Time Control in Mega Construction Programme Management Based on Meta-synthesis：Case Study of Expo 2010 Shanghai China*

 

LI Yongkui¹  HE Qinghua²  LE Yun³  LIU Zhe⁴

 

 

1. Introduction

 

“Better City, Better Life” is the theme of Expo 2010 Shanghai China(Expo 2010). As the fundamental element of city civilization, urban infrastructure construction is regarded as an important carrier to show the theme of Expo 2010. Therefore, the success of construction programme of Expo 2010 is related to the development and expression of its theme, which plays an important role to the success of Expo 2010.

The construction programme of Expo 2010 is widely distributed in the Expo Site with an area of 5.28 square kilometers to mainly consist of two parts, municipal & auxiliary projects and pavilions & supporting service facilities. The municipal & auxiliary projects mainly include gardens, green areas, roads, water industry projects, water, power & gas supply systems, communication system, rain water & sewage system, large projects such as river-crossing tunnels and subway transit, etc. On the other

hand, the pavilions & supporting service facilities are categorized into three types, which are permanent buildings (mainly including Theme Pavilion, Expo Center, Public Performance Center, China Pavilion and Expo axes), temporary pavilions (mainly including Foreign Countries’ National Pavilions, Rented Pavilions, Joint Pavilions, Urban Best Practices Area, Enterprises Pavilions and Pavilions of International Organizations), and matched service facilities (mainly including Expo Village, Logistics Warehouse, Catering and Restaurants, Elevated pedestrian passages etc).

The planned area of Expo Site totals about 2 million square meters and total investment excluding urban infrastructure construction  and Foreign Countries’ National Pavilions is about 23.36 billion RMB Yuan. All construction programmes are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2009 and put into trial run at the beginning of 2010. Therefore, the project construction of Expo 2010 is a very complex mega construction programme with high concentration degree, mutual dependence, tight construction period and many levels of factors involved.

For the programme management, objective is the basis of different operations and programme protocol. Therefore, objective-oriented is regarded as the most important characteristic of methods of programme management(Gert Wijnen & Rudy Kor,2000). The deadline of time control on Expo 2010 is May.1st, 2010. However, to achieve the objective involves extremely complex and open mega-programme systems including many sub-programmes such as exhibition and participation, construction and operation preparation, promotion & event, integrated supporting etc. These sub-programmes are interdependent as well as independent. How to meet the challenge? Dr. Goldratt states "The more complex the problem, the simpler the solution must be, or it will not work." Therefore, it is essential to study the idea, mode, method and technology of mega-programme time control and helpful to solve this problem in view of systematic and integrated analysis.

F.L.Harrison (1992) states structured approach is main theory to realize the general integration. Therefore, he advocates structured project and organization to realize integrated control on large-scale programmes. In 1980’s, meta-synthesis theory of complexity sciences was put forward by Qian Xuesen, China, to deal with complex open mega-systems. This theory emphasizes meta-synthesis of experts, knowledge, computers, practice etc (Qian Xuesen, 2001). For planning management under complex system, multistage network planning method (MSM) is one structured approach to analyze and calculate network planning at multistage (GAO Xin, 2002). The decomposition and integration of planning system is the core of this method to form network planning system at multistage, which separates the complex planning system into simple connected planning sub-systems. All these theories and methods come down to meta-synthesis theory, which contributes to solving plenty of encountered problems in time control of mega construction programme.

Based on meta-synthesis theory, this paper analyzes the relations between the project construction of Expo 2010 and other time sub-systems by using structured approach firstly. Secondly, it studies how to break down the plan and control elements by means of structured approach, which is the basis for integration management finally. In addition, this paper introduces how to adopt Enterprise Project Management (EPM) system to assist with time control in complex mega-programmes.

 

 

2. EXPO 2010 master plan System

 

2.1 Decomposition Principles of The Master Plan System

 

According to OGC(2003) Managing Successful Programmes, the planning and controlling of  mega programme not only refer to the planning and controlling activities aiming at the detailed mega pogramme planning, but also integrate all considerations on planning and controlling elements. As for EXPO 2010, the day of May.1st, 2010 is the severe deadline, thus any mistake must be avoided. All efforts must be made on the prerequisite of achieving that goal. Hence, the maga-strategic system is divided into several sub-programmes. The decomposition principles read as follows:

(1) Appropriate scale. Every sub-programme shall have an equivalent scale to plan and to control. The relatively smaller sub-programme should be merged with other sub-programmes, or they will probably be neglected.

(2) Unambiguous scope. In order to achieve programme goals , there will be an increase in the number of tasks automatically. The changes of  sub-programme will incur task overlapping. So a clear definition of the sub-programme scope will provide an efficient way to reduce changes in multi-projects. Although in most cases it is hard to define this, to have a clear scope is still the prerequisite to sub-programme system controlling.

(3) Defined objectives. The sub-programme is a multi-project, so the goal must be clear. If a sub-programme fails to have a clear goal, it can be repositioned into other closely related sub-programmes. Those goals will become clear , when the sub-programme tasks are assigned, and executors will take responsibilities for them.

(4) Specific decision-maker and executor. Different sub-programme systems need different solutions. Only by specifying the decision-maker and executor can we enhance the performance of the sub-programme management, and guarantee the achievement of  goals.

(5) Clear resources. The realization of  programme goals relies on  resources, including human, material, and financial resources. Unclear resources will lead to cost overflow, or the delay of realization of  programme goals.

 So it is necessary to analyze the master plan system, including projects, tasks, and activities, and then group and structure them. The methodology refers to Figure 1 (Gert Winjnen & Rudy Kor,2000)

 

Figure 1: Sub-Programme System Division Methodology

 

 

2.2 EXPO 2010  Master  Plan System

 

According to the principles above, EXPO 2010 master plan system can be divided into three plan sub-programmes and an integrated support system.

(1)Exhibition and Participation (Stream 1): including theme development & exhibition arrangement, sponsor  exhibition organization & arrangement, international & domestic participants exhibition arrangement etc.

(2) Construction and Operation Preparation (Stream 2): including EXPO planning, residents rehousing, infrastructure and pavilions construction in EXPO park, EXPO service device and facility construction, municipal facility construction, market development, operation preparation, etc.

(3)Promotion and Event (Stream 3):including activities planning, organization, promotion, etc.

Besides, it also includes an integrated support system (Stream A), such as organization management, integrated planning and  coordination, technical support, capital guarantee, traffic security, HR management, legal support, supervision and so on. Those are designed to fully support the three plan sub-programmes above.

 

 

2.3 EXPO 2010 Master Plan System Integration

 

The system decomposition and integration is the core of the meta-synthesis theory. Decomposition is the process to understand the system, while integration is the process to return to the original system state. After the system is decomposed, we shall analyze the relationship between each system to lay the foundation for integration. According to F.L.Harrison’s(1992) structured and integrated approach, integration can be divided into 5 levels from low to high level.

(1) The integration of schedule, resource, and cost.

(2) The integration of planning and controlling.

(3) The integration of organization.

(4) The integration of all project systems.

(5) Integrating the factors above with the HR system , thus forming the “perfect integration”.

Combined with the theories above, EXPO 2010 master plan system is integrated in two ways: the integration of different sub-programmes and the integration of planning system and organizing system.

 

 

2.3.1 The Integration of  Different Plan Sub-Programmes

 

Every plan sub-programme system should set up its milestone goals at first. By achieving these milestone goals can different sub-programmes be coordinated. In this process, the visual technique is helpful and useful. As shown in figure 2, the 3 lines gather into 1 system at the end.. In situation 1, the 3 closely related events are in coordination, while in situation 2,3,4, they are out of coordination and adjustments are needed to keep them in pace. Figure 3 indicates the result of the complete sub-programme system milestone coordination of EXPO 2010.

 

Figure 2：Coordinated  and Synchronous Integration of 3 Streams

 

 

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Figure 3：2010 Shanghai EXPO Master Plan Integration System

 

 

2.3.2 The Integration of  Plan System and Organization System

 

In order to efficiently control the time of programmes, every unit in the organization shall have its own planning and controlling system. However, in some mega programmes, participants will carry out their plans individually, and fail to recognize the connections to other projects. So we shall integrate different  sub-programme systems at first, and then integrate plan system and organization system based on this.

The integration of planning and organization can adopt the WBS-OBS Matrix, or classic 2-dimension project structured way (F.L.Harrison，1992). Although this is not the latest method, it is still efficient, especially in dealing with mega construction programme systems.

Therefore, EXPO 2010 preparation will be composed of 3 major plan systems, which involve hundreds of organizations, from Chinese national government to local governments, departments, from strategic decision team of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination to 35 executive branches, from a large number of professional consulting organizations to material suppliers, and so on. We shall further divide the 3 major plan systems to distribute them to different organizations, and to determine the role of each organization. Table 1 partly displays the examples of plan and organization system integration.

 

Table 1: EXPO 2010 Master  Plan and Organization System Integration

 

 

The principles, methods and tools, used in this section for analysis of the  EXPO master plan management decomposition and integration, is the same as what are used in the following research on the time controlling of the EXPO construction programme, that is, using the same methodology.

 

 

3. Time Control in CONSTRUCTION PLAN management of Expo 2010

 

Construction plan system is a sub-programme, which belongs to the whole Expo 2010 master plan system. The construction Dept. of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination takes responsibility for this sub-programme, and the coordination departments include Comprehensive Planning Dept, the Programming Dept, Legal Services Division, Audit Dept. and some other departments. With the project moving on, the Construction Dept. expands to Construction Programme Headquarters(CPH), which commands, coordinates and supervises the construction projects, on behalf of the government. CPH is formed by some related functional departments of government and several district governments, and it sets headquarters office(Construction Programme Management Office, CPMO) as the implementing agency, whose organization structure is based on the matrix organization structure model, including eight functional departments in longitudinal and several project management departments in horizontal.

 

 

3.1 Time Control Methodology in Construction Plan  Management

 

The management of complex systems must adopt systematic, structured and integrated approach. The methodology Expo 2010 time control adopted demonstrates in the Figure 4.

 

Figure 4：The Methodology of Time Control In Expo 2010

 

 

The time planning of Expo 2010 construction projects can be divided into three levels in the vertical and three subsystems in the horizontal, considering the decomposition of projects and organizations as the core elements.

 

 

3.2 Tiered System of Construction PLanning

 

The Expo 2010 construction programme time plan system is divided into three levels, according to popular system modes for mega construction projects. The relationships between these divided  plans show in Figure 5.

 

Figure 5: Time Planning System of Expo 2010 Shanghai Construction Programme

 

 

(1) Strategic Plan. The plan includes 9 major time milestones, which have impacts on the opening ceremony to be held on May 1st, the 2010. Also, the plan includes the aggregate scheduling strategic plan based on these milestones. Generally, there are not more than 10 milestones in every single important project in the strategic plan. The 9 major milestones are:

l          June 2008, start the temporary pavilions overall in Pudong.

l          October 2008, start the Puxi pavilions, and complete 4 permanent pavilions.

l          Etc.

For each important project, there needs to be a description document of project objectives,  including the name of the project, the scale of construction, investor, not more than 10 milestones, the annual investment planning, and interface relationships with other projects. The description documents of the project objectives should be fully demonstrated, and once established, they should be taken as foundations for each single project management.

(2) Directional Plan. This level includes the time control plan of various departments belongs to CPMO, such as bidding and procurement plans, design plans and the overall time plans of every individual project management departments, such as the construction time plan of the China Pavilion.

(3) Operational Plan. This level guides the specific and daily work , including sub-contract plans, monthly schedule and weekly schedule.

The time plan system of Expo construction programme adopted the MSM, one of multi-network planning systems, which means the first layer is milestone plan(belonging to Event-on-note network, EN), the second layer is EN and AN(Activity-on-node network), and the third one is AN. All calculation using Primavera 6.0 project management software system.

 

 

3.3 System of Construction Programme Breakdown

 

According to the analysis of 2.2 section, the breakdown of the construction programme plan also uses the same ideas and methods. This subsystem plan should carry through on the basis of the PWBS(Programme Work Breakdown Structure).The PWBS usually needs to consider the following factors, because PWBS is the foundation of the integration of planning, organization, budget, contracts and risks(Harold Kerzner, 2006, PMI, 2006, NASA, 1994).

(1) Scale.

(2) Organization.

(3) Interface.

(4) Budget.

(5) Objective.

In the EXPO 2010 case, the variety of investors should be also considered as an important element. The Expo 2010 construction programme is divided into four subsystems, namely, four Streams(adopting visual technology similar to the figure 3).

(1) Construction of permanent pavilions (Stream 21), including China Pavilion, Theme pavilion, Expo Center, Public Performance Center, Expo Axes, Expo Village, etc.

(2) Municipal infrastructure and supporting service facilities(Stream 22), including parks, roads, water, electricity, communication and rain & sewage system, etc.

(3) Temporary pavilions (Stream 23), including rented pavilions, foreign countries’ self-built national pavilions, joint pavilions, enterprises pavilions, logistics center and other facilities and supporting services.

(4) City municipal infrastructure (Stream 24), including metro network, and river-crossing tunnels, etc.

Besides, the time plan system also includes owner's materials and equipment procurement and supply plans (Stream AA), which is related to Stream 21 and Stream 23. A part of materials and equipments of Expo 2010 used VIK mode(Value In Kind).VIK requests centralized purchase, thus it is necessary to establish close ties with construction plans so as to ensure that the VIK supply and construction progress are strictly coordinated.

Take steel VIK as an example, on one hand, it should meet the demand of building constructions, on the other hand, it should be centralized ordered and manufactured, which has close connections with building design as well. The  Expo 2010 sets up a special VIK procurement management department, which takes responsibility for coordinating and controlling VIK procurement supply plan uniformly. The analysis model for relationships between VIK procurement-supply plan and other subsystem plans shows in Figure 6.

 

	Stream 21
		Stream 23

Figure 6: Analysis Model for Relationships Between VIK Procurement-Supply Plan and Other Subsystem Plans

 

 

3.4 The Integration Management System of Construction Programme Time Control

 

 

Stream AA

3.4.1 The Organization System of Integration Management in Construction Programme Time Control

 

A forcefully powerful time control organization system has been established, since the time is considered as the most important goal of the EXPO 2010.  CPMO is the key responsible department to control the time, which is subordinated to the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination. The specific settings has been mentioned in the previous part of this paper. The organization system of programme time control is divided into four levels from top to bottom.

(1) Layer 1, Shanghai Municipal Government, and the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination as the overall control and coordination departments.

(2) Layer 2, the construction headquarters of the Expo 2010 as the principal part of organization system, which takes main responsibility of the time control of 9 major milestone goals in Strategic Plan.

(3) Layer 3, the construction headquarters office of the Expo 2010 as the principal part, which mainly controls the key time milestone  in the Directional Plan.

(4) Layer4, the project management departments and the functional departments of CPMO of the Expo 2010 as the principal part, which control the main Directional Plan and Operational Plan.

 

 

3.4.2 The Management Process System of Construction Plan Integration

 

Plan management is in a dynamic and changing environment, which involves a number of organizations, so all responsible organizations and work procedures must be clear, so that every respective organization could establish a clear understanding of working relationship. Expo 2010 worked out and published the "Expo 2010 Shanghai China Construction Programme management Plan" to clear these processes. Figure 7 formats the integrated management processes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 7: Format of The Integrated Management Processes

 

 

3.4.3 The Report System of Construction Programme  Time Control

 

The real-time and dynamic control should take place in the time control in Expo 2010 construction programme, as it occurs in an extremely unstable external environment. And thus the "i