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Module Descriptors

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Session: 2022/23

Last modified: 09/06/2022 09:16:14

Title of Module: Modern Practice in Construction Management

Code: ENGG10015 SCQF Level: 10
(Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework)		 Credit Points: 20 ECTS: 10
(European Credit Transfer Scheme)
School:School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences
Module Co-ordinator:Stuart  Tennant

Summary of Module

The module covers modern practice in construction management exploring construction activity, corporate strategy, the role of Government, economic exchange, stakeholder engagement, digital technologies, modern methods of working and ethical obligations and commitments. Whilst the module is structured as having discrete labels it is envisaged that many of the topics will overlap, contradict conventional understanding and challenge mainstream interpretations.

Making sense of construction as an industry; namely, its significance and reach, contribution to local and national socio-economic well-being and the role(s), interest, influence and policy of UK and devolved Government, including publication and impact of Government sponsored construction industry reports

Construction relational management issues including the economic exchange and supply of construction services and goods, alternative methods of construction procurement including sustainable procurement and collaborative working in a project driven environment

Construction commercial management of Corporation and Project. Addresses issues such as corporate accounting, contractual forms of engagement (for example: NEC3), value analysis, risk minimization, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and project negotiation

Construction ethics; for example, issues related to corporate social responsibility (CSR), responsible procurement, construction project bank accounts (PBA’s) and employment practices

Construction drivers for change including Design for manufacture and assembly (Dfma), off-site construction, Digital Technologies and Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Intelligent Building design

This module will work to develop a number of key ‘I am UWS Graduate Attributes’. Students who successfully complete this module will be knowledgeable, inquiring, problem solver, ethically minded, socially responsible, motivated, creative, collaborative and ambitious.


Module Delivery Method
Face-To-FaceBlendedFully OnlineHybridCHybridOWork-based Learning
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Face-To-Face
Term used to describe the traditional classroom environment where the students and the lecturer meet synchronously in the same room for the whole provision.

Blended
A mode of delivery of a module or a programme that involves online and face-to-face delivery of learning, teaching and assessment activities, student support and feedback. A programme may be considered “blended” if it includes a combination of face-to-face, online and blended modules. If an online programme has any compulsory face-to-face and campus elements it must be described as blended with clearly articulated delivery information to manage student expectations

Fully Online
Instruction that is solely delivered by web-based or internet-based technologies. This term is used to describe the previously used terms distance learning and e learning.

HybridC
Online with mandatory face-to-face learning on Campus

HybridO
Online with optional face-to-face learning on Campus

Work-based Learning
Learning activities where the main location for the learning experience is in the workplace.


Campus(es) for Module Delivery
The module will normally be offered on the following campuses / or by Distance/Online Learning: (Provided viable student numbers permit)
Paisley:Ayr:Dumfries:Lanarkshire:London:Distance/Online Learning:Other:
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Term(s) for Module Delivery
(Provided viable student numbers permit).
Term 1

 

Term 2check markTerm 3

 

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Learning Outcomes: (maximum of 5 statements)

On successful completion of this module the student will be able to:

L1. Make sense of construction as an industry, its contribution to local and national socio-economic well-being and the role, interest and influence of UK and devolved Government

L2. Discuss the economic exchange of construction services & goods and alternative procurement strategies in a project-driven environment

L3. Understand the commercial issues related to corporate management including construction company (Plc) reporting and accounting protocols and construction project management including value analysis, project risk, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and project negotiations

L4. Evaluate ethical construction practice from multiple stakeholder viewpoints.

L5. Discuss drivers for change in construction management and technology including Design for manufacture and assembly (Dfma), off-site construction, Digital Technologies and Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Intelligent Building Design

Employability Skills and Personal Development Planning (PDP) Skills
SCQF Headings During completion of this module, there will be an opportunity to achieve core skills in:
Knowledge and Understanding (K and U) SCQF Level 10.

K&U of current issues of social, technical, economic, environmental and political influences in the built environment

K&U economic exchange of construction services & goods and alternative procurement strategies

K&U of PLC report and accounts

K&U of project risk, procurement, NEC3, value analysis, cash flow and negotiations

K&U of ethical practice and the corporate social responsibility of construction industry stakeholders

K&U of the design, construction and management of a range of contemporary technologies, processes, procedures and industry practice


Practice: Applied Knowledge and Understanding SCQF Level 10.

Apply the concepts of economics, sustainability and technological change to the construction process

Apply the concepts of value analysis

Determine appropriate construction management and procurement strategies and select an appropriate contract form

Appraise construction industry engagement from an ethical perspective

Generic Cognitive skills SCQF Level 10.

Generic skills developed in critical analysis, finance, contract and negotiations.

Communication, ICT and Numeracy Skills SCQF Level 10.

Communication skills honed via written reports and presentations. Computer and numeracy skills developed by means of various project management techniques.

Autonomy, Accountability and Working with others SCQF Level 10.

The module will provide an opportunity to develop individual and group autonomy, time management, initiative and self learning. Although ostensibly involved in issues of industry and management wider issues relating to sustainability, society and ethics will inevitably be addressed by students. It should also introduce concepts such as lifelong learning/CPD

Pre-requisites: Before undertaking this module the student should have undertaken the following:
Module Code:
Module Title:
Other:
Co-requisitesModule Code:
Module Title:

* Indicates that module descriptor is not published.

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Learning and Teaching
The module delivery framework is a balance of in-person events, synchronous events and asynchronous activities. The learning and teaching student engagement for this module include the following; Lecture / core content delivery (20 hours), Tutorial /synchronous activity (12 hours), Workshops (4 hours) and Independent study (164 hours). Independent study includes the following: Courseworks, Problem Based Learning, Self-Study including consolidation week, examination and feedback & reflection.
Formative feedback will be provided for academic activities. Formative feedback may take the form of question and answer sessions undertaken within lectures / delivery of core content; through worked examples, design exercises, feedback on presentations and/or discussion groups during group tutorials. Additional forums include submitting coursework and receiving formative reports for feedback; comments on the tutorial/practical work during the session, response to emails and the use of online Forums on Moodle and Turnitin Gradebook for the assessments. For Modern Practice in Construction Management c/w 1 & 2, all students will receive a formative feedback sheet. Note, Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this Module may be delivered in a UWS 'hybrid' mode with an 'adaptive' online examination.
Learning Activities
During completion of this module, the learning activities undertaken to achieve the module learning outcomes are stated below: 		Student Learning Hours
(Normally totalling 200 hours):
(Note: Learning hours include both contact hours and hours spent on other learning activities)
Lecture/Core Content Delivery20
Tutorial/Synchronous Support Activity12
Laboratory/Practical Demonstration/Workshop4
Independent Study164
200 Hours Total

**Indicative Resources: (eg. Core text, journals, internet access)

The following materials form essential underpinning for the module content and ultimately for the learning outcomes:

Support material for Modern Practice in Construction Management is available on my.UWS. This includes access to all lecture presentations, guest lecture presentations, hand-outs, suggested reading material and URL links to appropriate sources for further information on issues related to themes within Modern Practice in Construction Management

SOFTWARE Excel , Word and Powerpoint

Extension Resources: Consultation of the under-noted book resources is recommended and material from these resources may be of benefit to the student in the assessment process:

FARMER, M. (2016) The Farmer Review of the UK Construction Labour Model. London, Construction Leadership Council.
FEWINGS, S. (2009) Ethics for the Built Environment, London, Taylor & Francis.
GREEN, S. 2011. Making Sense of Construction Improvement, Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell.
MURRAY, M. & LANGFORD, D. (eds.) 2003. Construction Reports 1944 - 98, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
PRYKE, S. 2009. (ed.) Construction Supply Chain Management Concepts and Case Studies. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
RADOSAVLJEVIC, M. & BENNET, J. 2012. Construction Management Strategies: A Theory of Construction Management, Oxford, John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
SMYTH, H. & PRYKE, S. 2008. (eds.) Collaborative Relationships in Construction: developing frameworks and networks. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
WOUDHUYSEN, J. & ABLEY, I. 2004. Why is construction so backward?, Chichester, Wiley-Academy.
OLIVER, D, 2006, How to negotiate effectively, Kogan Page, London, ISBN Number: 10 07494 4820 2, Shelved at 658.45.
ASHCROFT, S., 2004, Commercial Negotiation Skills, Industrial and Commercial Training, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Volume 36, Number 6, pp. 229–233.


Extension Resources: Consultation of the under-noted academic journal resources is recommended and material from these resources may be of benefit to the student in the assessment process:

BIS 2013. Construction 2025 Industry Strategy: government and industry in partnership. In: BUSINESS, I. A. S. (ed.). London: Crown.
EGAN, J. 1998. Rethinking Construction. DETR.
ERIKSSON, P. E. 2009. Partnering: what is it, when should it be used, and how should it be implemented? Construction Management and Economics, 28, 905 - 917.
FERNIE, S. & TENNANT, S. 2013. The non-adoption of supply chain management. Construction Management and Economics, 31, 1038 - 1058.
LATHAM, M. 1994. Constructing the Team, Final report of the Government / Industry review of procurement and contractual arrangements in the UK industry. London: HMSO.
SUCCAR, B., SHER, W. & WILLIAMS, B. 2012. Measuring BIM performance: Five metrics. Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 8, 120 - 142.
TENNANT, S. & FERNIE, S. 2012. The commercial currency of construction framework agreements. Building Research & Information, 40, 209 - 220.
TENNANT, S. & FERNIE, S. 2014. Theory to practice: a typology of supply chain management in construction. International Journal of Construction Management, 14, 72 - 87.
WOLSTENHOLME, A. 2009. Never waste a good crisis: A review of Progress since Rethinking Construction and Thoughts for Our Future. London: Constructing Excellence in the Built Environment.


(**N.B. Although reading lists should include current publications, students are advised (particularly for material marked with an asterisk*) to wait until the start of session for confirmation of the most up-to-date material)

Engagement Requirements

In line with the Academic Engagement Procedure, Students are defined as academically engaged if they are regularly engaged with timetabled teaching sessions, course-related learning resources including those in the Library and on the relevant learning platform, and complete assessments and submit these on time. Please refer to the Academic Engagement Procedure at the following link: Academic engagement procedure

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Supplemental Information

Programme BoardEngineering
Assessment Results (Pass/Fail) No
Subject PanelCivil Engineering and Quality Management
ModeratorAshwini Konanahalli
External ExaminerL Supramaniam
Accreditation DetailsThis module is accredited by Joint Board of Moderators of the ICE, IStructE, IHE and CIHT as part of BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering.
Version Number

3.08

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Assessment: (also refer to Assessment Outcomes Grids below)
Assessment Category 1: Examination (60%)
Assessment Category 2: Coursework (40%)

1/ Coursework 1 (c/w 1) consist of a report addressing contemporary themes within modern practice in construction management. The students will select a construction management company from a prescribed list. The list of construction companies will be taken from the Top 100 construction companies (www.theconstructionindex.co.uk). Students will adopt the construction company selected to explore construction industry sectors, construction management portfolio, basic financial trends and interpret operational opportunities and threats for the following five year period. Coursework 1 is worth 20% of the final mark.

2/ Coursework 2 (c/w 2) consists of a report on the theory and practice of construction contracts, stakeholder engagement and negotiations and is supplemented with a peer review evaluation of a simulated negotiation exercise. Coursework 2 is worth 20% of the final mark.

A minimum of 30% applies to Assessment Category 1 and Assessment Category 2
A minimum of 40% is required to achieve a pass in this module.
(N.B. (i) Assessment Outcomes Grids for the module (one for each component) can be found below which clearly demonstrate how the learning outcomes of the module will be assessed.
(ii) An indicative schedule listing approximate times within the academic calendar when assessment is likely to feature will be provided within the Student Handbook.)

Assessment Outcome Grids (Footnote A.)

Component 1
Assessment Type (Footnote B.) Learning Outcome (1) Learning Outcome (2) Learning Outcome (3) Learning Outcome (4) Learning Outcome (5) Weighting (%) of Assessment ElementTimetabled Contact Hours
Unseen open bookcheck markcheck markcheck markcheck markcheck mark602

Component 2
Assessment Type (Footnote B.) Learning Outcome (1) Learning Outcome (2) Learning Outcome (3) Learning Outcome (4) Learning Outcome (5) Weighting (%) of Assessment ElementTimetabled Contact Hours
Dissertation/ Project report/ Thesischeck markcheck markcheck markcheck mark 400
Combined Total For All Components100% 2 hours

Footnotes
A. Referred to within Assessment Section above
B. Identified in the Learning Outcome Section above

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Note(s):
  1. More than one assessment method can be used to assess individual learning outcomes.
  2. Schools are responsible for determining student contact hours. Please refer to University Policy on contact hours (extract contained within section 10 of the Module Descriptor guidance note).
    This will normally be variable across Schools, dependent on Programmes &/or Professional requirements.

Equality and Diversity
The programme leaders have considered how the programme meets the requirements of potential students from minority groups, including students from ethnic minorities, disabled students, students of different ages and students from under-represented groups. Students with special needs (including additional learning needs) would be assessed/accommodated and any identified barriers to particular groups of students discussed with the Enabling Support Unit and reasonable adjustments would be made for classes and site visits.
UWS Equality and Diversity Policy
(N.B. Every effort will be made by the University to accommodate any equality and diversity issues brought to the attention of the School)

2014 University of the West of Scotland

University of the West of Scotland is a Registered Scottish Charity.

Charity number SC002520.

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