Effective Communication and Delegation in Civil Engineering Projects

Posted on Jun 22, 2024 in Economy

Effective Delegation in Engineering Organizations

What is Delegation?

Delegation is the act of passing responsibility to the appropriate person and giving them control over their work. It reduces interference and empowers individuals to take ownership.

Why Delegate?

  • Efficient use of resources and skills
  • Vital for staff development, motivation, and confidence
  • Reduces staff frustration
  • Increases your time for essential tasks
  • Reduces your stress

How to Delegate Effectively

Requirements for Effective Delegation:

  • Effective organizational structure
  • Continuous feedback and communication
  • A “no-blame” culture

Questions for Managers to Consider:

  • Is the goal suitable for delegation?
  • Is the delegate competent to complete the goal?
  • Is the delegate clear about what’s expected of them?
  • Are the responsibilities unambiguous?
  • Are you making a positive contribution to the results?
  • Are the results achievable?

Supervision:

  • Continuously analyze, re-delegate, and appraise
  • Don’t interfere, but listen and give encouragement
  • Coordinate, set targets or goals, not tasks
  • Utilize Quality Assurance (QA)

Barriers to Delegation and Solutions

BarrierSolution
Doing it yourselfAvoid menial tasks
Overburdening staffIncrease resources
Being inexperiencedDevelop skills
Losing controlRegular feedback
Dealing with fear, suspicion, insecurities, trustBuild relationships, communicate well, respect opinions, listen

“Delegation does not relinquish a manager’s responsibility”

Effective Communication in Civil Engineering

The Importance of Effective Communication

Effective communication is crucial during the design and construction of civil engineering works. It involves the transfer of meaning through planned input into a prepared environment.

What Needs to Be Communicated?

  1. Your understanding
  2. Problem definition
  3. Contract requirements, responsibilities, and obligations
  4. Design interfaces
  5. Design problems, issues, ideas, alternatives, solutions
  6. Programme constraints
  7. Cost/financial targets
  8. Commercial priorities
  9. Health & Safety, and Environmental Issues
  10. Design requirements (on-site)
  11. Quality requirements (Certification)
  12. Client requirements
  13. Tasks and goals (delegation)
  14. Leadership vision
  15. Consequences to third parties
  16. Project performance

Who Needs to Know?

  1. Design Team (including Delegates)
  2. Joint Venture Parties (Construction managers, programmers)
  3. Client
  4. Third Parties (Utilities, Local Authorities, emergency services, etc.)
  5. Media (Local press, radio, etc.)
  6. Public (Property owners, road users)
  7. Support Staff (IT, HR, RMT, etc.)
  8. Senior Management
  9. Sub-Consultants

Methods of Communication in Civil Engineering

  1. Verbal
  2. Detailed design drawings and specifications
  3. Written (Letters, memos, faxes, emails, etc.)
  4. Telephone, video conference
  5. IT (Internet, email, fax)
  6. Meetings or Presentations (formal with minutes/informal)
  7. Programme (Gantt Charts, etc.)
  8. Health & Safety Plan
  9. Quality Assurance/Certification

The 5 main types of communication are written, spoken, gestures, images, and a combination of these.

Effective Communication: Soft Skills

  1. Be clear about what you want to communicate
  2. Choose the appropriate method (chat or formal report)
  3. Choose the appropriate audience
  4. Recognize cultural and corporate differences (in Joint Ventures)
  5. Get the message across (ensure understanding)
  6. Deliver the message succinctly and take notes
  7. Use body language and interpersonal skills (eye contact, rapport, etc.)
  8. Develop relationships and recognize barriers

Other Ways to Achieve Effective Communication:

  1. Public relations
  2. Meetings
  3. Advertising
  4. Partnering (Egan principles)
  5. Form of contract (e.g., NEC) for clarity
  6. Role of the ICE
  7. Joint ventures
  8. Whole-life approach

Barriers to Communication

  1. Resistance to change
  2. Emotional bias (how we hear what is being said)
  3. Insufficient knowledge/lack of understanding
  4. People see what they want to see
  5. The way you talk/sound of voice
  6. Listening, Reading, and Memory
  7. Writing (use plain language)

Consequences of Poor Communication

The importance of effective communication is highlighted by the potential consequences of poor communication:

  1. Time delays (design reworks, missed deadlines)
  2. Financial losses (cost of labor, plant, materials)
  3. Legal issues (cost of litigation)
  4. Quality issues (poor methods and materials, not meeting specified requirements or client needs)
  5. Accidents

Civil engineering is labor-intensive, making effective communication even more critical.

Joint Venture Contracts

Joint Venture Features:

  1. A Joint Venture (JV) is an agreement between two or more parties to form a single organization to achieve common goals effectively, indicating a partnership.
  2. There is no standard form of contract for JVs.
  3. Sir Michael Latham outlined the benefits of partnering to the client and contractor, including improved quality, faster completion times, and reduced costs through reduced confrontation.
  4. JVs can be integrated (equal share of risk and profit) or non-integrated (jointly responsible but with different roles through separate contracts).

Advantages of Joint Ventures:

  1. Improved quality, time of completion, reduced costs (focus on Whole Life Cost/best value)
  2. Improved communication
  3. Reduced confrontation
  4. Increased competitiveness (potential for more profit)
  5. Simpler for the client (one contract)
  6. Risk sharing (financial, overrun, quality) – Risks may be too great for a single company
  7. Finance: Larger capital base, potential to borrow more at lower rates, reduced overheads
  8. Resources: JVs can draw on specific expertise, giving a technical advantage when tendering
  9. Collateral Advantages:
    1. Winning higher-profile projects (increased public and client awareness leading to future work)
    2. Ability to work in new locations and areas
    3. Improvements in staff management skills
    4. Staff exposure to wider issues
    5. JVs can optimize design to benefit the program, health & safety, buildability, and material availability

Disadvantages of Joint Ventures:

  1. Cultural differences (language, ethics, behavior)
  2. Pressure on engineers to consider wider issues
  3. Old prejudices
  4. Close relationships not extended to the client
  5. Procedural differences (JV organization, systems, procedures may differ from the parent company) – Important to develop a robust Project Quality Plan to define joint responsibilities and accountability
  6. Set up costs: Can be high for first-time JVs
  7. Mistrust: Fear of the unknown, sharing ideas, techniques, and technical knowledge. Team building is fundamental to achieving operative synergy
  8. Personal aspects: Pay scales, basic hours, overtime, etc.
  9. Weakened leadership

Management Challenges in Joint Ventures:

  • Commitment and sound procedures are required

Integrated Management Systems

Merits of an Integrated Quality, Health & Safety, and Environmental Management System

Features:

  1. An Integrated Management System (IMS) combines and effectively controls each managed process in providing a product or service.
  2. It combines the principles and good practices of health & safety, quality, and environmental issues, leading to customer satisfaction.
  3. Generic parts of an IMS include Policy, Organization, Plan, Measuring, and Feedback.
  4. Relevant legislation includes the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992, and Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.
  5. Quality is defined as the ability of a product to carry out its task.
  6. Environmental and Sustainability considerations are also integrated.

Merits:

  1. Less time-consuming to create than three separate documents
  2. Audit process is easier to follow
  3. Ease of reference
  4. Single points of contact, improving communication
  5. Projects aim to reduce costs, improve quality, and reduce time. An IMS can help achieve these goals.

Integration of Systems:

  1. The Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) to the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations states, “The arrangements should be integrated with the management systems for all other purposes.”
  2. The ICE endorses integrated systems, provided they are properly developed and expertly audited.

Electronic Information in Civil Engineering

Increasing Use of Electronic Communication:

  1. Surveys and drawings
  2. Letters and documents
  3. Calculations
  4. Bills of Quantities
  5. Manufacturer and supplier data
  6. Quality Management systems (IDMS)

Positive Implications:

  1. Easier replication of documents and drawings
  2. Faster document production and distribution
  3. Repeatable calculations
  4. Reduced paper usage
  5. Up-to-date information available online
  6. Ability to share systems

Negative Implications:

  1. Lack of physical signatures
  2. Potential for unauthorized editing
  3. Loss of skills in users, lack of checking
  4. Risk of data loss
  5. Vulnerability to hacking
  6. Requirement for user skills

See Research & Development for a list of other IT uses in civil engineering.

Core Management Areas:

Effective communication, delegation, and the use of technology are core management areas in civil engineering projects. By understanding the principles and challenges outlined in this document, professionals can improve project outcomes and achieve success.