Dr. Janaka Ruwanpura, Director and Associate Professor of Project Management at the Schulich School of Engineering is awarded a “Canada Research Chair (CRC) – Tier 2” in Project Management Systems. This Canada Research Chair is the first under “Civil Engineering” discipline at the University of Calgary (2nd in Alberta and 15th in Canada – from CRC website database). This unique chair is focusing on Engineering and Construction related Project Management. Canada Foundation of Innovation (CFI) has supported Dr. Ruwanpura’s Canada Research Chair by awarding him an additional grant to build a project management laboratory and a construction monitoring centre to be in-housed at the Schulch School of Engineering. The CRC grant is $500,000 over 5 years and CFI grant is $ 195,101 (proposed lab is equivalent to $487,750 with industry and in-kind support).
The Canada Research Chairs Program stands at the centre of a national strategy to make Canada one of the world's top countries for research and development. In 2000, the Government of Canada created a new permanent program to establish research professorships—Canada Research Chairs—in universities across the country. The Canada Research Chairs Program invests $300 million a year to attract and retain some of the world's most accomplished and promising minds. Chair holders advance the frontiers of knowledge in their fields, not only through their own work, but also by teaching and supervising students and coordinating the work of other researchers. The honourable Diane Ablonczy, Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism) announced on Sept. 10, 2007, an investment of $109.5 Million to fund the appointment or renewal of 126 Canada Research Chairs in 34 Canadian Universities.
Mega projects are complex to manage effectively over a long time period and they are often disjointed in their management. Through the integrating of better Project Management Systems (PROMSYS) the planning, engineering and construction of mega projects will improve. Dr. Ruwanpura’s CRC aims to develop and test better work place practices in four focus areas: Integrated risk management and simulation, modelling tools, sustainability and technological advancements. This research will link with Dr. Ruwanpura’s current research related to improving construction productivity.
Dr. Ruwanpura is proposing simulation-based risk assessment for better predictability of impact of risks. Under “Simulation and Modeling tools” Dr. Ruwanpura is planning to develop modeling tools to aid the project teams to develop better project plans and to mitigate risks, uncertainties and operations issues. Developing best practices and tools useful for project managers in assisting project teams to build projects to mitigate adverse environmental impacts is the aim under “Sustainability.” The research plan under “Technological advancements” includes developing a comprehensive, economically viable and sustainable framework to improve to reduce productivity losses.
PM laboratory (supported by CFI) will have a live monitoring station to observe construction work. This will be achieved using an advanced remote camera system to collect data and to assess site conditions to improve construction productivity. CFI award also helps to develop an advanced simulation computer laboratory in which Dr. Ruwanpura will conduct simulation experiments with various project management applications.
Dr. Ruwanpura will apply this knowledge to develop better work practices, tools and processes that contribute to keeping projects on time and on budget. The research deliverables which are practical and innovative will reduce capital costs, increase sales, optimize resources, and enhance performance and profitability of Canadian construction projects. This, in turn, results in an increase in GDP, a benefit for all Canadians.
Dr. Ruwanpura, a former US Fulbright Scholar, earned his BSc (Honours) from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka and his M.S. in Construction Management from Arizona State University, and Ph.D. in Construction Engineering and Management from the University of Alberta, Canada. He has developed many planning and simulation tools that were successfully implemented in construction industry for project planning, risk management and decision analysis. His expertise includes simulation and modeling, risk management, cost forecasting, construction productivity improvement, and project management. He has published over 60 technical papers in refereed journals and fully reviewed conference proceedings and 30 technical papers in other conference proceedings and technical magazines in 8 years. Dr. Ruwanpura recently completed a two year major Canadian Construction Productivity Improvement research project at the University of Calgary. The success of this project led Dr. Ruwanpura to develop a new 5 year program (valued at $ 1.1 Million) from 2006 to improve construction productivity of Canadian projects titled "Top Ten Targets for Improving Construction Productivity" funded by major construction contractors in Alberta and Natural Sciences Engineering Research Council in Canada. Dr. Ruwanpura is also an active consultant in Project Management including training and guidance for projects in international countries such as USA, Mexico, China, Portugal, Middle East, Iran and Sri Lanka.
