Project management - planning, program and administration

Scope of services

The scope of services provided by project managers depends on a number of factors, such as:

• the nature of the project
• client requirements
• client resources and capabilities
• overlap with design consultants
• method of building procurement
• the preferences of the individual project manager.

The scope of services provided by project managers is increasing and may also include the following:

• Strategic plan – This covers all aspects of the project and establishes, in progressively more detail, the management strategy to be adopted as the project progresses.
• Feasibility study – The project manager will often be involved in the initial financial, functional feasibility and marketing study for a project. This will set the parameters and define the type and scope of services to be provided by others.
• Appointment of consultants – The project manager will often be responsible for the selection and appointment of the design consultants.

In broad terms, project managers provide the services otherwise undertaken by experienced and adequately resourced clients and their architects (Refer Acumen note Project manager and project managers). Many institutions have building specialists on staff who provide project-management services, and in such cases, it is rare to have an independently appointed project manager. Other clients acknowledge their lack of expertise in this area and appoint an independent project manager.

The project manager coordinates and controls, on behalf of the client, the work of all consultants, contractors and specialist contractors, by the detailed planning of the project and the management of its administrative processes. To do this, it is necessary for the project manager to liaise closely with the client's senior staff to ensure the client meets its obligations. Clients should recognise that they may still need to provide their own resources to the project. Project managers provide management skills, not necessarily project labour resources.

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Program management

All relevant stages of the program are closely monitored at project and site meetings. During the construction period the detailed construction program would establish critical paths against which any claims for extensions of time would be judged.

Master program

A master program is usually produced at the outset of the project to establish all the critical criteria and provide a framework for the detailed monitoring of each stage of the work.

The master program covers the following:

• Pre-design
• Preparation and sign-off of brief
• Site details, acquisition, survey title, etc
• Resolution of finance arrangements
• Selection and appointment of design consultants
• Design, design development
• Submission for development application
• Preparation of model or artist's impressions
• Preparation and submission of reports and budgetary cost analysis
• Contract documentation
• Submission for statutory permits
• Evaluation of contract type to be used
• Tendering and evaluation of tenders
• Construction incorporating staging, if required
• Commissioning of plant, equipment and the building
• Any other activity which may be specific to the project or evolving from the initial programming

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Administration

Administrative control of a project may include:

• provision of a master program that identifies all critical decision and target dates – this document will identify priorities and any constraints and is updated and distributed to all parties as necessary
• preparation of the project quality plan and development of specific project quality requirements
• coordination of brief
• holding and chairing meetings with the client's staff, consultants, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers, etc, as necessary for the satisfactory coordination of the works, and preparation and distribution of meeting minutes
• reports on a regular basis on the actual progress against the master program, actual expenditure against the budget including an estimated cost to completion and any changes to the design, schedules, budgets, or program target dates or activities
• obtaining approval for the building design and specification, while monitoring that the design progress is in accordance with the requirements of the program
• ensuring that the design consultants deliver the agreed contracted scope of works within the agreed time frame and assist the lead design consultant ensure all approvals are obtained in a timely manner
• arranging for special reports, eg environmental-impact statements to be prepared and agreed with authorities
• assisting the client to obtain special approvals, eg parliamentary-public-works-committee approval
• monitoring the documentation process and ensuring that the preliminaries clauses of the specification are established for insurances, liquidated damages, date for possession of site and for practical completion, etc
• establishing the criteria and procedures for the selection and appointment of building contractors including the form of tendering, selection of contract, terms of payment, etc
• arranging for the issue of tender documents, ensuring all queries are answered during the tender period and, together with the consultants, reporting and providing recommendations to the client on the tenders received
• arranging for signing of the contract documents and ensuring the building contractor has arranged insurances and security requirements
• ensuring that the design consultants make available suitable personnel and provide adequate time for site inspections to maintain quality control and to properly monitor the progress of the works
• ensuring that adequate information is provided by all relevant parties to ensure that client can approve variations in a timely manner and in accordance with the contract terms
• arranging for the work-in-progress to be valued and for certification to be issued in accordance with the contract conditions
• ensuring that the design consultants arrange for all necessary pre-commissioning checks and obtain all warranties, guarantees and operating manuals
• through the design consultants, ensuring that all remedial works are carried out during the defects-liability period – ensuring that all final notices are issued and retention/bank guarantees are released in accordance with the contract conditions.

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Budget management

Budget-management services generally encompass:

• engaging a quantity surveyor and arranging for an elemental total-construction-cost estimate to be prepared
• expanding the construction cost estimate to a total project budget including consultant fees, furniture and fittings, relocation costs, escalation and contingency allowances and any other specific project identifiable costs that need to be allowed for
• setting up a procedure for costing all variations and updating the total project budget on a regular basis
• ensuring, in conjunction with the consultants, that on completion of the project all final accounts are processed and attended to in accordance with the contract and that all claims are settled.

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Building commissioning

In simple terms, the commissioning phase generally includes:

• managing all aspects of the client's relocation into the new building
• arranging training of client staff in the operation of building systems and emergency procedures
• ensuring design consultants and contractors attend to defects.

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Public relations

Managing the public relations aspects of a project, including press releases, site inspections and publicity or sales material.

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