Exploring earned value management in the Spanish construction industry as a pathway to competitive advantage

[EN] As a well established discipline and profession, project management has its distinctive tools and techniques. One of them that has been considered the embodiment of the core principles of project management is the Earned Value Management (EVM). In managing construction projects, the EVM has been considered as a suitable tool and hence, has been implemented in various construction industry but absent in some others. Taking into account the dynamic environment where construction companies have to operate, particularly in turbulence environments as the direct result of recent global economic downturn, this paper explores the potential implementation of EVM in one of the construction industry, the Spanish construction industry. 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Clinical practice guidelines for the care of patients with a chronic subdural haematoma: multidisciplinary recommendations from presentation to recovery.

INTRODUCTION: A chronic subdural haematoma (cSDH) is an encapsulated collection of fluid and blood degradation products in the subdural space. It is increasingly common, affecting older people and those living with frailty. Currently, no guidance exists to define optimal care from onset of symptoms through to recovery. This paper presents the first consensus-built recommendations for best practice in the care of cSDH, co-designed to support each stage of the patient pathway. METHODS: Guideline development was led by a multidisciplinary Steering Committee with representation from diverse clinical groups, professional associations, patients, and carers. Literature searching to identify relevant evidence was guided by core clinical questions formulated through facilitated discussion with specially convened working groups. A modified Delphi exercise was undertaken to build consensus on draft statements for inclusion in the guideline using survey methodology and an in-person meeting. The proposed guideline was subsequently endorsed by the Society for British Neurological Surgeons, Neuroanaesthesia and Critical Care Society, Association of Anaesthetists, British Association of Neuroscience Nurses, British Geriatric Society, and Centre for Perioperative Care. RESULTS: We identified that high quality evidence was generally lacking in the literature, although randomised controlled trial (RCT) data were available to inform specific recommendations on aspects of surgical technique and use of corticosteroids. The final guideline represents the outcome of synthesising available evidence, consensus-built expert opinion and patient involvement. The guideline comprises 67 recommendations across eight major themes, covering: presentation and diagnosis, neurosurgical triage and shared decision-making, non-operative management, perioperative management (including anticoagulation), timing of surgery, intraoperative and postoperative care, rehabilitation and recovery. CONCLUSIONS: We present the first multidisciplinary guideline for the care of patients with cSDH. The recommendations reflect a paradigm shift in the care of cSDH, recognising and formalising the need for multidisciplinary and collaborative clinical management, communication and decision-making delivered effectively across secondary and tertiary care

Strategic Project Management — Project Strategy and Measurement of Success

Relevant research has shown (The Standish Group Reports, 2009) that a large number of organizations do not achieve the set goals in the execution of their projects-the completion of the project in the predicted time period, within the budget, and with the agreed quality, among others. On the other hand, a more serious problem is that many of them seem to fail to achieve business goals, while it is a commonplace that the desired results fail to be achieved in either group. The majority of organizations strive to improve the execution of their projects in a traditional way, for example, through employees’ education, work process improvement, introduction of software support, etc. The focus on these elements only results in a limitation as to how much the effectiveness and efficiency of the project execution can be improved, especially from the aspect of the organization achieving its goals. In order to achieve a higher competitive advantage, the real improvements have to be closely linked to the strategic aspect of project management