New book on project management
View(s):“Making Project Administration Efficient and Effective: Challenges and Good Practices” is a book written by Dr. Amarasena Gamaathige.
He is a former Senior Project Specialist, Sri Lanka Resident Mission, ADB and Senior Lecturer/ Head of the Department of Social Studies, Open University.
The book, according to the author, focuses on the project administration experience of seven projects funded by the Asian Development Bank, the government of Sri Lanka and others with a total cost of about $1.12 billion during the last two decades: 1) the Southern Transport Development Project (STDP) for the construction of the Southern Expressway from Colombo to Matara, 2) the widening and improvements of five national roads connecting the Southern Expressway under the National Highways Sector Project, 3) Science and Technology Personnel Development Project supporting 10 national universities and seven research institutes, 4) Skills Development Project for establishment of national vocational qualification (NVQ) framework and competency based training (CBT), 5) Technical Education Development Project for establishment of the University of Vocational Technology (Univotec) and Colleges of Technology (CoTs), 6) Aquatic Resource Quality Improvement Project for development of inland fisheries, and 7) Emergency Support to Address Outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) as a grant project.
“The key question addressed in the book is whether the processes of project planning and implementation were effective and efficient compared with proposed policy changes, specific targets, milestones, costs and benefits, and also meeting accountability requirements provided in safeguard policies and loan conditions that authorise the project managers, administrators and monitors to carry out their activities as planned. It is argued in the book that project management practices have not always produced expected project objectives, implementation time frame, outcomes, outputs, and impacts and emphasises the need for handling problems proactively for more effective and efficient work performance of development practitioners,” the author said.
The book is recommended for students following courses in project management in the social science disciplines and professional training. The 367-page book is priced at Rs. 800 and available at Sarasavi Bookshop, Nugegoda.