The stage of a construction project during which a project manager is appointed : a critical analysis in Malta

Abstract

In Malta, until very recently, the role of the Project Manager had never been considered, regulated, or given importance as a profession, despite the requirement by the authorities to have a person who has overall responsibility on the construction site, in most cases considered more as a site manager. This research study attempts to explore the processes involved in the appointment of project managers in construction projects in Malta. Considering that a construction project is initiated by the developer or investor who is referred to as ‘the client’, it is pertinent to find out at which stage of the project life cycle a project manager is usually appointed by the client. This study draws on the literature regarding the role of the project manager, the skills required by a project manager, the project life cycle, and the different types of projects related to which the project manager is appointed. A gap in the literature was discovered with regards to the stage at which a project manager is appointed. Seemingly, construction project management literature seems to assume that a project manager needs to always be appointed at the very beginning of the project (CIOB, 2014; RICS, 2013). An exploratory sequential mixed-method design was adopted as methodology to investigate this area of interest through a pilot study and several interviews with key personnel, and other stakeholders including experienced project managers and developers. A random sample of project managers and developers were also involved in answering an online questionnaire. Contrary to what the literature states, the findings of the qualitative part of the study indicated that locally, as a general rule, the project manager is appointed at the pre-construction stage. The questionnaire yielded further interesting results, clearly showing that the key stakeholders are in favour of having the project manager appointed at the initiation of a project. The study recommends further research into the ideal stage of the project manager’s appointment. Furthermore, it is advised that additional research be undertaken to determine whether the stage of the project manager's appointment impacts project success or failure.