Effectiveness of project scheduling training in infrastructure road projects in Queensland

A project schedule is the output of detailed planning that represents specifically how the project will be delivered to achieve the desired outcome. The benefits of project scheduling can be enhanced through training. The current literature suggests that training comes in many different forms, with varying levels of effectiveness and outcomes for participants. Training is one of the most universally used techniques to promote increased knowledge and capability amongst employees. Research indicates that a lack of training is a major contributor to project practitioners running additional software systems in parallel. This study aims to identify current training practices for project managers in the area of project scheduling and examine the impact of current training practices in road infrastructure projects in Queensland. An online survey was sent to 151 managers, who were directly involved in project delivery and/or management of road infrastructure works in Queensland. 77 participants responded to the survey with a response rate of 51%. The results of this study indicate that the current training methodology and delivery approach is working. The findings suggest that training methodology and delivery approach can be improved to better engage with participants and increase project outcomes, when measured in the long term. The key performance indicator of return on revenue used in the survey indicates that 79.22% of all projects have a higher than 5% return which appears to be acceptable. The results contained herein are a launching platform for further research into project scheduling, the training methods, and the impacts on the road infrastructure industry.