MASTER OF SCIENCE IN CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

(M. Sc. CM)

CURRICULUM

Faculty of Science and Technology

Pokhara University

2013

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 POKHARA UNIVERSITY
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

1. Program Objectives
The Master of Science in Construction Management (M.Sc. CM) program is designed to
bring corporate change in Nepal through transformation of students into competent
construction managers, executives, and entrepreneurs capable of becoming strategic change
agents in the corporate and social world. The program focuses on developing social and
developmental outlook and adequate skill in analysis, decision-making, implementation,
leadership, and communication among the students.
The specific objectives of the program are as follows:
 To provide students a firm grasp of broad-based and integrated fundamentals of
construction management with real-life applications.
 To develop professional construction managers who can effectively lead construction
projects in a highly dynamic and competitive global construction business environment.

2. Curricular Structure
The curriculum is designed to equip students with the competencies, knowledge, skills, and attitudes
needed for success in construction project management positions. The course work gives students a
broad and holistic view of the complexity of issues in today’s construction business environment. The
curriculum comprises the following five distinct components:
• Foundation & Analytical Courses: The foundation and analytical courses provide the
necessary academic background and analytical tools for M. Sc. study and are pre-requisite to
advanced core courses.
• Core and Functional Courses: The core and functional courses provide students with the
behavioral skills, analytical tools, and environmental considerations necessary for making
decisions in a construction business organization.
• Capstone Courses: The capstone courses require students to integrate the skills and knowledge
they have acquired in various functional areas of construction management and apply them in
making decisions.
• Electives: A student is required to take two courses of three credit hours each as electives. The
objective of elective courses is to provide flexibility to the students in selecting course in which
they have special interest. S/he can choose any course from the areas offered.
• Thesis: Students are required to undertake a research project that involves fieldwork and
empirical analysis of the information collected from the field. Students are also required to
prepare a thesis on a prescribed format. This research project covers 15 credit hours.

3. Program Features
The features of the M. Sc. CM program are competitive learning environment, market-driven
courses, and program flexibility. The M. Sc. CM is a two-year program spread over four
semesters. A student needs to successfully complete 45 credit hours of course work and 15
credit hours of research project.

The regular M. Sc. program is to be completed within four semesters. The duration of each
semester will be 15 weeks excluding examinations.

The program will use a range of pedagogical inputs that includes on-campus learning through
classroom discussions, presentations, group work, case analysis and guest lecture series, and
off-campus learning through research project work.

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4. The Semester System
In the program, each course has a certain number of credits assigned to it depending on its lecture,
tutorial and practical work hours in a week. One lecture hour per week per semester is assigned one
credit. That is, for a theory course, a three-credit hour course has 45 contact hours in a semester.

The prominent features of the semester system are the process of continuous evaluation of a student’s
performance and the flexibility to allow the students to progress at a pace suited to his/her individual
ability, subject to the regulation of credit requirements.

5. Entry Requirements and Admission Procedures

Eligibility
Graduates from relevant field of engineering are eligible to join the program. However, the
applicant must have a minimum of 15 years formal education (12 years of schooling plus three
years of undergraduate). Furthermore, the applicant must have secured a minimum CGPA of
2.0 or 45 percent in Bachelor’s level.

The following are the relevant field of engineering: Civil engineering, Electrical Engineering,
Mechanical Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Hydropower Engineering and Architecture.

Documents Required
The applicant is required to submit the following documents with the application form made
available by the concerned college by paying a predetermined fee:
 Completed and signed application form
 Letter of reference from two referees
 Official transcripts from all the academic institutions attended.
 Certificate of experience
Certificates of all degrees and experience should be photocopied and submitted with proper
attestation. Enrolment is conditional upon completion of all admission formalities including
payment of all fees as determined by the college. Incomplete applications shall not be
processed.

Admission Procedures
A notice inviting applications for admission is publicly announced. Application forms and
information brochures are provided, on request, after the payment of the prescribed fee. The
concerned college scrutinizes the application. The eligible candidates are informed to take the
entrance test. The date and time for the entrance test are informed to the applicants by the
concerned colleges.

Final selection of students will be made on the basis of their aggregate scores in the entrance
test, experience and their previous academic records. A college may, however, modify the
selection procedure to suit its needs with prior approval of the Dean.

The final decision on admission is taken on the basis of selection procedure as below:

a) BE/ B Tech Score: 20 (Div I = 20, Div II = 10)

b) Experience Score: 20 (2 marks per year for maximum of 10 years)
c) Entrance test: 60
Total: 100

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The candidates, who are given provisional admission under special condition, are required to
submit all necessary documents within a month of the beginning of regular classes.
Otherwise, the admission will be canceled.

6. Academic Schedule and Course Registration

The academic session consists of two semesters. The admission to the program will be given
twice a year as per the schedule published by the college.

Students are required to register courses at the beginning of each trimester. Since registration
is a very important procedural part of the credit system, all students must present themselves
at the college for registration. Registration in absence may be allowed only in rare cases at
the discretion of the principal. A student’s nominee cannot register for courses but will only
be allowed to complete other formalities.

7. Addition and Withdrawal from Courses

A student would have the option to add or drop from the course. This can, however, be done only
during the first week of the semester. A student wishing to withdraw from a course, should
apply on the prescribed from within two weeks from the starting date of the semester. A full
time student has to take a minimum of 12 credits in a semester.

8. Attendance Requirements
The students must attain every lecture, tutorial and practical class. However, to accommodate
for late registration, sickness and other such contingencies, the attendance requirements will
be a minimum of 80% of the classes actually held. Students will get NOT QUALIFIED (NQ)
status if s/he fails to maintain 80% attendance in any course.

9. Normal and Maximum Duration of Study

The normal duration and the maximum duration for the completion of the requirements for
the various programs are as follows:

Normal duration: 24 months (4 semesters)

Maximum duration: 4+1 years from the date of registration.

(All the courses have to be completed within 4 years, and additional 1 year can be given to
thesis work on special request upon the approval of concerned authority)

10. Evaluation System

A student’s academic performance in a course is evaluated in two phases as:
 Internally by the concerned faculty member and
 Externally by the Office of the Controller of Examinations through semester-end
examinations.
A sixty percent weight is given to internal evaluation and forty percent weight is given to
external evaluation. The pass mark for both the internal evaluation and external evaluation is
sixty percent. A student must qualify in both evaluations separately to get a pass grade in a
particular course. The final grade awarded to a student in a course is based on his/her
consolidated performance in both internal and external evaluations.

The internal evaluation may consist of various components like project works, quizzes,
presentations, written examinations, reflection notes preparation, and the like. A student will
get NOT QUALIFIED (NQ) status in the internal evaluation if his/her performance falls
below the minimum requirement. Such students will not be allowed to appear in the
semester-end examination of that particular course.

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11. Grading System
Pokhara University follows a four-point letter grade system. The letter grades awarded to
students will be as follows:

Letter Grade Grade Point Description

A 4.0 Excellent
A- 3.7
B+ 3.3 Good
B 3.0 Fair
B- 2.7
C+ 2.3
C 2.0 Pass in Individual Course
F 0.0 Fail

If a student cannot finish all the assigned works for the course, he/she will be given an
incomplete grade ‘I’. If all the required assignments are not completed within the following
semester, the grade of ‘I’ will automatically be converted into ‘F’.

The performance of a student is evaluated in terms of two indices: (a) Semester Grade Point
Average (SGPA) which is the grade point average of the particular semester, and (b)
Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) which is the grade point average of all the
semesters.
Total honor points earned in a semester
SGPA 
Total number of credits taken in a semester
Total honor points earned
CGPA 
Total number of credits completed
Where,
Honor Point = Grade point earned in a subject × Number of credits assigned to that subject

12. Degree Requirements

To graduate from the M.Sc. program, a student should have
 a ‘C’ or better grade in each of the courses as specified in the curricular structure
section;
 completed all the courses, and research project work as specified in the curricular
structure section within the maximum time period specified in the normal and
maximum duration of the study section;
 a final CGPA of 3.0 or better on the University’s 4.0 grade scale.

13. Distinction and Dean’s List

A student who obtains a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or better will receive the M.Sc. degree with
distinction. The Dean’s list recognizes outstanding academic performance in the program. To
qualify to this list, a student must have a CGPA of 3.80 or better.

14. Repeating a Course

A course may be taken only once for grade. Since passing of all courses individually is a
degree requirement, students must retake the failing course when offered and must
successfully complete the course. A student will be allowed to retake maximum of two
courses to achieve a minimum CGPA of 3.0. The grade earned on the retake examination will
substitute the earlier grade earned by the student in that course. A student can retake a course
only when it is offered by the college/university.

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15. Credit Transfer and Withdrawal
A maximum of 25% of the total credit hours of course work completed by a student in an
equivalent program of a recognized university/institution may be transferred/ waived for
credit by the Dean on the recommendation of the principal/head of the school/college.
However, for such transfer of credit, a student must have received a grade of 'B' or better in
the respective course. Courses taken more than two years earlier than the date of application
will not be accepted for transfer of credit.

Credit transfers will also be allowed from different programs of Pokhara University. In such
cases, all credits earned by students in compatible courses with a minimum grade of B may
be transferred to the new program.

The student may apply for withdrawal from the entire semester only on medical grounds.
However, partial withdrawal from courses registered in a semester will not be considered.

16. Code of Conduct

Students are strictly forbidden from adopting unfair means in class assignments, tests, report-
writing, final examination and thesis work. The following would be considered as adoption of
unfair means during examination:

 Communicating with fellow students for obtaining help.

 Copying form another student’s script/report/paper.
 Copying from disk, mobile, palm of hand or other incriminating documents
and equipment.
 Possession of any incriminating documents, whether used or not.
 Any approach in direct or indirect form to influence teacher concerning grade.
 Unruly behavior which disrupts academic program.

If the instructor detects a student using unfair means, the student may be given an ‘F’ grade at
the discretion of the Examination Board. Adoption of unfair means may result in the
dismissal of the student from the program and expulsion of the student from the college and
as such from Pokhara University.

17. Dismissal from the Program

A student is normally expected to obtain a GPA of 3.0 in the semester-end examinations of the M.
Sc. program. If a student’s performance falls short of maintaining this CGPA continuously
over the semesters, he/she may be advised to leave the program or dismissed from the program.

18. Detailed Curricular Structure

The M. Sc. CM students are required to complete 15 courses (equivalent to 45 credit hours),
and a research project (equivalent to 15 credit hours).

The first semester is focused on developing the foundation required for learning the
core/functional area and integrative courses. Students are required to attend classes in the
college and take written examinations conducted by Pokhara University to be held at the end
of the semesters.

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 Curricular Structure and Course Cycle

Semester I
Course Code Course Description Credit Hours
MGT 511 Project Planning and Control 3
MGT 512 Human Resource Management 3
STT 505 Statistical Analysis 3
ECM 521 Professional Ethics and Liability in Construction 3
ECO 501 Economics for Construction Managers 3
15

Semester II
Course Code Course Description Credit Hours
ECM 522 Construction Policies, Environment and Law 3
FIN 521 Financial Management 3
ECM 523 Construction Project Management 3
ECM 524 Management of Construction Plant and Equipment 3
Elective – I 3
15

Semester III
Course Code Course Description Credit Hours
ECM 621 Construction Project Engineering and Administration 3
ECM 622 Construction Safety Engineering 3
RCH 601 Research Methodology 3
ECM 623 Construction Management in Developing Countries 3
Elective – II 3
15

Semester IV
Course Code Course Description Credit Hours
ECM 625 Thesis 15

Electives
The following courses have been identified for electives. These courses offer students the
flexibility to customize their needs and meet their career interests and goals. These are
basically sectorial and application courses which address the systematic integration across
construction business disciplines. Hence, a wide range of elective options may be offered by
a college/school. A college/school can also develop and offer such sector-focused elective
courses with the prior approval of the Subject Committee and the Dean.
Elective – I (3 credits)
1. IEE and EIA
2. GIS
3. Operation Research
4. Concrete Technology
5. Bridge inspection and maintenance engineering

Elective – II (3 credits)
1. Water Resource engineering
2. Mountain Risk Engineering
3. Conservation management
4. Hydropower systems and management
5. Power plant systems
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Thesis (Research Project)
In the fourth semester of their study period, participating students are required to undertake a
research project and prepare an integrative research report in any areas of construction
management as approved by the college/school. Students are required to attend the viva-voce
examination and give a seminar presentation of their report as organized by the
college/school. Detailed evaluation scheme of the research project work is as below. For the
evaluation of the research report, the college/school shall appoint internal and external
examiners. The external examiner shall be appointed from the list approved by the Office of
the Dean.

Evaluation Scheme:

Mark Allocated for Scheduled

Submission or Delayed Submission Marks
On Late by Late by Late by Obtained
Schedule One Two More than
Activity Week Weeks Two
Weeks
1. Thesis proposal draft final 50 48 44 40
submission
2. Thesis proposal defense and 25 24 22 20
final submission
3. Literature review submitted for 50 48 44 40
evaluation
4. Primary and secondary data 50 48 44 40
collected and submitted for
evaluation
5. Midterm report submitted for 100 96 88 80
evaluation and presentation
6. Draft final report submission 100 96 88 80
and evaluation
7. Thesis defending evaluated 100 96 88 80
8. Final Report submission and 25 24 22 20
evaluation after incorporating
comments
Total 500 480 440 400

Evaluation system:
1. Serial number 1 to 4 shall be evaluated by the program director/coordinator and the
research guide. Average of the two shall be taken.
2. Serial number 5 to 7 shall be evaluated by an external evaluator 50%, thesis guide
25% and program director/coordinator 25%.
3. Serial number 8 shall be evaluated by the program director/coordinator.

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MGT 511: Project Planning and Control (3 – 1 – 0)

Course Objectives
The objective of this course is to equip the students with necessary tools for project
planning and make the students capable to use the planning and controlling tools
independently.

Course Contents

1. Introduction: (4 hrs)
Review of concept, definition and characteristics of a project, project lifecycle and
project phases.
Project formulation and Project development. Project management. Project manager
and skills required of a project manager.

2. Project Planning: (8 hrs)

The concept of planning. Reason for planning. Planning objective. Strategy of
planning. Information required for planning. Level of planning. Planning steps.
Component of planning. Detailed plan for project implementation: Time, Cost and
Quality. Preparing quality assurance plan (QAP). Who needs a plan? Why should
plans fail? Role of executives in project planning.

3. Project Planning Tools: (8 hrs)

Gantt chart. Linked bar chart. Mile stones chart. Line of balance. Relational Database.
CPM/PERT. Velocity diagram. Burndown chart or time and space chart. Earned value
analysis (S – curve). Multi task scheduling and Multi project scheduling.

4. Resource Allocation and Leveling: (4 hrs)

Concept of resource leveling, Method of resource leveling, Exercise on resource
leveling.

5. Project Monitoring and Control: (6 hrs)

Introduction to project monitoring, Project control cycle, Project schedule control,
Project cost control and Project quality control.

6. PMIS: (4 hrs)
Need of PMIS, Designing the PMIS for a construction project, Use of PMIS software:
Benefits, Features, Fitting the PMIS to the project. Errors in using PMIS software.
Using PMIS for resource requirement.

7. Use of Computer in Project Planning: (5 hrs)

Use of word processing, spread sheet and project management software in planning
and control.

8. Individual Assignments in Planning and Control and Class Room Presentation:

(6 hrs)
Students will individually prepare detailed working plan of a project and present in
various formats.

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References:

1. Kerzner, H. Project Management. New Delhi: CBS Publishers and Distributors.

2. Koontz, H. & Weihrich, H. Essentials of Management. New York: McGraw Hill.
3. O’ Brien, J. CPM in Construction Management. New York: McGraw Hill.
4. Srinath, L. S. PERT and CPM: Principles and Applications. New Delhi: East-West
Press Pvt. Ltd.
5. Punmia, B. C., & Khandelwal, K. K. Project Planning and Control with PERT and
CPM. New Delhi: Laxmi Publications Pvt. Ltd.
6. Ahuja, H. N., Dozzi, S. P., & Abourizk, S. M. Project Management: Techniques in
Planning and Controlling Construction Projects. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
7. George, T. & Franklin, S. Principles of Management. New Delhi: Travelers Book.
8. Harris, R. B. Precedence and Arrow Networking Techniques for Construction. New
York: John Wiley and Sons.
9. Bhattarai, D. At the Threshold of the Twenty First Century. Kathmandu: Nepal
Engineering College.

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MGT 512: Human Resource Management (3 – 0 – 0)

Course Objectives
The objective of this course is to enable the students to apply the principles and
practices of organization behavior and human resource management in the work
situation.

Course Contents

1. Evolution of Management Thought: (4 hrs)

The concept of modern management, Frederick W Taylor: Scientific Management,
Administrative and Functional Management (Classical theory), Max Weber and
Bureaucracy, Chester Bernard, Neoclassical theory, Contingency Theory.

2. Principles and Types of Organization: (4 hrs)

Need of an organization, Formal organization structures, Departmentalization,
Departmental Characteristics, Span of Control, Line and Staff: Checks and balance
within the organization, Organization design, Understanding organization:
Developing a Linear Responsibility Chart (LRC), The LRC and job description,
Difficulty in using LRC. Line Organization, Staff Organization, Matrix organization
(Project organization), Pure Project organization. Selecting an Organization form for
Projects. Organization of the future.

3. Motivation and Leadership: (4 hrs)

Good human relations and work environment. People’s want and people’s need.
Maslow’s hierarchy of need theory. Theory X and Theory Y. Personality
development: Chris Argyris. Herzberg’s theory. McClelland theory. Vroom’s theory
Leader and manager. Traits of leadership. Contingency theory of leadership,
Autocratic and democratic leader, Charismatic leader. Leadership grid, Expectancy
theory of leadership, Situational Leadership. Lifecycle theory of leadership.

4. Communication: (4 hrs)
Meaning of communication, Individual perception and communication, Effective
communication network, Organizational communication and the grapevine,
Improving the communication process: the linking pin. Communication breakdown.
Barriers to communication.

5. Group dynamics, Team Building and Conflict Management: (6 hrs)

Types of groups in an organization, Group behavior, Group influences,
Organization’s influence on group behavior. Teams in an organization: the trouble
with teams, high performing teams and effective teams. The team building approach:
when it is needed, aspects of team building efforts. Improving ongoing work teams.
Building new teams. Conflict within the teams. Conflict in an organization. Managing
conflict. Team methods for resolving conflict. Stress management.

6. Organizational Change and Development: (2 hrs)

The field of organizational change and development. The organizational
interventions. Complex issues facing organizational development.

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 7. Decision Making: (2 hrs)
Management and decision making. The process of decision making. Organizational
framework for decision making. Factors influencing decision making. Decision
making styles by managers. Decision making styles and implementation of decisions.

8. Human Resource Management: (7 hrs)

Forecasting workforce requirement. Over staffing, under staffing and balancing the
work force. Employee turnover. Absenteeism. Recruitment and selection of
employees, Training and development of employees: training need identification,
induction training, job skill training, group training and self-learning systems, various
methods of training, coaching to improve employee’s performance.

9. Employee Performance, Wage and Incentive: (4 hrs)

Employee performance. Performance evaluation. Performance and reward
system, Basic pay and increasing basic pay, Incentive pay. Employee benefit.
Non cash incentives, Compensation plan.

10. Industrial Relations Management: (4 hrs)

Grievance handling – principles and practices. Trade Union and employees,
Management attitude towards trade union. Unfair labor practices, Collective
bargaining, Prevailing labor laws in Nepal.

11. Productivity Management: (4 hrs)

Introduction, The productivity spiral, Benchmarking, Cycle time management,
Productivity improvement program, Job design for improving productivity.

References:
1. Robbins, S. P., Judge, T. A., & Vohra, N. Organizational Behavior. Delhi: Prentice
Hall of India, Latest edition.
2. Snell, S., & Bohlander, G. Human Resource Management. Australia: Thompson,
2007.
3. Dressler, G., & Varkkey, B. Human Resource Management. New Delhi: Pearson,
2009.
4. Monappa, A. & Saiyadain, M. Personnel Management. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-
Hill.
5. Filippo, E. Personnel Management. New Dill: Tata McGraw Hill.
6. Robbins, S.P., Judge, T.A., & Sanghi, S. Organization Behavior. New Delhi: Pearson,
2009.
7. Davis, K. Organization Behavior. New York: McGraw-Hill.
8. Greenberg, G. & Baron, R.A. Behaviour in Organization. New Delhi: Prentice Hall,
2003.
9. Agrawal, G. R. Dynamics of Human Resource Management. Kathmandu: M.K.
Publishers and Distributers.
10. Pant, P. R., & Manandhar, N. Industrial Relations in Nepal. Kathmandu: Buddha
Academic Publishers.
11. Armstrong, M. Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice.
London: Kogan Page.
12. Lauthans, F. Organizational Behavior. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
13. Related Legislations and ILO Convention papers.

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STT 505: Statistical Analysis (3 – 2 – 0)

Course Objectives
The objective of this course is to equip the students with tools and techniques of
statistical analysis that are applicable in conducting research work and or fact finding
process and decision problems.

Course Contents

1. Review of Introduction and Descriptive Statistics: (2 hrs)

Measures of central tendency and location; Measures of variability.

2. Theory of Probability: (7 hrs)

Introduction; Basic terms used in probability; Approaches to probability; Theorems of
probability; Baye’s theorem; Random variables; Mean or expectation of random
variable; Variance and standard deviation of a random variable.

3. Theoretical Probability Distributions: (6 hrs)

Binomial distribution; Poisson distribution; Hyper geometric distribution; Concept of
continuous distribution; The normal distribution; Fitting of normal distribution.

4. Sampling and Sampling Distribution: (4 hrs)

Introduction to sampling, Random sampling; Introduction to sampling distribution of
sample mean proportion; Central limit theorem; Relationship between sample size and
standard error.

5. Estimation: (3hrs)
Basic concept, point estimate and interval estimate; Interval estimate and confidence
intervals; Calculating interval estimate of mean and proportion; Determining sample
size in estimation.

6. Hypothesis Testing: (11 hrs)

Basic concepts to the hypothesis testing; Hypotheses testing of means; Hypothesis
testing of proportions; Test for equality for population means; Test of difference
between proportions; The t-test; Testing equality of variances of two normal
populations; Confidence internal; Chi-square as a test of goodness of fit, Test of
independence of attributes and test of population variance; Analysis of variance: One
way classification and two way classification.

7. Nonparametric Test: (4 hrs)

Introduction to nonparametric Statistics; The sign test for paired data; Mann- Whitney
U Test; Kruskal – Wallis Test; Kolmogorov – Smirnov Test.

8. Correlation and Regression: (8 hrs)

Scatter diagram; Simple correlation analysis; Simple regression analysis; Multiple
correlations; Multiple regressions; Curvilinear Regression; Quadratic function
regression; Exponential function regression; Power function regression.

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References:

1. Levin, R. I., & Rubin, D. S. Statistics for Management. New Delhi: Pearson.
2. Sthapit, A. B., Gautam, H., Joshi, P. R., & Dongol, P. M. Statistical Methods.
Kathmandu: Buddha Academic Publisher.
3. Sthapit, A. B., Yadav, R. P., & Khanal, S. P. Business Statistics. Kathmandu: Asmita
Books Publisher.
4. Gupta, S. P. Fundamental of Statistical Methods. New Delhi: Himalaya Publishing
House.
5. Srivastava, U. K., Shenoy, G.V., & Sharma, S. C. Quantitative Techniques for
Management Decisions. New Delhi: Wiley Eastern Pvt. Ltd.
6. Miller, I., & Miller, M. John E. Freund’s Mathematical Statistics with Applications.
New Delhi: Pearson.
7. Johnson, R. Miller & Freund’s Probability and Statistics for Engineers. New Delhi:
PHI Learning.

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ECM 521: Professional Ethics and Liability in Construction (3 – 0 – 0)

Course Objectives
The objective of the course is to develop students’ ability in analyzing and
interpreting the real life situation and to enhance the student’s moral/ ethical integrity
for the practice of engineering profession.

Course Contents

1. Introduction: (2 hrs)
General Introduction on morale and professional ethics:

2. Ethics: (4 hrs)
Introduction to ethics. Uses of ethics. Characteristics of ethical problems. Approaches
to ethical decision making.

3. Engineering Profession and Code of Ethics: (6 hrs)

Introduction. Characteristics of a profession. Factors affecting morale of a
professional. Code of ethics of engineering societies.

4. Law and Contract: (9 hrs)

Principles and Sources of law. The nature of law. Law of contract: Introduction,
development of contract law, need and its scope, Elements of Contract. Types of
contract. Contractual liability and privity of contract. Performance of contract and
breach of contract. Remedies for breach of contract. Termination of contract. Rule of
contract interpretation. Nepal Contract Act.

5. Tort and Crime: (5 hrs)

Introduction to criminal law and tort law. Type of tort and professional negligence.
Tort and third party liability. Tort and the project manager.

6. Duty and Liability of Engineer/ Architect and Delegation of Authority: (6 hrs)

The problem of design. Designer’s duties. Delegation of design duties. Delegation of
management duties. Limitations of liability and actions.

7. Insurance: (7 hrs)
Introduction. Role and scope of insurance in construction. Third party liability
insurance. Contractor’s all risk (CAR) insurance. Validity of insurance and claiming.
Statutory requirements.

8. Case Studies and Seminar: (6 hrs)

Students will study a real life insurance policy of a construction project insurance and
prepare a detailed individual commentary of the policy to present in seminars.

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References:

1. Cornes, D. L. Design Liability in the Construction Industry. London: Collins.

2. Gajaria, G.T. Law Relating to Building and Engineering Contracts in India. New
Delhi: PHI Learning.
3. Sinha, J. Manual of Ethics. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill.
4. Hosmer, L. T., The Ethics of Management. London: McGraw Hill.
5. Tandon, M. P. Jurisprudence and Legal Theories. New Delhi: Prentice Hall.
6. Martin, M. W., & Schinzinger, R. Ethics in Engineering. New York: McGraw Hill.
7. Fleddermann, C. B. Engineering Ethics. New York: Prentice Hall.
8. Frankena, W. K. Ethics. London: Prentice Hall.
9. Harrell, T. Industrial Psychology. New York: Rinehart.
10. George, R. E. Principles of Risk Management and Insurance. New York:
HarperCollins College Publishers, 1995.
11. Mishra, M. N. Insurance Principles and Practices. New Delhi: S. Chand and
Company.

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ECO 501: Economics for Construction Managers (3 – 1 – 0)

Course Objectives
This course aims at imparting the engineering students with knowledge of micro-
economics, contemporary economic issues, base financial concept and helping them
to develop proficiency with the methods and the process for making rational decisions
regarding situations they are likely to encounter in professional practice.

Course Contents

1. Introduction: (4 hrs)
Concept and principles of economics; approaches to economics; origins and principles
of engineering economics; Scope of engineering economics; engineering economy
and the design process; economic systems; applied economics; production
possibilities; economizing problem; concept of economic efficiency: productive and
allocative efficiency.

2. Fundamentals of Demand and Supply: (3 hrs)

Demand function and variables influencing demand; law of demand and changes in
demand; demand analysis; cardinal and ordinal approaches; types of demand;
elasticity of demand; factors influencing elasticity of demand; supply, variables
affecting supply; equilibrium of demand and supply.

3. Demand Forecasting: (4 hrs)

Estimation of demand function; demand forecasting; need; types of forecasts; steps in
forecasting; techniques of forecasting.

4. Cost Concepts and Cost-Output Analysis: (11 hrs)

Cost concepts; economic; explicit and implicit costs; direct and indirect costs;
opportunity cost; historical and replacement costs; private and social costs;
incremental and sunk costs; total cost, fixed cost and variable cost' average costs;
separable and common costs' marginal cost; relationship of MC and AVC, ATC and
AFC; long-run and short-run costs; cost function, economics of scale; concept of
production and revenue; returns to scale; an applications of cost analysis; estimation
of cost function; difficulties in empirical determination of cost functions.

5. Price-Output Decisions: (4 hrs)

Concept of price; determinants of price – volume decisions; market and its structure;
profit and break-even analysis; pricing under competition and monopolistic
competition; price-output decisions under monopoly and oligopoly.

6. Profit Concepts and Analysis: (4 hrs)

Concept of profit; accounting versus economic profit; functions of profit; economic
theories of profit; profit measurement; planning and control of profit; profit policies.

7. Prices and Price Indices: (4 hrs)

Meaning and its uses; steps and problems in the construction of price indices; un-
weighted and weighted index members; consumer price index numbers; construction
of cost of living in the numbers.

17
 8. Project Appraisal and Breakeven Analysis: (8 hrs)
Appraising project profitability; Internal Rate of Return; Payback period; Net present
value; Cost benefit analysis; Appraisal process: technical feasibility, economic
feasibility, financial feasibility and breakeven analysis; Breakeven chart; Managerial
use of breakeven analysis.

9. Managerial Economics: (3 hrs)

E – business; Business cycle; Monitory policy; Fiscal policy

References:

1. Garmo, D. et al., Engineering Economy. New York: Prentice Hall International, 1997.
2. Jain, S.K. Applied Economics. New Delhi: Vikash Publishing House, 1997.
3. Sullivan, W. G., Bontadelli, J. A., & Wicks, E. M. Engineering Economy. London:
Addison Wesley Longman, 2000.
4. Mankiw, N. G. Economics: Principles and Applications. Australia: Cengage
Learning.
5. Jhingan, M. L. The Economics of Development and Planning. Delhi: Vrinda
Publications Pvt. Ltd.
6. Samuelson, P.A., & Nordhaus, W. D. Economics. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill,
2009.

18
ECM 522: Construction Policies, Environment and Law (3 – 0 – 0)

Course Objectives
Objective of this course is to enhance the students’ practical skill in competing for a
project, successfully completing a project and in settling a project related issues.

Course Contents

1. Contract strategy, Concept, Choices and Methodology: (4 hrs)

Construction Business strategy: Stay in the market, Profit maximization, Gain
reputation.
Concept of construction business development and growth, Goal for growth,
Continuous improvement, Research and development, Corporate resources and
personnel, Financial management, Project slicing and packaging: preparing contract
packages, Setting up contracts, Engaging the contractors.

2. Concept of Construction Business Environment: (4 hrs)

Economic factor, The government factor, Technological factor, Socioeconomic and
demographic factor, Competition factor, Supplier factor.
Forces driving Industry competition: Introduction, Various forces driving
competition,

3. Business Environment: (4 hrs)

The company environment, Social environment, Political environment, Economic
environment, Fiscal environment, Trade union and relation with management,
Governance and effect to construction business, Government policy and its
effect

4. Introduction to Eco-system and Environment: (4 hrs)

Elements of environment and ecology, Environmental pollution, Environmental
degradation, Consequences of development activities.

5. Law and Policies Governing Environment, Ecology, Forests, Habitat and other
Matters Having Direct Bearing on Construction Industry: (4 hrs)
Local Governance Act - 2055, Solid Waste Management Act - 2049, Water Resource
Act - 2049, Forest Act - 2049, Environment Act - 2049, Industrial Act– 2049.

6. Codes and Bylaws: (4 hrs)

National building code, building bye-laws, labor law and other regulatory
requirements applicable in construction industry.

7. Intellectual Property Rights: (4 hrs)

Issues of intellectual property right in construction business. Claims in intellectual
property rights: global trend and its condition in Nepal. WTO and provision in WTO
regime.

8. Ownership and Transfer of Ownership Rights: (2 hrs)

Introduction, Ownership issues in developing countries, Transfer of ownership, legal
provisions related to ownership and transfer of ownership.

19
 9. Types of Engineering Contracts: (4 hrs)
EPC, Turnkey, Design build, Item rate, Cost plus, Sub contract and specialist sub-
contract, Labor contract

10. Various Forms of Conditions of Contract: (6 hrs)

General contents in various forms of contract document: ICE, JCB, ADB, WB, FIDIC
harmonized, PPMO.

11. Seminar and Classroom Presentations: (5 hrs)

Students will study prevailing policies and laws related to construction industry and
present them in classroom seminars.

References:

1. Moavenzaders, F. Global Construction and the Environment. New York: Ioha Willy,
1994.
2. Government of Nepal, Related Acts, Regulations, Guidelines and policies.
3. WB, ADB, Procurement guidelines.
4. FIDIC, WB, ADB, GoN, Model conditions of contract.
5. Martsons, D. L. Law for Professional Engineers. New York: McGraw-Hill.
6. NICMAR, Construction contract Management. Bombay: NICMAR publication.

20
FIN 521: Financial Management (3-2-0)

Course Objectives
The objective of this course is to make the students able in planning, analyzing and
controlling finance related problems in a construction projects.

Course Contents

1. Introductions and Overview of Financial Management: (4 hrs)

Introductions and overview of financial management; Functions of financial
management, Goal of financial management, The Agency problem and control of the
Corporation, Financial management practices in Nepal related to construction project.

2. Financial statements, Analysis and Taxes: (6 hrs)

Role of financial statement: balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement,
Financial ratio analysis: users and limitations of financial ratios. Taxes: average tax
rate, marginal tax rate, corporate tax and personal tax.

3. Time Value of Money: (8 hrs)

Concept of time value of money, Types of cash flows, Present value and future value
of a single sum of money, regular annuity and an annuity due, uneven cash flows,
present value of perpetuity, semiannual and other compounding periods, nominal
interest rate and the effective interest rate, loan amortization schedule, Applications of
Time Value of Money.

4. Strategic Financial Decision: (4 hrs)

Introduction to Debt, Preferred and Common Stock, Sources of Financing,
Importance of issue of long term sources of Financing, Initial public offering, Right
issues, Financial markets; Primary vs Secondary markets, Dealer vs Auction markets.

5. Cost of Capital: (5 hrs)

Concept of cost of Capital, Component cast of capital, Weighted average cost of
capital and its significance, Marginal cost of capital.

6. Long Term Investment Planning: (8 hrs)

Concept and Importance of Capital Budgeting, Project classification, Ranking the
Investment Proposal, NPV Vs IRR, Scenario and Sensitivity analysis, Capital
budgeting in Practices.

7. Introduction to Working Capital Management: (6 hrs)

Concept and importance of working capital, Working capital cash flow cycle, Short
term financing policy and planning in Nepal, Importance of cash, inventory
management; economic order quantity and receivable management, Types of floats,
and credit terms.

8. Divided Policy: (4 hrs)

Divided payments procedure, Dividend Payment Schemes, Factors influencing
divided policy, Stock dividends and stock splits, Stock repurchases, Issues and
Challenges of Dividend Policies in Nepal.

21
 Note: At least one case will be administered at the end of each unit. The students will
also complete a project work and a few other assignments as specified by the course
tutor.

References:

1. Ross, S. A., Westerfield, R. W., & Jordan, B. D. Fundamentals of Corporate

Finance. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill.
2. Brealey, R., & Myers, S. Principles of Corporate Finance. New York: McGraw-
Hill.
3. Brigham, E. F., & Gapenski, L. C. Financial Management: Theory and Practice.
New York: The Dryden Press.
4. Brigham, E. F., and Ehrahardt, M. C. Financial Management: Text and Cases.
India: Cengage Learning Pvt. Ltd.
5. Pradhan, R. S. Financial Management Practices in Nepal. New Delhi: Vikash
Publishing House.
6. Van Horne, J. C. Financial Management and Policy. New Delhi: Prentice Hall of
India.
7. Weston, J. F., & Thomas, E. C. Managerial Finance. New York: The Dryden
Press.

22
ECM 523: Construction Project Management (3 – 1 – 0)

Course Objectives
The objective of this course is to prepare students to manage a construction project
considering all the aspects involved in a construction project execution process.

Course Contents

1. Pre-bid Activities: (4 hrs)

Concept and introduction. Pre-bid activities of owner or the client – from conceiving
of the project to receiving the bids from the bidders. Pre-bid activities of a consultant:
for offering services to the owner, for organizing consultant to receive bids from
contractors – from the date of consultant agreement to date of receiving contractor’s
bids. Pre-bid activities of contractors – from date of tender notice to the date of
submission of bids. Proactive contractors.

2. Role of Various Agencies in a Construction Project: (6 hrs)

Parties involved in a construction project – The client, the consultant, the contractor,
sub-contractors, labor suppliers, material suppliers, transporters, clearing and
forwarding agents, insurance companies, environmental activists, local government,
journalists, political parties, user community. Role of Client – project developer,
project owner. Role of the Consultant – information gathering, design delivery,
implementation supervision, planning and scheduling, reporting to owner, motivating
the work team, taking measures for project control, working as Project Management
Consultant(PMC). Role of Contractor – project implementation, quality delivery,
timely delivery. Role of other Parties – supportive role, less supportive role.
Provisions in the contract document.

3. Construction Documentation and Report Writing: (8 hrs)

Introduction – Documentation defined, need for good documentation and purpose of
documentation. Documentation During Various Phases of Project Lifecycle –
conceptual phase, design phase, construction phase, post construction phase.
Construction Period Documentation – Kickoff meeting agenda and minutes,
mobilization monitoring and reporting, cash flow forecast, work schedule, resource
deployment plan, daily progress report, periodical inspection/ walk down report,
materials control report, progress control documentation, monthly progress report,
quality control report, material testing report, equipment deployment report,
manpower report, safety implementation records, safety training records, reports of
accidents, third party certification of equipment condition, work measurement record,
progress payment records, site instructions, letters, VOs, regular communication
records. Post Construction Documentation – project completion report, as built
drawings, operation manuals, maintenance manuals, project handing over certificate,
project close out records.

Report Writing: Introduction – process of communication, importance of business

communication. Business reports – characteristics, importance and types. Structures
of Reports – Front matter, main body and back matters. Preparatory Steps to Report
Writing – defining the purpose and scope, knowing the audience, data collection and
organizing the materials. Report Writing – the first draft, procedure for writing, the
final draft, check list for reports, use of illustrations and photographs. Text format and
matrix format of reports.
23
4. Specifications in Construction Projects: (4 hrs)
Definition and introduction. Purpose of specification, Need of specification in
construction projects, Types of specification, Material specification and work
specification. Specification writing – general principles adopted in writing
specification.

5. Project Commissioning, Start up and Operation: (5 hrs)

Concept and Introduction – need in construction projects. Commissioning of road and
other infrastructure projects. Commissioning of electro mechanical projects.
Commissioning of hydro mechanical projects. Procedure of Commissioning – The
commissioning plan, preparing team for commissioning, commissioning procedure,
commissioning report.
Project Start up - Plan for start up, preparation needed, setting up team for start up,
start up process, start up records, start up report.
Project Operation – Handing over to operation department, operation planning,
monitoring of operation, operation reporting.

6. Materials Management: (10 hrs)

Introduction. Objectives and goals of material management. Functions involved in
material management – Planning, purchasing, receiving, inspecting, storing, dealing
with surpluses and scraps, reducing reclamation and surpluses. Integrated Material
Management – Introduction to IMM, advantage of IMM, differentiation and
integration. Material Management Organization – Linkage with project organization,
typical material management organization, authority and responsibility in the
hierarchy. Source of Materials, Its Principles and Practices – Introduction, principles
of locating source, practice of locating source, vendor evaluation and vendor rating.
Inventory Management – Introduction, the cost of inventory, economic order quantity.
ABC analysis in material management.

7. Project Evaluation and Auditing: (8 hrs)

Evaluation: Needs and importance of project evaluation, project evaluation myths,
types of project in terms of degree of success, reasons for project success and failure,
types of evaluation based on time, evaluator and purpose, inputs to project evaluation,
methods of evaluation
Audit: Need of project audit, types of audit, depth of audit, timing of audit, major
tasks of a project audit, components of audit, types of project audit, life cycle of
project audit, auditor’s responsibilities, steps of project audit, financial audit, technical
audit, environmental audit, social audit

Note: After completing each unit, students will be given real life examples for their
individual analysis and presentation in the class room.

24
References:

1. Barrie, D. S. Professional Construction Management. New York: McGraw-Hill.

2. Bhattarai, D. At the Threshold of the 21st Century. Kathmandu: Nepal Engineering
College.
3. Fisk, E. Construction Project Administration. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
4. Ritz, G. J. Total Construction Project Management. New York: McGraw-Hill.
5. Kerzner, H. Project Management. New Delhi: CBS Publishers & Distributors.
6. Gopalkrisnan, P., & Sundaresan, M. Materials Management. New Delhi: Prentice
Hall.
7. Levy, S. M. Project Management in Construction. New York: McGraw-Hill.
8. Joyce, N. E., & Gould, F. E. Construction Project Management. New Jersey:
Prentice Hall.

25
ECM 524: Management of Construction Plant and Equipment (3 – 1 – 0)

Course Objectives
The objective of this course is to enable the students to make appropriate choice of
various equipments, construction plant by considering their pros and cons and related
safety measures.

Course Contents

1. Introduction to Construction Plant and Equipment: (2 hrs)

Tools, equipment, machines and plant. Need for mechanization in construction
industry and justification. Need for plant management. Productivity enhancement.
Modern construction plants and equipment.

2. Review of Familiarization with Construction Plant: (4 hrs)

Tractors, dozers and rippers. Excavating equipment. Loading equipment. Transporting
equipment. Compacting equipment. Lifting and hoisting equipment. Foundation
construction equipment. Aggregate production equipment. Concrete production,
transportation, placing and compacting equipment. Road making equipment.
Tunneling equipment.

3. Classification of Construction Equipment: (2 hrs)

Various standards available, the CIB classification.

4. Selection of Construction Plant and Equipment: (4 hrs)

Background and introduction. Planning for equipment selection. Some careful
considerations. Main basis for equipment selection.

5. Monitoring and Controlling of Equipment Operation: (6 hrs)

Monitoring of operation. Controlling the equipment operation. Monitoring tools in
use.

6. Cost of Equipment: (4 hrs)

Ownership cost. Operating cost. Depreciation of equipment. Direct cost. Indirect cost.

7. Life of Equipment: (2 hrs)

Useful life. Actual life. Depreciable life. Taxable life. Economic life.

8. Plant Hiring: (5 hrs)

History and justification. Function of a plant hiring company. Plant owning options.
Equipment activity monitoring and control, Organization of plant hiring company,
Functioning of a plant hiring company. Plant hiring rate.

9. Plant Maintenance: (4hrs)

Introduction. Need of maintenance department. Types of maintenance – breakdown
maintenance, preventive maintenance, overhauling. Maintenance procedure. Plant
maintenance options. Spare parts management – procurement and inventory
management.

26
 10. Equipment Safety: (4 hrs)
Operations in Material Handling – Lifting cranes. Steam boilers under pressure.
Bitumen boilers and sprayers. Faulty and defective equipment. Electrical system in
equipment. Filling of tanks. Some safety rules and precautions.

11. Estimating Production Rates of Some Equipment: (8 hrs)

Introduction, deciding size and capacity of equipment. Fundamentals of earth work.
Calculating production output of some equipment.

References:

1. Harris, F., & McCaffer, R. Plant Management. London: Butterworth.

2. Peurifoy, R. L., Ledbetter, W. B., & Schexnayder, C. J. Construction Planning,
Equipment, and Methods. New York: The McGraw-Hill.
3. Bhattarai, D. Construction plant Management. Kathmandu: Nepal Engineering
College.
4. Harris, F., & McCaffer, R. Modern Construction Management. London: Blackwell
Science Ltd.

27
ECM 621: Construction Project Engineering and Administration (3 – 0 – 0)

Course Objectives
The objective of this course is to make the students capable to decide on setting up of
contracts and selecting the contractors in any construction projects. The students will
also be able to handle variations and change order as the project progresses. After
completing this course the students will also understand managing project risk and
uncertainties and be able to administer the project independently as per the provisions
of the conditions of contract.

Course Contents

1. Introduction to Construction Project Engineering: (2 hrs)

Overview of various fields of civil engineering contract work, Functions of
construction management, Becoming a successful construction entrepreneur.

2. Working with Consultant: (4 hrs)

The business of a consultant; Engaging a consultant; Consultant’s personnel;
Accepting replacement; Consultant moves in – kick off meeting, communication with
the consultant, listening to the consultant, contributing to the consultant; Handling
change in the scope of the work; Bad consultant and good consultant; Consultant’s
reporting – content, frequency, and distribution.

3. Project Gets Started: (6 hrs)

Contractor moves in; Consultant moves in; The employer’s role to get project started;
The kick-off meeting with the contractor; Contractor’s submissions; Schedules and
plans reviewed; Safety and security related plans approved; Safety management
system installed; Quality management system designed and installed; Material testing
facilities agreed and installed. Copy of contract document made available at site.

4. Managing Risk and Uncertainties in Construction Projects: (6 hrs)

Concept of risk; Source of risk; Risk identification – various techniques of
identification; Risk assessment – likelihood, impact and consequence; Risk response
planning – risk transferring, risk reducing, and contingency planning; Risk
management principles; Risk analysis.

5. Construction Contract Administration: (7 hrs)

Explaining ambiguities; Supply of drawings and instructions; Review and approve
contractor’s work program; Approval of materials and quality certificates;
Replacement of contractor’s personnel; Suspension of work and determine extra
payment arising out of such suspension; Determining EOT for completion of the
work; Documenting reasons for EOT; Certifying interim payments; Valuation of VO
and getting it approved; Fixing of new rates; Control and expenditure of provisional
sums; Approval of nominated sub-contractor; Determining whether work is
substantially completed; Measurement and valuation of work completed; Giving
decisions on contractor’s claims and quarries; Taking action on unacceptable
performance – termination of contract, forfeiture of guarantees and other assets of the
contractor; valuation of work done and final account after termination; Setting up new
contract.

28
 6. Claims, Disputes and Dispute Settlement: (6 hrs)
Introduction to claims, Reasons for claims, Source of claims, Preparing claims,
analysis of claims, preparing defense.

Introduction to dispute, Causes of commercial dispute, Common causes of

construction disputes, Methods of dispute settlement: court litigation, alternative
methods of dispute resolution (ADR). Principles and practices of arbitration, Nepal
Council of Arbitration, Nepal Arbitration Act.

7. Procurement of Works, Services and Equipment: (8 hrs)

Introduction. Considerations that guide procurement policies. Prequalification of
contractors – standard prequalification document, prequalification notice. Post
qualification. Purpose of standard bidding document. Bidding document for
procurement of works. Format of bidding document. Single stage – single envelope
bidding. Two stage bidding. Receiving the bids and bid evaluation. Bid examination
and deviations. Bid evaluation report. Selection of lowest evaluated bidder and award
of contract. Multilateral agency’s guideline on procurement of works.

Introduction to procurement of services. Methods of selection of consultants.

Selection procedure. Criteria of short listing. Request for proposal and the proposal.
Proposal scoring criteria. Award of contract. Multilateral agency’s guideline on
procurement of services.

PPMO its role and responsibilities. Nepal Procurement Act – 2063 and Nepal
Procurement Regulation – 2064. Procurement methods recommended.

8. Motion and Time Study: (6 hrs)

Method Study: Introduction; Recording; Examining and developing; The flow and
handling of materials; Movement of workers; Method of movement at work place;
Define, install and maintain method;
Work Measurement: Introduction; Time study equipment; Selecting a job and making
time study; Time study rating; From study to basic time; Setting time standard;

References:

1. Gould, F. E., & Joyce, N. E. Construction Project Management. New York: Prentice
Hall.
2. Nicholas, J. M., & Steyn, H. Project Management for Business, Engineering and
Technology. Heinemann: Butterworth.
3. ILO, Introduction to Work Study. Geneva: ILO Publication.
4. Fryer, B. The Practice of Construction Management. London: Collins.
5. Joyce, N. E., & Gould, F. E. Construction Project Management. New Jersey: Prentice
Hall.
6. Bhattarai, D., An Introduction to Construction Management Practices in Nepal:
Nepal Engineering College.

29
ECM 622: Construction Safety Engineering (3 – 0 – 0)

Course Objectives
After completing this course students will be able to identify problem and issues
related to safety at construction site. Students will be able to independently manage
safety at construction site.

Course Contents

1. Introduction: (2 hrs)
Construction industry and safety; Meaning and scope of construction safety; Various
aspects of construction safety; Scope for improvement.

2. Modern Safety Concept: (4 hrs)

Introduction; The British Safety Legislation; Growth of safety laws and legislation;
Legislation, penalties or standards; Concern over health and safety of workers;
Concern for general people and property; Educating the mass.

3. Accidents and Their Causes: (6 hrs)

Software causes, Hardware causes; Accidents at construction sites; Losses due to
accidents, Calculation of lost hour and lost resources.

4. Attending the Emergency: (4 hrs)

Introduction; Fire emergency; Drowning, Electric shock; Burn with Acids and
chemicals; Attending a person fallen from height; First aid at construction site.
The first aid centre.

5. Prevention of Accidents: (5 hrs)

Introduction; Role of legislation; Implementation of safety plan at construction site;
Awareness and self-discipline– discipline at work; Design provisions for reducing
accidents; Eliminating the accidents at construction sites.

6. Documentation for Safety Management: (6 hrs)

Preparation of an EHS plan; Fire safety plan; Emergency dealing plan; Site security
plan; Machine inspection records; Daily observation records; Meeting minutes; Test
certificates, Manufacturer’s instruction manual for storage and handling of hazardous
substances; Site activity records.

7. Work Place Safety Management: (10 hrs)

Organization safety policy – its content; Review of contractor’s safety policy;
Approval of contractor’s EHS plan; Safety signal and signage; Awareness generating
slogans; Equipment safety – third party inspection, licensed operator, training of
operator; Ensuring electrical safety – installing correct circuit breakers, training of
electrician; Housekeeping; Training of workers – Induction, tool box talk, skill
training, periodical safety briefing; Safety walk down at site; Safety meetings; Safety
reporting; Method statement and job safety analysis (JSA); Near miss reporting;
Accidents reporting; Report of property loss; Safety performance chart. Safety
supervision – qualification and competence of safety personnel, role of safety
engineers and safety stewards.

30
 8. Motivating for Safety: (4 hrs)
Introduction; Motivating the workers; Motivating the supervisors and managers;
Motivating the planners and designers; Motivating the contractors; The safety
committee.

9. Safety Cost: (4 hrs)

Introduction; Cost to the contractor; Cost to the employer; Cost of managing safety at
construction site; Calculating the cost of safety; Provision in the tender document.

Note: Students will prepare individually (a) a safety plan as home assignment and
(b) method statements and JSA of some construction activities as class work. They are
required to present their work in the classroom.

References:

1. NICMAR, Safety Management in the Construction Industry. Bombay: NICMAR

publication.
2. Grimaldi, J. V., Simonds, R. H., & Richard, D. Safety Management. Homewood, IL:
Irwin, 1989.
3. Atev, S. S. Construction Technology. Moscow: Mir Publishers, 1997.
4. Tarafdar, N. K., & Tarafdar, K. J. Industrial Safety Management. Delhi: Dhanpat Rai
& Co.

31
RCH 601: Research Methodology (3 – 0 – 0)

Course objectives
The objective of this course is to equip the students with tools and techniques of
social research work. Students after completing this course will be able to conduct a
research work independently.

Course Contents

1. Introduction: (1 hr)
Conceptualization of research; Nature and types of research; Qualities of researcher;
Place of theory in research; Relationship of theory and facts; Research process.

2. Methods of Research: (3 hrs)

Qualitative method, Quantitative method, Field study method, Library method,
Experimental method, Survey method, Interview method, Case study as a method of
research, Questionnaire method, Opinion poll method, Empirical method, analytical
method, Verstehen method, Sample method, Ideal types method, Interdisciplinary
research method.

3. Formulation of Research Problem: (2 hrs)

Anticipation of problem; Subject matter identification; Defining research object;
Formation of Hypothesis; Design of study; Tools of data collection; Universe of
study.

4. Selection of Research Problem: (4 hrs)

Topic of research; Consumers of research; Components of a research problem;
Conditions conducive for formation of research problem; Research resources and
research problem; Organizational and individual research; Determinants of individual
research; Approaches to starting points; Research proposal writing.

5. Review of Hypothesis: (4 hrs)

Concept of hypothesis; Nature of hypothesis; Is hypothesis unavoidable? Problems in
formulating hypothesis; Types of hypothesis; Origin of hypothesis; Characteristics of
usable hypothesis; Formulating hypothesis; Utilities of hypothesis.

6. Variables and Scales: (4 hrs)

Variables and parameters; Variables and their levels of measurement; Converting
qualitative variables into quantitative variables; Scales and scaling techniques.

7. Research Design: (4 hrs)

Understanding research design, Purpose of research design, Need of research design,
Idealized research design, Interdependence of design, problems of research design,
Typologies of research design, Design of exploratory or formulation studies, Design
for descriptive or diagnostic studies, Difference between descriptive and diagnostic
designs, Experimental study design, charity of research design.

32
8. Some Methodological Issues: (3 hrs)
Problem orientation Vs method orientation, Types of problems, Extent of use of
methods, Quantitative approach in social research, Scientific methods, Components of
scientific approach.

9. Measurements and Problems: (2 hrs)

Understanding measurements, Problem of measuring data, Sources or variation,
Problems of validity, Reliability of measurement, Method of testing reliability, and
Suggestions for effective measurement.

10. Methods and Techniques of data collection: (2 hrs)

Library method; Questionnaire method, development of questionnaire; Checklist and
Interview method, Case-study method and Statistical method.

11. Sampling and its Importance: (4 hrs)

Understanding Sampling, and need for Sampling, Basis of Sampling, Good Sample,
Constructing Sample design, Disadvantage of Sampling method, Types of Sampling
methods, Random sampling, Stratified sampling, Deliberate or purposive Sampling,
Repetitive sampling, Quota sampling, Duster sampling, Self selected sampling,
Sample by regular interval, Area sampling, Universe, Indefinite universe, Red
universe, Hypothetical universe, Sample size, Reliability of Sampling, Generality of
Sampling procedure.

12. Classification, Tabulation and Management of Data: (4 hrs)

Classification and its characteristics, objective of classification, Basis of
classification, Types of classification, classification according to attributed,
classification according to variables, Category set, Discrete and continuous series.
Tabulation, Objective of tabulation, Steps towards tabulation, Simple and complex
tables, Arrangement of columns, Drawing tables, Mechanical methods of tables,
Advantages and limitations of tabulations.
Data management; Coding.

13. Analysis, Interpretation and Presentation of Data: (4 hrs)

Need for interpretation; Precaution in interpretation; Process of Graphic presentation;
Descriptive presentation; Diagrams; Pictures and maps; Tabular presentation;
Difficulties in presentation; Interpretation of data; Techniques of data analysis; Hands
on practice using computer software.

14. Research Report Writing: (4 hrs)

Problems of report writing; Target group in report writing; categories of research
report; Contents of a research of report; Qualities of a good research report;
Chapterization of report; Comprehensive report writing; Fore word of a report;
Inclusion of summary; What to avoid? Minimum to be included, Presentation of
report; Referencing.

33
References:

1. Riordan, D. G., & Pauley, S. E. Technical Report Writing Today. New Delhi:
Biztantra.
2. Kothari, C. R. Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques. New Delhi: New
Age International.
3. Wolff, H. K., & Pant, P. R. Social Science Research and Thesis Writing.
Kathmandu: Buddha Academic Publishers and Distributors.
4. Gaur, Ajai S. Statistical Methods for Practice and Research. New Delhi: Tata
McGraw-Hill.

34
ECM 623: Construction Management in Developing Countries

Course Objectives
The objective of this course is to help the students in understanding the differences
between developed and developing countries in terms of their practices in
construction management, and in developing higher degree of flexibility in order to
prepare the students to work globally.

Intended Learning Objectives

The following are the intended learning objectives of this course.
Incorporate social, cultural, environmental, political and economic factors in design
and implementation of construction projects in developing countries.
Make decisions on the type of technology to be used in the implementation of
infrastructure development projects in remote areas in developing countries.
Ensure effective participation of all the stakeholders, especially the marginalized
ones, in all the phases (conceptualizing, planning, designing, mobilizing,
implementing, operating and maintaining) of development of construction projects.
Select proper personnel for project evaluation and project audit based on the
qualification and skill of the evaluator and auditor.

Course Contents

1. Concept of Development: (6 hrs)

Definitions of development, Core value of development, Objectives of development,
Sources of underdevelopment, Measures of development, Classification of countries
based on levels of development, Similarities (common characteristics) and differences
in developing countries, Characteristics of developed and developing countries

2. Linkage Between Developed and Developing Countries: (3 hrs)

Ways developed and developing countries are linked: Global Village,
Environmental, Population, Migration, Debt, Job, Education, Trade/Transit, Tourism,
Terrorism, Politics, Peace, Supranational Institutions, International Business,
Multinational Corporations, Outsourcing, Foreign Direct Investment, World Trade
Organization
Interdependence of developed and developing countries: Socio-economic
interdependence, Environmental interdependence, Political interdependence

3. Needs of the Developed and Developing Countries: (2 hrs)

Needs of Developed Countries from Developing Countries: Human Resources,
Natural Resources, Investment Opportunities, Climate Change, Dump site for
obsolete technology, waste dump, medicine testing
Needs of Developing Countries from Developed Countries: Education and
training, infrastructure project, funding, technology, humanitarian assistance, loan,
management system, health needs, water need, information need

4. Culture, Attitudes and Beliefs: (2 hrs)

Culture: Definition of culture, elements of culture, safety culture, impact of culture
on construction management, Attitude: positive, negative and neutral attitude,
functions of attitude, changing attitude, impact of attitude in construction
management, Beliefs: religious belief, predestination, accident, social belief, impact
of belief system on construction management

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5. Project Environment in Developing Countries: (4 hrs)
Project participants: Client, Consultants, Contractors, Construction materials and
allied industries, funding agencies, journalists, Environmental activists, end users.
Management Aspect of Project Environment in developing countries: top level,
middle level and operational level management and their characteristics, Legal, Socio-
cultural, economic, political and demographic factors. External factors affecting
construction project

6. Choice of Technology: (3 hrs)

Concept of construction technology; labor intensive technology, capital intensive
technology, and Labor based technology; Merits and demerits of Capital intensive
technology; Merits and demerits of Labor intensive technology; Factors determining
choice of technology; Transfer of technology: positive and negative aspects,
Objectives of transfer of technology; Issues related to transfer of technology;
Channels of transfer of technology; Methods of transfer of technology; Provisions of
the Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act 1992. Impact of technology
transfer in construction industry.

7. Participatory Approach in Infrastructure Development: (3 hrs)

Practices of infrastructure development in Nepal; Traditional development
approaches: state led, market led, NGO led and community led; Modern approach:
State – users cooperation (participatory) and developers – community cooperation
(participatory); Participatory approach versus central planning approach; Benefits of
participatory approach in infrastructure development; Levels of participation; Stages
of participation
Elements of participative approach; Ways to ensure effective participation.

8. Project Operation and Maintenance in Developing Countries: (4 hrs)

Meaning and objectives of project operation; Importance of O&M; Reasons for poor
project operation; Activities involved in project operation; Inspection and inspector’s
check list; Importance and objectives of maintenance; Types of maintenance: Planned
maintenance, unplanned maintenance, emergency maintenance, preventive
maintenance and corrective maintenance; Regular, Recurrent, and Periodic
maintenance; Project downtime.
Design aspect of O&M; Community aspect of O&M; Capacity building for O&M;
O&M manual: content and style; Steps in the preparation of O&M manual; Check list
of O&M, common types of O&M manual

9. Society and Construction Project Management: (6 hrs)

Project Investment models: Increase in private investment; Investment models –
BOT, BOOT, PPP and others; Bank and financial institutions – Rate of interest,
public project investment, private project investment.
Pre construction activities: Social considerations, bidding complexities and e-
bidding; Bid bond and their conditions; Site visit by the bidders; Bid preparation by
the bidders; Study of tender document; Completeness of tender document and
ambiguities.
Increasing expectations: Employer’s expectations - universal knowledge, stringent
environmental parameters; Meeting project objectives; Expectation of high quality
and accepting low bids; Hope for zero accident and willingness to spend; Involvement
of user’s community during project planning and development.

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 Land acquisition: Introduction, procedure, cost of land; Issues associated with land
acquisition – forest, public utilities. Valuation of private properties – houses, other
structures, trees and plants; Land acquisition complexities.
Construction period: Contractor’s mobilization – modern trend. Material supply –
involvement of local youths; Incorporating people’s demand – feasible vs unfeasible;
Role of local youth organizations (LLYOs)– how organized are the organizations.
Project control process – challenges to the engineer’s staff. Labor issues - EHS issues
and awareness, minor labor, gender and equity considerations; Labor unions: highly
politicized, interest in higher wage only, poorly organized; Application of project
management tools – current status, selection of tools, frequency of updating.

10. Project Evaluation and Auditing: (6 hrs)

Evaluation: Needs and importance of project evaluation, project evaluation myths;
Types of projects in terms of degree of success; Reasons for project success and
failure; Types of evaluation based on time period and purpose of evaluation; Inputs to
project evaluation; Methods of evaluation.
Audit: Introduction and need of project audit; Types of project audit: financial audit,
technical audit, environmental audit, social audit; Depth of audit; Timing of audit;
Major tasks of a project audit; Components of audit; Life cycle of project audit;
Auditor’s responsibilities; Steps of project audit; Audit report.

11. Case Studies/Seminars: (6 hrs)

Issues of construction industry in the developing countries shall be identified; cases
shall be studied and presented in class room seminars.

References:

1. Loraine, R. K. Construction management in developing countries. New York:

Telford, 1992.
2. Lekhi, R. K. Economics of development planning. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill.
3. Books on sociology and social change.
4. Books on economics and development planning.
5. Publication of National Planning Commission and Central Bureau of Statistics.
6. Journal, papers and reports.

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