THE PROJECT TEAM

• TYPICAL REQUIREMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PROJECT TEAM

• TRADITIONAL TEAM ORGANIZATION AND VARIATIONS

• THE OWNER’S TEAM• THE DESIGN TEAM• THE CONTRACTING TEAM

TYPICAL REQUIREMENTS OF OWNER

• Adequate function and appearance of the new facility.

• Project completion on time and within the budget.

• Desirable balance of life-cycle and initial capital costs.

• Operability and maintainability

• Addressing of environmental, health, permitting, safety, user impacts, and sustainable development considerations.

• A fair and reasonable process for resolving disputes.

TYPICAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF OWNER

• Fulfillment of contractual obligations to other team members, including furnishing site and related information, and timely payment.

• Compliance with applicable laws, regulations, codes, standards, and practices.

• Provision of adequate finding.• Provision of necessary real estate or right(s) of way.• Provision of project goals and objectives.• Fulfillment of insurance and legal requirements.• Assume an appropriate role in site safety.• Acceptance of completed facility.

TYPICAL REQUIREMENTS OF DESIGNER

• An adequate project scope definition.• An adequate budget.• A reasonable schedule.• Timely decisions from the owner.• Realistic and fair sharing of project risk.• Adequate communication with the owner regarding

performance.• A fair and reasonable process for resolving disputes.• Timely payment and a reasonable profit.

TYPICAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF DESIGNER

• Fulfillment of contractual obligations to other team members.

• Compliance with applicable laws, regulations, codes, standards, and practices.

• Fulfillment of professional standards.• Development and drafting of well-defined contract

documents.• Responsiveness to project schedule, budget, and

program.• Provision of construction-phase design services.

TYPICAL REQUIREMENTS OF CONTRACTORS*

• A well-defined set of contract documents.• A reasonable schedule.• Timely decisions from the owner and design

professional.• Realistic and fair sharing of project risks.• Adequate communication with the owner regarding

performance.• A fair and reasonable process for resolving disputes.• Timely payment and a reasonable profit.

*Includes subcontractors and suppliers

TYPICAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF CONTRACTORS

• Fulfillment of contractual obligations to other team members.

• Compliance with applicable laws, regulations, codes, standards, and practices.

• Interpretation of plans and specifications.• Construction of facility as described in contract

documents.• Management of construction site activities and safety.• Management, quality control, and payment of

subcontractors and vendors.

Design Influence on Project Characteristics

TRADITIONAL TEAM ORGANIZATION AND OWNERS

• Under traditional DBB (Design-bid-build) contracting, the owner heads the team with a designated project manager.

• The owner establishes reporting authority with the designer and contractor by entering into separate contracts with each.

• The designer and contractor do not enter into contracts with each other, though they do communicate and should work cooperatively to achieve their requirements.

Traditional Construction Project Organization Chart

OWNERProject ManagerIn house staffSpecialty Consultants

DESIGNERDesign Team LeaderDesign disciplinesDesign Sub consultants

CONTRACTORConstruction Manager orSuperintendentSubcontractorsSuppliers/vendorsFabricatorsConstruction Trade Workers

Lines of Authority (Defined by contract)Lines of Communication

THE OWNER’S TEAM• The owner often assembles a group of expert advisers

that may consist of in-house staff and/or independent consultants to provide the level of expertise and effort needed to complete the project successfully.

• The basic function of the owner’s team is to initiate and generally guide the project through the planning, design, and construction processes.

• Members of this team report to the owner but consult regularly with the project manager, designer, and contractor.

• The owner may delegate authority to a representative to act on his or her behalf.

Core Activities of the Owner’s Team• Identifying and articulating the basic need for the project• Assisting in establishing project objectives• Securing funding• Addressing zoning considerations and acquiring property

and applicable permits• Selecting the designer and contractor, and facilitating their

payments • Establishing material, equipment, and operational standards• Making design and construction decisions• Integrating the project with existing facilities• Monitoring and managing the performance of the designer

and contractor

The Owner’s Project Manager• “Project Manager” is a person or a firm representing the

owner that holds overall responsibility for the coordination and management of project activities.

• The project manager may be the owner (small projects), the design professional, a member of contractor’s staff (usually design-build) or an independent construction manager under contract

• The project manager is the focal point for project communication and coordination.

• The project manager oversees the entire range of project activities from start to finish such as initiation, planning and scheduling, administration of contracts, communication and decision management, start-up and project close-out.

THE DESIGN TEAM

• The owner can use a qualifications-based selection (QBS) process to engage a design team with professionals who have experience and skills that correspond to the project requirements.

• The basic task of the team is to design a project that meets the project requirements and to provide the plans, specifications, and other contract documents to the level of completion specified in the contract.

• Most constructed projects are sufficiently complex that the designer supplements its staff with additional specialized consultants (e.g. geotechnical, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, field surveying)

THE CONTRACTING TEAM• The contractors’ role on the project team is to plan,

manage, and properly execute the construction activities to build the project according to the plans and specifications prepared by the design professional.

• The contractor assembles a team of material and equipment suppliers, specialty subcontractors, material fabricators, construction trades workers to complete the construction.

• The contractor is often required to implement an appropriate quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) program.