Construction Bid Tips

Construction projects are being done constantly. On nearly every trip you will see some kind of construction job being worked on. We are continually being surrounded by them and they can even be a little annoying as they sometimes cause us to find alternate routes to and from work or home. Nevertheless, the projects usually are worth the hassle as beautifully designed buildings and other projects are built.
Construction projects
Construction projects can most often be fit into three main categories: new structures, remodels and add-ons. New structures are built for a number of reasons by a number of people. Businesses build office buildings, industrial plants, warehouses and factories when existing structures are not sufficient for their needs. Individuals and families oftentimes build new homes as a means to provide for their relatives; expanding for the growing needs of their family or tastes; because they either they didn't locate a home that they enjoyed, or it was too expensive or that was in the area they needed or desired to move into; or they do so hoping that the home will go up in value and therefore be a good investment.
Sometimes existing structures can be made to fill the needs of businesses, families and individuals with a few changes. These changes come in the form of remodeling or adding on. Remodeling will give your home or business that new look that it needs. These minor changes however usually change the atmosphere of whatever is being built dramatically.
Something very similar is taking what you already have and adding on to it. By doing so little remodeling is usually done with the structure that already exists. Most often, one wall may be taken down in order to connect it with the new add on. This can be the best way to give your home more space.
Contracting opportunities
With so many construction projects going on, there becomes a rise for contracting opportunities. Building opportunities are a must find for contractors. There is a large need for contractors today as many of the older homes are being remodeled and people are beginning to add on to their homes to allow for more space and room to grow.
Construction bids
The best way to find the construction job that your company wants is by finding the largest amount of opportunities to place construction bids. By doing so, you will be able to make the best use out of your time and find the best jobs that will give you the most revenue possible for each project you undertake. Construction leads therefore are one the most important and best ways to find the best projects to bid on.
Conclusion
As I said before, the most valuable resources that a contractor can have are construction leads. You will be able to maximize your time and maximize your profit by locating valuable construction leads. It's the best way to help you generate more sales when bidding on construction projects.

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Construction Bidding Overview

There are numerous construction projects going on all around us everyday, everywhere we go. They are found on the route to work, at our children's elementary schools, on the outskirts of town, or in our neighbors' backyard. All of these structures are going up for some reason or another, they each have their own unique need to fill in society, their own groups or individuals to satisfy.
Construction projects
Construction projects can normally be fit into three principal categories: new structures, remodels and add-ons. New projects are being built with different objectives. Businesses build office buildings, industrial plants, warehouses and factories when existing structures are not sufficient for their needs. Individuals and families oftentimes build new homes with the intent of improving their quality of life; expanding for the growing needs of their family or tastes; because they either they didn't locate a home that they enjoyed, or it was too expensive or that was in the area they needed or desired to move into; or as a means to make more money by investing it in a new structure.
Many times there is no need to completely rebuild your business or home. Some minor changes may be just what the doctor ordered. These changes come in the form of remodeling or adding on. Remodeling consists of taking what is already built and making normally minor changes. These minor changes however usually change the atmosphere of whatever is being built dramatically.
For example, I can still remember how small my grandparent's house was until they had their house remodeled. After it was remodeled, there was much more open space and it was a place that became more pleasant to visit. I still am in unbelief as to how they managed to raise 7 kids in the house before it was remodeled. I am sure that there are many of you that have a family member who has remodeled their home or maybe you have even done so. The point is, remodeling is always being done, especially in many of the older houses that didn't allow for families to grow. This construction project can be fun and even exciting as you are able to see the improvements being made as your home is being remodeled.
Something very similar is taking what you already have and adding on to it. By doing so little remodeling is usually done with the structure that already exists. Most often, one wall may be taken down in order to connect it with the new add on. This technique is normally used when the existing structure no longer is comfortable for those using it.
Contracting opportunities
With so many construction projects going on, there becomes a rise for contracting opportunities. Building opportunities are a must find for contractors. There is a large need for contractors today as many of the older homes are being remodeled and people are beginning to add on to their homes to allow for more space and room to grow.
Construction bids
The best way to find the construction job that your company wants is by finding the largest amount of opportunities to place construction bids. By doing so, you will be able to make the best use out of your time and find the best jobs that will give you the most revenue possible for each project you undertake. Construction leads therefore are one the most important and best ways to find the best projects to bid on.

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The Bidding Process

Under 45 CFR Part 92.36, the sealed bid method is the preferred method for procuring construction, when feasible. A properly executed bid and contract award process involves the following steps:
Preparing an invitation for bids, describing the building design and specifications clearly, accurately, and completely by avoiding unclearly restrictive specifications or requirements.
Publicizing the invitation for bids in a newspaper of general circulation or other means as appropriate to ensure distribution to prospective bidders in sufficient time to enable them to prepare and submit bids.
Holding a pre-bid conference (if applicable), which is called by the architect to include representatives of the grantee in which any prospective contractor may attend (in some instances, attendance is mandatory in order for the contractor to submit a bid), review the details of the project, question and clarify any construction issues, and obtain a general understanding of the job.
Conducting a public bid opening, including adequate documentation of the proceedings (i.e., certified bid tabulation by the architect, minutes of the opening).
Preparing to award the contract to the responsible bidder whose bid contains the lowest price offer and conforms to the requirements of the invitation for bids and all prescribed documents, bonds, and assurances. After the bids are publicly opened (which does not constitute an award or an intended contract), the architect or the grantee determines if the low bidder is on the U.S. General Services Administration List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement or Non-Procurement programs (Debarred List). The references, bank statements, or other forms of information should also be checked to determine the stability and business worthiness of the contractor.
The Construction Contract is signed after a review of the bids, a recommendation from the architect and/or the grantee, and approval by the governing body or the authorized council or representatives or entity to award the construction contract.
A Notice to Proceed can then be written and issued to the contractor indicating the date construction may commence, the number of days of the construction contract period, and the date construction will be substantially complete.
Mistakes to Avoid in the Bidding Process:
During the bidding process, announce the time and date of the bid opening and the cut-off point for accepting bids. This cut-off point must be enforced. If an agency opens a late bid, there could be a lawsuit, legal action against the agency, and delays in the project. If a contractor that misses the cut-off time for accepting bids delivers a bid, the agency may take the bid but may not open it. The bid should be listed on the Bid Tabulation Sheet as “rejected” because it was not submitted before the cut-off.
Once the bids have been opened and read aloud by the architect or the project manager, nothing else should be said, particularly about the lowest bidder. After last bid is read, those who attended should be thanked and told the date that an award might be made, such as the next board meeting.
Once all the bids have been accepted, the project team may begin to determine the ability of contractors to do the work for which they submitted a bid. This includes checking references, bank information, credit ratings, lawsuits, stability in top management, subcontractors, suppliers, bond ratings, and determining if the contractor is on the government's list of debarred contractors, which would preclude a contract or subcontract award.

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An Interdisciplinary Research Field: Active Tensegrity Structures

Research into “active tensegrity structures” has been carried out since decades by aeronautical engineers, civil engineers and mechanical engineers. Keeping in the mind the productive nature of interdisciplinary work, I believe that the interaction between research groups composed of researchers from merely one of these categories should be enhanced. Ultimately, an ideal research group working on active structures would comprise civil engineers, aeronautical engineers, mechanical engineers and computer scientists. Also, there is a gap between the research conducted in Europe and the research conducted in the US. Most of the researchers in the field of “active tensegrity structures” are civil engineers in Europe (e.g. Ian F.C. Smith, René Motro, Simon Guest*). On the other hand, almost all of the scholars working on active control of tensegrity structures (e.g. Robert E. Skelton, Cornel Sultan, Hillary Bart-Smith) are from aeronautical or mechanical engineering field. Also, other aspects of tensegrity structures are studied by medical doctors (e.g. Donald Ingber). Collaboration among these groups is very important in the context of transatlantic research cooperation, as well. Therefore, it is worth to step up efforts toward such collaboration.

*Simon Guest is not a “civil engineer” but an “engineer” since University of Cambridge does not award any other engineering title.

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World’s Largest Retractable Aluminum Dome

Openaire, a Canadian company is currently building the largest retractable aluminum dome in Donetsk, Ukraine. Aluminum is not a commonly used material in civil engineering. However, its certain characteristics such as corrosion resistance could be advantageous in some harsh environments. Below is the press release explaining the project:

Donetsk, Ukraine will soon boast the largest aluminum-domed indoor waterpark in the world. Scheduled to open in the fall of 2011, the Royal Marine Aquapark dome is the creation of Oakville-based OpenAire, which specializes in totally unique structures that incorporate retractable roofing systems. OpenAire has created retractable roofing enclosures for water parks, hotels, community centers and other commercial applications.

“At 26m / 86’ high and 85m / 278’ in diameter, it’s the largest free-standing aluminum dome structure in the world,” says OpenAire president Mark Albertine, “And the unique retractable design makes it the first park of its kind. There is simply nothing else like it.”

The waterpark had initially been planned as a steel/polycarbonate structure with a fixed dome. “Things were already in the planning stages when we were brought on board,” says Albertine. “When the developers heard about OpenAire, they loved the idea of a retractable roof. To them, it opened the park up to a whole new world of possibility.”

There are great benefits to OpenAire’s approach of using aluminum for water parks. Unlike steel, aluminum doesn’t corrode, doesn’t need to be painted, withstands chlorine, and requires zero maintenance. In addition, the retractable roof offers flexible, year-round enjoyment. People don’t want to be inside on a beautiful day; opening the roof instantly transforms it into an outdoor facility, giving users the best of both worlds. Plus, opening it up to outside air helps reduce
dehumidification costs for water facilities.

“It will be a gorgeous, light-filled space that takes advantage of the outdoors whenever possible,” says Deborah Baker, OpenAire COO. “Families will love being able to get a break from the cold in winter – and feel the sun on their faces in the warmer months.”

The Royal Marine is a joint venture between the City of Donetsk and private sector investors. The Royal Marine is OpenAire’s second Ukrainian project. The company previously built a retractable skylight for the Terminal Water Park in Kiev-area Brovary Park, the country’s first major indoor water park. In the Donetsk water park, OpenAire’s role has been more significant, with the company providing the entire design and manufacture of the retractable structure.

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the World’s Largest Prehistoric Construction Projects

Some might suppose that one of the world's largest prehistoric construction projects is the Great Pyramid at Giza. With a height of 146 m (481 ft), the Great Pyramid is indeed massive, holding the title of world's tallest building for over 3,800 years. However, the Great Pyramid was built around 2560 BCE, at least 800 years into the historic era of Egypt, which began around 3200 BCE. By our standards, this is almost a prehistoric construction project, but not quite. The historic era is defined as one in which records were kept, and they were — we know that the pyramid was constructed for the pharaoh Khufu, and probably designed by his vizer Hemon.
Although Egypt's historic era began around 3200 BCE, many other areas of the world still lacked writing, relying on crude pictograms to relay concepts. For instance, around 2600 to 1900 BCE, in modern-day Pakistan and far West India, an ancient civilization, the Indus Valley Civilization, was flourishing. This civilization built large cities for thousands of people, which included canals, temples, public baths, sewers, granaries, dockyards, and warehouses. Considered collectively, these prehistoric construction projects were among the world's largest up to the that point. However, unlike many contemporary and later civilizations, the Indus Valley people did not build monumental structures such as temples or palaces. The largest uncovered structure is a public bath.
Another very old structure, one of the prehistoric construction projects, is Silbury Hill in England, dated to 2750 ±95 BC. The massive man-made mound is 167 m (550 feet) in diameter and 40 m (131 ft) tall. Its purpose is unknown. Archaeologists have stated that the hill took 18 million man-hours, or 500 men working 15 years to build. More likely, its construction involved several thousand working in shifts for at least a couple decades. This kind of social structure is not typically associated with Neolithic Britain, which is thought to have been composed mainly of fragmented tribes. Perhaps some elite group gained control over a wide area and used its population to complete this amazing prehistoric construction project.

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Work on Project that is History in the Making

We are looking for an ME with Stong Concrete Background for a great opportunity to work on a Historic Project in Far East. Project has been subject of many Documentaries.
Here are the requirements:
Concrete Construction Specialist (Relocation Assistance - YES) (Chengdu)
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The Concrete Construction Specialist will be responsible for:
1. Providing consulting services related to concrete science, quality control and assurance monitoring of aggregate processing, concrete batching, mixing and delivery and concrete construction, and verification and documenting of contractors' compliance with contract documents, with emphasis on proper specifications, materials, and workmanship for mass concrete, roller compacted concrete and reinforced concrete construction.
2. Work with designers and specifications writers to provide proper designs and contract documents for construction contracts, and with site supervisors, materials laboratory managers, and contractors to set up, and efficiently run concrete operations and related quality control and assurance programs, including effective communication of program results.
3. Work in a manner to ensure your personal safety and that of fellow employees by following company health and safety guidelines and policies.
The successful individual will have demonstrated ability to apply intensive knowledge of engineering principles and practices in the area of concrete technology and construction, to make independent decisions on engineering problems and methods, to establish work plans, work scopes and budgets, and to lead teams of engineers and construction managers. Experience should include management responsibility. Overseas experience is preferred.
Supervisory Responsibility:
Direct reports: About 10 engineers and construction personnel.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Civil Engineering Construction Management or Construction Engineering. Professional Engineering Registration preferred; Experience in construction of mass concrete or concrete dams is required. Minimum 10 years experience in heavy civil engineering construction management and field inspection of concrete construction including testing laboratory set-up and operation; international experience. Written and spoken English fluency.

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Construction of Disneyland

Disneyland - A New Kind of Amusement Park
Later in life, Walt Disney told inquirers that he first had the idea for a new kind of amusement park when he took his two young daughters out for fun on weekends and found that, “…existing kids' parks and fairs were often dirty, sleazy, money-grubbing places.” In spite of the fact he had never developed real estate or managed a large-scale construction project, Disney nourished his notions of a new kind of amusement park throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s. His idea for displaying Disney characters in a fantasy setting was a bold departure from present-day amusement parks and carnivals that offered rides, games, and inexpensive food. Instead Disneyland was conceived as an extension of the Disney brand, and would be the first “theme park” built in the United States, signaling a major shift in amusement park construction - and, equally as importantly, in commercial construction of theme parks and real estate development surrounding major attractions.
As his ideas for the development began to expand and take shape, Walt found little enthusiasm for the project within his own company. His brother Roy, the financial director of the studio, strongly opposed it, believing that this “fanciful, expensive amusement park would lead to financial ruin.” Most bankers and investors agreed, feeling that Disney's lack of real estate development and commercial construction experience was too large a hurdle to overcome. But Walt, confident of his own vision, sidestepped the studio and began to gather funds by borrowing on his life insurance and selling vacation property in southern California. He assembled a staff of designers, planners and artists and formed WED Enterprises - the letters were his initials - as a personal corporation to house them.
Operating out of a small building on the Disney Burbank lot, the WED group began a long process of creative brainstorming. Its members conceptualized, designed and reworked Walt's broad ideas. They visited other amusement attractions around the country to gather data and impressions and flesh out development plans, and with the help of commercial contractors created a rough construction timetable.
By 1953 major large hurdles - obtaining financing and securing a location - still blocked the launching of the park's construction. In July of that year, Walt recognized his need to obtain guidance from commercial real estate development experts and solicited a pair of marketing studies from the Stanford Research Institute: one would examine the economic prospects of developing Disneyland, and the other would seek the ideal location for construction companies to build the park.
After determining the facility could be profitable, the Stanford group closely examined a host of factors - demographic statistics, urban growth trends, population concentrations, traffic patterns, freeway construction, availability of experienced commercial contractors, weather conditions - before recommending a site in Anaheim, a rapidly growing town just southeast of Los Angeles. The study eventually led to the purchase of a 160-acre orange grove alongside the new Santa Ana freeway; its proximity to a major freeway meant the park was a short 27-minute drive from downtown Los Angeles.
Disney had struggled to find additional financing; as he later recalled, he was told by bankers that “the outdoor amusement business was a cultural anachronism that had already declined into senility.” A few months later, the financial breakthrough came with a long-term agreement with ABC which brought the television network in as a major investor. (ABC agreed to carry Disney television programming, marking Mickey Mouse's first network appearance and the start of a tremendously profitable partnership for both companies. ABC also agreed to help publicize Disneyland in return for an ownership stake in the property.)

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Egypt pyramids Construction

Egypt Pyramid construction remains the mystery of ancient world challenging human knowledge after 50 centuries.

About Egypt pyramids Construction
- Purpose of construction: Unknown (believed by many to be a graveyard for the King)
- Commencement and completion dates: between 2686 (B. C) and 2181 (B. C)
- Estimated duration: unknown (believed to be 20 years)
- Building materials: 2.3 million natural rocks, each 2.5 ton in weight.
- Estimated construction manpower: 20,000 - 30,000 laborers.
- Cost : Unknown (believed to be nil, for compulsory use of workers).
Reasonable theories - with yet no proof- to the Construction of Egypt Pyramids:
. The construction of Egypt pyramids was carried out in layers, where fill was placed around each layer, with reasonable slopes, thus acting as scaffolding for the next layer. Upon completion the fill was excavated, to the original ground level.
. The original material of the construction was clay, and by processing clay, after placing, it reached the solid shaped state.
. The pyramids were constructed much earlier than the era thought, and human beings were much taller then!
. Egypt pyramids were constructed by excavation of the surrounding soil, i.e., the original natural ground level at that place was actually the highest point of the pyramid.
. Are the pyramids what is referred to in the verse ” Pharaoh said: “O Chiefs! no god do I know for you but myself: therefore, O Haman! light me a (kiln to bake bricks) out of clay, and build me a lofty palace, that I may mount up to the god of Moses: but as far as I am concerned, I think (Moses) is a liar!”
Pharaoh Humor
Hear about the girl who had a date with an expert on King Tut? Nine months later she became a mummy!

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Multiplex wins £6m damages over Wembley Stadium

Multiplex has won more than £6m in damages after a row erupted with steel contractor Cleveland Bridge over the construction of Wembley Stadium.
The High Court ordered Cleveland Bridge to pay £6,154,246.79 and 20% of Multiplex’s legal costs, bumping the payout up another £2m.
Multiplex had been seeking £25m plus damages from the £58m it claimed to have paid the firm.
The row erupted after Multiplex claimed Cleveland Bridge breached its contract because of defective works, delays and failing to raise the stadium’s arch in accordance with a heads of agreement.
Cleveland Bridge countered Multiplex was in breach over financial issues and for failing to agree on a new programme for completion after design changes.
It walked off the site in July 2004 and Hollandia was brought in to complete the job.
Court action began in 2004 and the trial to determine how much each company owed each other, started in March.

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Free Project Management Ebook

Dear friends,

We have a good news for you today. “Project Management Made Easy” now is given for free. Believe or not?

Yes, if you buy our “10 Critical Mistakes to Avoid at the Job Interview” (just US$ 8.00), you will get also one FREE copy of this Project Management book.



Act now to get the book “10 Critical Mistakes to Avoid at the Job Interview” at cheap price + FREE “Project Management Made Easy” book.

Enjoy reading,

Civil Engineer BLOG

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100 Project Manager Interview Questions

100 Project Manager Interview Questions

The below questions are for hire a Project Manager. This can also be used for evaluating already hired project managers.

1. How do you handle non-productive team members?
2. How do you motivate team members who are burned out, or bored?
3. How do you handle team members who come to you with their personal problems?
4. What are your career goals? How do you see this job affecting your goals?
5. Explain how you operate interdepartmentally.
6. Tell me how you would react to a situation where there was more than one way to accomplish the same task, and there were very strong feelings by others on each position.
7. Consider that you are in a diverse environment, out of your comfort zone. How would you rate your situational leadership style?
8. Give me an example of your leadership involvement where teamwork played an important role.
9. Tell me about a situation where your loyalty was challenged. What did you do? Why?
10. In what types of situations is it best to abandon loyalty to your manager?
11. In today’s business environment, when is loyalty to your manager particularly important?
12. Why are you interested in this position?
13. Describe what you think it would be like to do this job every day.
14. What do you believe qualifies you for this position?
15. What have you learned from your failures?
16. Of your previous jobs, which one did you enjoy the most? What did you like the most/least? Why? What was your major accomplishment? What was your biggest frustration?
17. Tell me about special projects or training you have had that would be relevant to this job.
18. What are some things that you would not like your job to include?
19. What are your current work plans? Why are you thinking about leaving your present job?
20. Describe an ideal job for you.
21. What would you do if you found out that a contractor was in a conflict of interest situation?
22. If I were to contact your former employee, what would he say about your decision-making abilities?
23. Give me an example of a win-win situation you have negotiated.
24. Tell me about your verbal and written communication ability. How well do you represent yourself to others? What makes you think so?
25. Give me an example of a stressful situation you have been in. How well did you handle it? If you had to do it over again, would you do it differently? How do you deal with stress, pressure, and unreasonable demands?
26. Tell me about a tough decision you had to make?
27. Describe what you did at your work place yesterday.
28. How would you solve the following technical problem? (Describe a typical scenario that could occur in the new position.)
29. What strengths did you bring to your last position?
30. Describe how those contributions impacted results?
31. What are the necessary steps to successful project management?
32. How do you plan for a project?
33. What is important to consider when planning a (your type of project)?
34. What are things that you have found to be low priority when planning for (your type of project)?
35. What distinguishes a project from routine operations?
36. What are the three constraints on a project?
37. What are the five control components of a project?
38. What qualifications are required to be an effective project manager?
39. What experience have you had in project management?
40. Name five signs that indicate your project may fail.
41. Tell us about a project in which you participated and your role in that project.
42. When you are assigned a project, what steps do you take to complete the project?
43. As you begin your assignment as a project manager, you quickly realise that the corporate sponsor for the project no longer supports the project. What will you do?
44. Your three month project is about to exceed the projected budget after the first month. What steps will you take to address the potential cost overrun?
45. Tell us about a successful project in which you participated and how you contributed to the success of that project.
46. You are given the assignment of project manager and the team members have already been identified. To increase the effectiveness of your project team, what steps will you take?
47. You have been assigned as the project manager for a team comprised of new employees just out of college and “entry-level” consulting staff. What steps can you take to insure that the project is completed against a very tight time deadline?
48. What is a “project milestone”?
49. What is “project float”?
50. Your project is beginning to exceed budget and to fall behind schedule due to almost daily user change orders and increasing conflicts in user requirements. How will you address the user issues?
51. You’ve encountered a delay on an early phase of your project. What actions can you take to counter the delay? Which actions will have the most effect on the result?
52. Describe what you did in a difficult project environment to get the job done on time and on budget.
53. What actions are required for successful executive sponsorship of a project?
54. How did you get your last project?
55. What were your specific responsibilities?
56. What did you like about the project and dislike about the project?
57. What did you learn from the project?
58. Tell me about a time when you ran into any difficult situations. How did you handle them?
59. Tell me about the types of interaction you had with other employees.
60. Tell me of an accomplishment you are particularly proud of and what it entailed.
61. Do you have people from your past consulting services who would provide a professional reference?
62. What other similar consulting or independent contractor services have you rendered?
63. Discuss how you would envision working as an independent contractor or consultant for us.
64. What conflicting responsibilities will you have?
65. What would be your specific goals for this new role as a consultant or independent contractor?
66. What experience do you have that you think will be helpful?
67. This assignment will require a lot of [describe]. Will that be a problem for you?
68. This assignment will require interacting with [describe the types of people]. What experience do you have working with such people?
69. What would you like to get from this new assignment?
70. What are two common but major obstacles for a project like this? What would you do in the face of these obstacles to keep your team on schedule?
71. What is project charter? What are the elements in a project charter?
72. Which document will you refere for future decisions?
73. How will you define scope?
74. What is the output of scope definition process?
75. What is quality management?
76. Do you inspect or plan for quality ?
77. What is EVM? how will you use it in managing projects?
78. What is a project? and what is program?
79. What are project selection methods?
80. Which tool would you use to define, manage and control projects?
81. What is risk management and how will you plan risk response?
82. What are outputs of project closure?
83. What are the methods used for project estimation?
84. What methods have you used for estimation?
85. How would you start a project?
86. If you were to deliver a project to a customer, and timely delivery depended upon a sub-supplier, how would you manage the supplier? What contractual agreements would you put in place?
87. In this field (the field you are interviewing for), what are three critically important things you must do well as a project manager in order for the project to succeed?
88. What metrics would you expect to use to determine the on-going success of your project?
89. How are your soft skills? Can you “sell” the project to a team?
90. You have a team member who is not meeting his commitments, what do you do?
91. Companies have historically looked at technical skills, but more and more business managers are realizing that not have “people” skills tend to cripple projects.
92. How many projects you handled in the past? Deadlines met? On time/ within budget? Obstacles you had to overcome?
93. Do you understand milestones, interdependencies? Resource allocation?
94. Do you know what Project Software the new company uses and is there training for it?
95. Tell me about yourself. (To avoid rambling or becoming flustered, plan your answer.)
96. What are your strengths? (Make an exhaustive list and review it exhaustively before the interview.)
97. What are your weaknesses? (What you say here can and will be used against you!)
98. How would your current (or last) boss describe you?
99. What were your boss’s responsibilities? (Interviewers sometimes ask this question to prevent you from having the chance to claim that you did your boss’s job. Be ready for it!)
100. What’s your opinion of them? (Never criticize your past or present boss in an interview. It just makes you look bad!)

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Project Management Activities

Project Management is the business process of creating a unique product, service or result. A project is a finite endeavor having specific start and completion dates undertaken to create a quantifiable deliverable. Projects undergo progressive elaboration by developing in steps and predictable increments that are tied to benchmarks, milestones and completion dates.

This finite characteristic of projects stands in sharp contrast to processes, or operations, which are permanent or semi-permanent functional work to repetitively produce the same product or service. In practice, the management of these two systems is often found to be quite different, and as such requires the development of distinct technical skills and the adoption of a separate management philosophy.

The primary challenge of Project Management is to achieve all of the goals of the project charter while adhering to three out of the four classic project constraints sometimes referred to as the “triple constraints.” The four constraints are defined as scope, time, cost and quality.

The more ambitious goal of Project Management is to carry the project through the entire Project Management life cycle. The Project Management lifecycle consists of five phases called Project Management Process Groups: Project Initiation, Project Planning, Project Execution, Project Monitoring and Control and Project Closeout.
Each Project Management Process Group utilizes nine Knowledge Areas which are: integration management, scope management, time management, cost management, quality management, human resource management, communications management, risk management and procurement management.

Project management is composed of several different types of activities such as:

1. Analysis and design of objectives and events
2. Planning the work according to the objectives
3. Assessing and controlling risk (or Risk Management)
4. Estimating resources
5. Allocation of resources
6. Organizing the work
7. Acquiring human and material resources
8. Assigning tasks
9. Directing activities
10. Controlling project execution
11. Tracking and reporting progress (Management information system)
12. Analyzing the results based on the facts achieved
13. Defining the products of the project
14. Forecasting future trends in the project
15. Quality Management
16. Issues management
17. Issue solving
18. Defect prevention
19. Identifying, managing & controlling changes
20. Project closure (and project debrief)
21. Communicating to stakeholders
22. Increasing / decreasing a company’s workers

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What is a Project Management Professional?

A project management professional(PMP)is a highly-regarded career designation certified by the Project Management Institute (PMI). The project management professional designation ensures standardized methodologies for all persons with the PMP designation in all parts of the world. A certified project management professional is crucial in the selection, development, execution, and completion of business projects in many different industries.

Prerequisites for taking the exam leading to the project management professional designation include a specified number of hours of work experience as a project manager as well as related education. The employment and education criteria vary, but usually a bachelor’s degree that includes courses in communications, economics, or human resources, and at least 2 years experience as a project manager are required. Candidates without a bachelor’s degree, but with at least 5 years experience as a project manager plus some education that relates to project management, may still be permitted to take the project management professional designation exam.

The project management professional exam requires at least 100 hours of study time, double that for those with less education and experience in project management. The 4 hour computerized exam has 200 test questions relating to project initiation, planning, execution, supervision, and closing. Practice tests or study tests are available. Project management professional candidates are usually allowed 3 attempts at passing the exam within a one year period.

A project management professional understands issues such as risk management, stakeholder analysis, resource management, team performance analysis, and project performance analysis. A project management professional knows how to deliver cost effective projects on time. Strategic planning ability, resourceful problem solving, and an understanding of concepts such as statistics and cost-volume analysis, are some of the skills required by a project management professional. A project management professional must also have good team development skills and be able to resolve conflicts quickly. An ability to quickly understand various project software is crucial for a project management professional as a project could consist of designing new products, improving logistics management, or restructuring company operations.

A research project management professional has the added responsibility of assumption management since the projects are more experimental than in regular project management. Risk management becomes even more important and the necessary structure of funded research teams complicates organization and delegation aspects of regular project management. While a project management professional carefully plans the desired outcome, that cannot be the case in research project management where the outcome is unknown.

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Project Management Made Easy

Dear friends,

Project management consists of more than just a large building project and can encompass small projects as well. No matter what the size of your project, you need to have some sort of project management. How you manage your project has everything to do with its outcome. Whether you are a project manager who is in charge of a large company project or you have a small project that you need to complete, you need to know the basics of project management.

Trying to get a project off the ground can be daunting as can the problems that can come with the project. You might run into snags during your project that may cause you some headaches. Project management can be one challenge after another.

I have experienced plenty of meltdowns during my project management days. There were many times when I didn’t think that I could get the project off of the ground and many times when I felt just like giving up. How often has that happened to you? I found that the skills that I learned in project management were those that I used for just about all tasks that, although not as daunting as the projects I handled at work, were projects just the same.

A friend of mine suggested that I write down my experiences of being a successful project manager for others to see. I put this off over and over again until I realized that it was a project, just like others that I had tackled and started to write it down.

As I started writing the book, I discovered some of the mistakes that I made during the past with regard to project management as well as techniques I used in management style. I began to realize that my book might be able to help those who are struggling with projects or are taking on tasks that can seem to be daunting. As I am so familiar with that feeling, I began to feel that maybe this could be a way to help others avoid some of the mistakes that I made and gain control over their projects.

Do not feel overwhelmed again!
If you have been feeling overwhelmed when it comes to work and a bit disorganized, you can benefit from this book. Once you learn the secrets to project management, you can learn not only how to successfully manage your projects at work, but also to manage individual projects.

Project Management Made Easy!
You can learn quite a bit about project management and not feel so overwhelmed simply by reading this book. This book teaches you how to take a project from start to finish and, using your own techniques and management style, complete the project. Whether you work as a project manager or have a bunch of unfinished projects on your plate, Project Management Made Easy! will help you.

1) This book will help you whether you have a project that you are trying to complete that is daunting or are in charge of projects at work. If you look at every task as a chore, you can learn how to manage them much easier with the skills taught in this book.

2) Instead of worrying about how you are going to complete a project, you can do so easily when you use this book. You will learn how to use your own personality to its fullest with the tools in this book.

Here is what you will learn inside this guide….

Project management styles
Financing for project management
Making your management style work for you
How to break down a project
How to work with others
And much more!

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8 PhD scholarships at University of Copenhagen

LIFE - Faculty of Life Sciences is one of Europe’s leading university environments in the areas of veterinary science, food and natural resources.

Through financial support from the Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 8 PhD scholarships are available within Climate Change; Impacts, Mitigation and Adaptation. The three-year studentships are expected to be effective from 1 December or soon thereafter.
Applications are welcomed within the following 15 areas; please observe that only 8 PhD scholarships will be filled.

1. Research to prevent methane emission from ruminant livestock and associated damage to the environment
2. Downscaling climate change information for agriculture and natural resource management
3. Spatial characterisation and modelling of bio-production, eco-systems and climate driven spatial change
4. Climate change effects on ecology and pest status of noxious species
5. Developing sustainable, climate-favorable fertilizer technologies for industrial and third world agriculture
6. Waste management effects on GHG emissions and climate change – in a life cycle assessment perspective
7. Climate Change and Mitigation: Forestry and land-use change
8. Climate Change and Adaptation: Forestry and land-use change
9. Impact of climate change on emerging plant diseases and their threat to food security
10. Climate and contaminants in agricultural drainage water
11. Climate change: Costal Flooding Impacts and Adaptation Strategies in Urban Planning
12. Economics of Climate Change and Natural Resources Management
13. Climate change- GIS-based models for assessing changes in transmission patterns and human health risks of food-borne zoonotic trematode infections in south-east Asia
14. GIS-based models and risk assessment to establish effect of climate change on Salmonella in aquacultures in South-east Asia
15. Effect of climate change on the disease biology of vector-borne helminth diseases in Africa

Qualification requirements

• In connection with the appointment to the post special importance will be attached to the applicant having the professional and personal qualifications stated below:
• Passed Master’s degree in relation to the above subject area(s)
• The PhD candidate is also required to have research potential, to be enterprising, to possess good interpersonal skills and to be qualified for enrolment into the PhD programme.

Terms of employment

The post will be filled in accordance with the Agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Federation of Professional Associations. The post is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.
The position as a PhD fellow requires the applicant to be approved for admission to the PhD programme of the university in question.

Questions

Questions related to a specific theme should be directed to the Contact person of the actual theme.
General questions regarding the Graduate School of Life Sciences at LIFE should be directed to Course Administration c/o special advisor Michael Cleve Hansen, ph. (+45) 3528 2056 (e-mail: mclh@life.ku.dk) or head clerk Lillian Zeuthen Bjørnseth, ph. (+45) 3528 2172 (e-mail: lzb@life.ku.dk).

Further information on PhD programmes is available at http://www.life.ku.dk/English/education/phd.aspx

Application

No application form is needed. In order for your application to be taken into consideration you must meet the following requirements:
Your application must be sent by E-mail in pdf-format only. Please, include all the documents you wish to be evaluated in one single pdf-file. The application must include the following appendices marked with the stated appendix numbers:

Appendix 1: curriculum vitae with documentation of education.
Appendix 2: material required for expert assessment, including publications and documentation of work experience.

Foreign diplomas (Master, Bachelor and the like) must be provided in the original language as well as in an English translation. For all diplomas, Danish or otherwise, transcripts containing the names and grades/marks for all courses taken must also be included.
Please, indicate clearly which position you apply for.

In addition to the material the applicant wishes to be included in the assessment, the Assessment Committee may implicate additional material in the assessment of the applicant. In such circumstances, it is the responsibility of the applicant, on request, to send the material to the Committee.

The applicant will be assessed in accordance with the Executive Order no. 284 of 25 April 2008 of the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The applications marked 625-264 should be sent to by E-mail to anc@life.ku.dk, no later than 1 September 2010.
More info:

http://www.life.ku.dk/English/education/phd/Available_Scholarships.aspx

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