Managing Projects

Question 1

What are the stages of a project life-cycle?

Answer 1

0 - Strategic brief
* Identify client’s Business case
* Project risk & budget
1 - Preparation and briefing
* Prepare project brief
* Feasibility studies
* Prepare programme & budget
* PEP
2 - Concept design
* Prepare design proposals
* Prepare preliminary cost plan
* Agree alterations to brief and issue final project brief
3 - Spatial Coordination
* Initiate change control procedures
4 - Technical design
5 - Manufacturing & Construction
6 - Handover
7 - Use

Question 2

What are the typical project structures and procedures?

Answer 2

Structures
* Project organogram
* DRM
* RACI – responsible, accountable, consulted and informed

Procedures
* Brief
o Initial client’s objectives & business case drivers (cost, time & quality)
o Any known opportunities and constraints (feasibility studies)
o Programme & budget
o Role of the PM: identify content of brief with client, communicate brief to team, monitor compliance and set performance indicators

• Project initiation document
  o Foundation for project - goals, scope, project organisation
  o Why project is needed / what it seeks to deliver
• Project execution plan
  o Communication tool
  o Sets out the procedures to achieving the brief
  o Includes: reporting requirements, organisation strategies, key milestones, roles and responsibilities.
  o Includes change control process
  o RFI process/ response timings

Question 3

What is the role of the PM at each stage?

Answer 3

• Create the strategic brief in collaboration with the client
• Assemble a design team
• Communicate the brief to the team and develop through a feasibility study. Report this back to the client
• Influence the team to adopt a sustainable approach to the development
• Designing to the brief and programme
• Reporting to the client
• Facilitate procurement with cost consultant and the team. Evaluate tenders and report back

Question 4

How do you monitor project performance?

Answer 4

• Compare the project status back to the brief
• Droplines on programmes
• Compare approved capex budget against actual spend

Question 5

What are the mechanisms used to control cost, quality and time?

Answer 5

• Time - programme
• Cost - budget / cost report / capex
• Quality - quality assurance, site inspections, material acceptance, agreement of suppliers

Question 6

What is risk?

Answer 6

• An uncertain event that if occurs will impact upon the development

Question 7

Why is it important to identify and monitor risk?

Answer 7

• Helps inform decisions, avoids surprises and increases awareness, allowances can be prepared for both cost and time
• Minimises the effect and maximises value to the client
• Determine the risk owner for each risk

Question 8

How do you identify and monitor risks on a project?

Answer 8

• Risk workshops
• PM role to initiate (possibly with cost consultant) a risk workshop with consultants.
• Allows the team to identify all risks and assess the impact on the development in terms of cost, time and quality
• Monthly report
• Risk register – mitigation action (w/ owner) includes quantitative assessment of risk in terms of probability and impact
• Contingency planning - build into capex / early engagement of contractor
• Surveys / site investigations

Question 9

Management of change

Answer 9

• Change control process is set out in the PEP
• Captures all change related processes and procedures between the Contractor and the Client’s Project Team.
• Changing control process captured through a change tracker which is an ongoing document e.g. Early warning tracker, or OILS
• Change control is usually Stage 3 onwards and has to be signed off by contractor, QS, PM and Client
• Stage 0-2 change is captured through design workshops and discussions
  o Any change is a variation of the brief and has to then be played back to the client to then amend the brief and issue an update version before being fixed at the end of stage 2.

Question 10

What does the T&C Act of 1990 say?

Answer 10

• Regulate development of land
• Public ownership of development
• Alternative use of buildings issued by LA
• S106 / planning obligations

Question 11

Why are document management systems used?

Answer 11

• Electronic document management systems used as provide control over receipt, organisation, storage, use and issue of electronic files / documents
• Security measure
• Provide clear audit trail
• Note changes / version control

Question 12

5 Stages of Project Management?

Answer 12

1. Conception and initiation
2. Planning
3. Execution
4. Performance / monitoring
5. Project close

Question 13

RICS Guidance note for risk?

Answer 13

• Management of Risk
  o Includes: key principles of risk management
  o Response/ mitigation strategies
  o Risk identification techniques