Example construction organisation and management dissertation topic 3:

Assessing the success of London 2012 from a quantity surveying viewpoint.

Given the pivotal role of quantity surveyors in ensuring that projects are properly managed and costed, this dissertation looks at what has been, arguably, the largest series of public building commissions undertaken by central government since the Festival of Britain. Charting the development of London 2012, the issues of cost, concerns as to over-runs and the ultimate delivery of ‘the greatest show’ on earth – this dissertation evaluates the success of the building construction of the Olympic Games from a quantity surveying viewpoint. Interviewing those involved in the planning, construction and delivery of the various projects as well as evaluating press comments in the two year run-up to the games, this is a study that combines theory and practice and does so in a study context that celebrates London’s achievement.

Suggested initial topic reading:

• Jennings, W. (2012). The average cost overrun for producing the Olympic Games has been more than 200% since 1976. LSE European Politics and Policy (EUROPP).
• Jennings, W. (2012). Why costs overrun: Risk, optimism and uncertainty in budgeting for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Construction Management and Economics, 30(6), pp. 455-462.
• Subbiah, A. (2012) An investigation of the factors influencing the success of construction planning for the 2012 Olympic stadium: An ethnographic study. Proceedings of the 28th Annual Association of Researchers in Construction Management Conference, 3-5 September 2012, Edinburgh.