A Master of Science thesis in Engineering Systems Management by Mustafa Sahban Al-Tekreeti entitled, "Framework for a Decision Matrix in Green Project Management Processes," submitted in January 2015. Thesis advisor is Dr. Salwa Beheiry. Available are both soft and hard copies of the thesis.
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to develop a decision matrix for green project management processes (GPMPs) in commercial construction projects. A decision matrix for GPMPs can assist in decoding all the information required to make green conscious decisions at the various stages of the project. The study defines the process of integration of the environmental factors in the traditional project management processes of major construction projects. The integrated product is worked into a process index for the main green concepts affecting the PMP. Moreover, the analytical hierarchy processes method is used to prioritize the green project management processes according to pre-set criteria. The criteria are based on cost, risk and benefit to the project, whereas the processes include items such as environmental impact assessment studies, recycling plans, and green stakeholder interest. From the expert evaluation, it is clear that that the cost criterion has the highest rank in all processes and all project phases. Nonetheless, the green project processes fluctuate in importance over the phases. In the initiation phase, green stakeholder interest ranked higher while environmental impact assessment deliverables and activities dominated the planning phase. In the detailed engineering design phase, experts highlight green design monitoring as the most significant process. Quality control assessment has superior ranking in the execution phase. The energy management systems process is the most preferable process in the commissioning phase and for managing hazardous materials in the decommissioning phase. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is applied to identify the experts' judgment stability. Both the planning and the commissioning phases show higher stability in this analysis. Ultimately, this research develops a fresh methodology to facilitate decision making in green project management processes, by the comprehensive integration of green indicators in the traditional project mmanagement process, the creation of a GPMP index and the linkage of a decision matrix to the index for major program and project evaluation. Additionally, the study assimilates the analytical hierarchy processes concept in the decision matrix for further tool validation.