Risk Analysis in the Selection of Project Managers Based on ANP and FMEA

Project managers play a crucial role in the success of projects. The selection of an appropriate project manager is a primary concern for senior managers in firms. Typically, this process involves candidate interviews and assessments of their abilities. There are various criteria for selecting a project manager, and the importance of each criterion depends on the project type, its conditions, and the risks associated with their absence in the chosen candidate. Often, senior managers in engineering companies lack awareness of the significance of these criteria and the potential risks linked to their absence. This research aims to identify these risks in selecting project managers for civil engineering projects, utilizing a combined ANP-FMEA approach. Through a comprehensive literature review, five risk categories have been identified: individual skills, power-related issues, knowledge and expertise, experience, and personality traits. Subsequently, these risks, along with their respective sub-criteria and internal relationships, were analysed using the combined ANP-FMEA technique. The results highlighted that the lack of political influence, absence of construction experience, and deficiency in project management expertise represent the most substantial risks in selecting a project manager. Moreover, upon comparison with the traditional FMEA approach, this study demonstrates the superior ability of the ANP-FMEA model in differentiating risks and pinpointing factors with elevated risk levels.