(5), pp.721-731.
Yildiz, A.E., Dikmen, I., Birgonul, M.T., Ercoskun, K. and Alten, S., 2014. A knowledge-based risk mapping tool for cost estimation of international construction projects. Automation in Construction, 43, pp.144-155.
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