Units
Strategic Construction Management
Unit code: UDB410
Contact hours: 4 per week
Credit points: 12
Information about fees and unit costs
UDB410 is a capstone construction management unit bringing together all the skills you have learnt so far in your UD40 construction management course. Construction Managers require a strategic focus on site management, business and corporate responsibilities to manage time, cost, quality and safety on a construction project. UDB410 Construction Management is the last of a series of construction units UDB110, UDB210, UDB310 and consolidates skills students have learned throughout their degree to advance to a work-ready construction manager.
Availability
| Semester | Available |
|---|---|
| 2013 Semester 2 | Yes |
Offered in these courses
- UD40
Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2013
Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.
Rationale
Construction Managers need to develop critical skills, knowledge and capability to manage various tasks necessary to run a profitable construction business. This unit consolidates the key skills that you have learnt throughout your degree to advance your preparedness as a work-ready construction manager. UDB410 is a capstone unit and is the last in a series of construction units that include UDB110, UDB210 and UDB310.
Aims
This unit will prepare you to efficiently and successfully operate a building company with a focus on delivering multiple building projects on time, within budget and of a high quality, while maintaining a safe work environment on site. It will also aid you in developing a good understanding of the key skills you will need to manage a project, business and company, including effective resource management and the ability to model the performance of the company over prescribed business periods.
Objectives
On successful completion of this unit you should be able to demonstrate the following outcomes:
1. Manage tendering and competitive bidding processes, human resource and workforce motivation.
2. Manage a budget, monitor cash flow and perform cost control and economic assessment.
3. Strategically plan, manage, and develop your construction business.
4. Manage resources - quality management, business information and improve planning and production processes
Content
This unit covers the following:
Introduction to the process of strategically managing a construction business, including bidding, estimating, human resource management, marketing, cost and financial management and purchasing. The practical day-to-day processes of managing a business such as effective resource and manpower management on projects, structuring the budget documents to provide cost monitoring and purchasing; managing sub-contractors during the initial negotiations and through the subsequent execution of the contract; and, dealing with the Clients and other stakeholders are studied on a conceptual and operational level.
Approaches to Teaching and Learning
Teaching Mode: 2 hours per week
Lecture - 2 hours (Weeks 1 to 6, and 13)
Computer Lab - 2 hours (Weeks 7 to 12)
Lecture (2 hrs) will be held in weeks 1 to 6 and 13 and their purpose is to provide an outline of the main theoretical concepts, identify areas of discussion and debate, and to develop critical inquiry and problem solving skills. You are encouraged to share your experiences of construction management within this context. Cases, presentations and discussions are used in lectures to allow students to develop their abilities in applying theory and practice to workplace situations, and to consider the broader implications of management decisions. In weeks 7 to 12, students will attend weekly sessions in the computer laboratory where they will run the Arousal Computer Simulation Program that builds on the knowledge acquired in the lectures.
Assessment
The assessment for this unit follows the assessment policy stated in section C/5.1 Manual of Policies and Procedures (MOPP). The assessment in this unit aims to support your achievement of the learning objectives. Assessment has been designed in order to allow you to: Receive feedback on your learning as you progress toward the development of knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes (formative assessment); and Demonstrate your learning in order to achieve a final grade (summative assessment).
There are two pieces of assessment in this unit. Students will be assessed both individually and in a group in two ways:
- A problem solving task (50%)
- A report (50%)
All assessments will be marked using criterion referenced assessment (CRA) and returned with feedback to enable you to understand how you are progressing and how your work can be improved.The assessment will comprise formative assessment (to help you find out how your work is progressing) and summative assessment (to grade your work against expected outcomes).
Assessment name:
Problem Solving Task
Description:
Undertake a problem solving task.
Relates to objectives:
1, 3, 4
Weight:
50%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Week 7
Assessment name:
Report
Description:
Arousal Computer Simulation on running a Construction Business
A construction business simulation and business briefing report on lessons learnt from operating Arousal program. Completion of the task will require students to present a report that has 2 components:
(1) Report on the Arousal simulation process (Group points:40%); and
(2) A reflective summary (Individual points: 10%).
This is a group submission exercise and students are required to make equal contributions to the report. The project brief will be provided in-class in week 4.
Relates to objectives:
1, 2, 3, 4
Weight:
50%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Group
Due date:
Week 13
Academic Honesty
QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.
A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.
Resource materials
The following are recommended for your use:
UDB410 QUT Blackboard site
Risk assessment statement
You will undertake lectures, tutorials in the traditional classrooms and lecture theatres at QUT Gardens Point Campus. As such, there are no extraordinary workplace health and safety issues or risks associated with any components of the unit.
Additional Costs:
There are no additional costs associated with this unit.
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.
Last modified: 02-Oct-2012
