Project Planning & Development

by the WBDG Project Management Committee

Last updated: 10-02-2008

Overview

Excellence in Project Management is achieved through effective management of a complex range of issues unique to each project. Contemporary institutions and organizations are increasingly realizing that traditional forms of management—based on the same approach to every project—cannot accommodate the ever-changing landscape of today's economic, social, and business environment.

This section of the WBDG Project Management Branch provides guidance on integrated planning and development processes to establish an owner's expectations for project scope, budget, and schedule. It also provides guidance on managing the delivery team during the planning, design, construction, and initial occupancy phases of a project.

Project Requirements

Project inception and preliminary planning require thoughtful definition of goals and needs (Project Scope); master planning to accommodate anticipated future needs; evaluation of project alternatives; identification of site requirements; funding requirements; budget authorization cycles and/or financial impacts; and project phasing.

Delivery Methods

There are many approaches to achieve successful project design and construction. These "Delivery Methods", which are driven by the project's scope, budget, and schedule, include Traditional (Design/Bid/Build), CM (also called CMc, or Construction Manager as Constructor), Design-Build, Bridging, and Lease/Build. The selection of a delivery method will in turn influence the Delivery Team composition, schedule, budget, and management plan.

Project Management Plans

A Project Management Plan (PMP) is commonly used to document key management parameters in a central location and is updated throughout the project focusing on recognition of changes in program planning and management of those changes. It includes definition of an owner's program goals, technical requirements, schedules, resources, budgets, and management programs.

Design Stage Management

Once a design team has been assembled (procured), a high level of owner coordination is needed to manage the entire delivery team through the project's design phases. Design management requires oversight of schedules and budgets; review of key submissions and deliverables for compliance with program goals and design objectives; verification of incorporation of stakeholder review input; verification of incorporation of construction phase functional testing requirements; and appropriate application of the owner's design standards and criteria.

Construction Stage Management

• Project coordination/communication
  • Requests for Information (RFIs)
  • Change order management
  • Conflict resolution
• Inspections
• Submittal reviews
• Schedules
• Payments

Building Commissioning

Commissioning (Cx) is a systematic process of ensuring that building systems perform interactively according to the design intent and the owner's operational needs. This is achieved by documenting the owner's requirements and assuring those requirements are met throughout the entire delivery process. This involves actual verification of systems performance and integration; comprehensive operation and maintenance (O&M) documentation; and training of the operating personnel. Building Commissioning procedures may include: Commissioning Plans, Total Building Commissioning, Systems Commissioning, Pre-installation Performance Testing/Commissioning, Re-Commissioning, Retro-Commissioning, and LEED Certification.

Major Resources

Publications

• AIA Handbook on Project Delivery AIA California Council
• Capstone: The History of CM Practice and Procedures by the Construction Management Association of America. McLean, VA, 2003.
• Project Planning Guide by the U.S. General Services Administration.

Organizations

• Building Commissioning Association
• Construction Management Association of America
• Design Build Institute of America
• Project Management Institute

Scheduling Software

• Method123 Project Planning Kit
• Microsoft Project
• Primavera Systems
• SEER by Galorath
• Serena Software

Tools

• Construction Waste Management Database

Sample Construction Related Forms

• Construction Phase Forms

  • Change Request Log
  • Contractor's Daily Report
  • Request for Information (RFI)
  • RFI Log—Sample
  • Points of Contact
  • Preconstruction Conference—Sign In List

• Construction Documents Checklists

  • Preconstruction Conference—Checklist and Minutes
  • Construction Inspection—Checklist
  • Design Requirements/Provisions/Considerations—Checklist