JEDDAH: Jeddah Municipality will organize a seminar on project monitoring and management at the municipal headquarters on Monday.
The seminar aims to discuss ways to solve problems that cause delays or failure of many projects in the Kingdom.
Turki Al-Turki, an expert in business and project development, will speak on the concepts of project monitoring and solutions to problems. Another speaker Abdullah Sirajuddin will talk about the challenges faced by managers of governmental projects.
"Fifty-five percent of the developmental projects in the Kingdom do not receive any period follow-up and consequently cause additional burden to the national economy," Al-Turki told Arab News, underscoring the significance of systemic monitoring of projects under implementation.
"In the absence of proper planning a project is bound to fail. There should be a time schedule for the completion of each phase of a project. Evaluation of the cost and time required for each phase should also be made. There should be a mechanism of periodic and overall monitoring of all aspects of the project," Al-Turki said. He also warned against confusing 'monitoring a project' with the 'control of a project.'
The monitoring concept involves closely watching the progress and completion of various stages of the project on the basis of a schedule. It also means registering the obstacles, difficulties and mistakes in implementing a project and sending a report on them. On the other hand, the concept of control means taking necessary decisions to control the project in order to ensure the progress of the project in line with a plan.
"It is also important to implement the specification standards of a project and speedy detection of violation of standards, rectifying any delay in the timing scheme, watching for rise in expenses and correcting it, readjustment of budget, and quick handling of unforeseen issues," he said. He added that 78 percent of the projects in the country did not use IT for the exchange of information and the follow-up of projects.
He welcomed the entry of foreign companies into the local market with their willingness to transfer advanced technology to local contractors. He believes that the huge projects, for which qualified Saudi contractors are not available, should be handed to qualified foreign contractors with a condition to employ Saudi subcontractors.
The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Ezdihar Center for Training are collaborating with the municipality in conducting the seminar in which with 250 officials in project management of private and public sectors are expected to participate.
© Arab News 2011
