Project Manager

INTRODUCTION •

This Project Manager’s Manual has been developed to provide standard procedures as well as insight into the primary functions of Project Managers.

Risk Manager You will notice that there is no section in this manual entitled “Risk Management”. That is because ALL processes and tasks undertaken by the Project Manager are Risk Management Activities. Each of the ten sections of this manual begins with a statement of the potential risks associated with the processes described. These statements are provided to alert you to the most common risks associated with a given activity. It is your responsibility to go deeper. Evaluate your own project and contract to develop your own understanding and management plan. The procedures described in this manual reflect Company’s standard procedures for managing that risk, and should be followed accordingly. However contract terms or project specifications sometimes differ from procedures in this manual and should be reviewed with the Business Unit Operations Manager and Project Executive prior to making any modifications to these procedures. Modifications should enhance our controls, not dilute them, and should be made only when necessary and not as an expediency.

Job Description Project Manager It is the function of the Project Manager to supervise the field construction of a project, including its organization, planning and scheduling in order to complete the work on time, within the budget and to the quality specified. In the performance of this function, he is responsible to protect and promote the interest of Company in all matters, and to take actions as required to satisfy responsibilities, which include, but are not limited to the following: 1.

To have complete knowledge of all general contract and subcontract documents, drawings, and specifications.

2.

To have complete knowledge of the job estimate and to see that the work is performed within the boundaries of the estimate.

3.

To plan and review the Construction Program with the Project Executive including procedures, plant layout, equipment and manpower.

4.

To prepare progress schedules, to keep them properly updated, and to see that the job does everything feasible to meet the required dates. These schedules must be coordinated with the Project Engineer and the Purchasing Agent for assurance of feasibility.

5.

To advise the Project Engineer on project requirements for temporary construction service.

6.

To examine all drawings and specifications for suspected design deficiencies, impractical or unconstructable details and code violations, and to refer all findings to the Project Engineer or Project Architect.

7.

To direct and train the Company work forces and to administer the field office.

8.

To over-see the work of the job accountant.

9.

To assure the continued development of assigned staff by using performance evaluations, varying assignments, and promoting positive project morale.

10. To work with the Project Executive and Purchasing Agent in scheduling and expediting the delivery of materials and equipment furnished by Company and Contractors, and to assume the primary responsibility for their timely on-site delivery. 11. To coordinate, direct, and monitor the activities of Contractors and suppliers. 12. To obtain, or see that the Contractors obtain, all necessary permits for temporary construction purposes. These include such permits as required for sidewalk bridges, sidewalk sheds, sidewalk closings, canopies, etc… (Project Engineer will assist when requested by the Manager.) 13. To see that all insurance requirements of TCCo. and Contractors are satisfied prior to starting the work and during the term of the project. 14. To coordinate, and direct when necessary, the activities of inspection agencies and to effect remedial actions indicated by the reports of these agencies. 15. To handle all job labor relations, obtaining help when necessary from the Project Executive or Territorial Labor Relations Representative. 16. To have complete knowledge of and assure that the project’s Equal Employment Opportunity requirements are met. 17. To establish and maintain good safety and security practices for the entire project in accordance with TCCo. Safety Bulletins and applicable safety codes and regulations. 18. To prepare regular and special reports for Job Meetings and attend the same. 19. To keep the Project Engineer and the Cost Engineer currently informed as to changes made in the field, so that such changes may be covered by general contract change orders and Contractor change orders. To properly authorize, validate, and process all S.I.S.’s, T & M tickets and similar documents involving changes. 20. To review and approve monthly estimate of work completed, payrolls, material invoices, and all other disbursements.

21. To participate in the timely preparation of monthly requisitions and to see that they are promptly reviewed and approved by the Architects-Owner’s field representative. 22. To maintain good relations and communications with all involved in the project including the public. Relationships The Project Manager reports and is responsible to the Project Executive

Project Organization The Project Executive The Project Executive is Company’s project team leader with total overall responsibility to fulfill our contractual responsibilities. He or she is usually assigned to the project at its inception and will often guide its development during any Company pre-construction involvement. While Operations’ involvement during the pre-construction period will vary significantly, the establishment of the Company Team for construction is fairly consistent. The Project Executive is assigned personnel with a variety of skills and experiences to meet the project’s specific needs. While the timing of these assignments can vary due to contract type, availability, project size, complexity and location, a complete team will usually consist of staff to fill the following positions. Project Engineer The Project Engineer’s general responsibilities include managing the risks to the project’s earnings, assuring efficient, timely and complete communications among all project team members and organizations; and fulfilling the training and staff development responsibilities of the position. The Engineer is part of the management team working under the Project Manager or Project Executive with guidance from the Senior Engineer. More specifically, it is the Project Engineer’s responsibility to obtain, evaluate, coordinate, distribute and record information, and obtain all authorizations needed to construct the project on time, within the budget, and to the quality specified. From a legal standpoint the Project Engineer is usually the “Keeper of the Records”. Cost Engineer The Cost Engineer reports directly to the Senior Cost Engineer who, in turn, reports to the Business Unit General Manager. As such, the Cost Engineer is an independent evaluator of the project’s financial position. The Project Engineer, Project Manager, Project Accountant and Purchasing Agent all have important roles in providing complete and accurate data to the Cost Engineer for the timely production of the Indicated Outcome Report. It is equally important to bring to light the intangible issues, such as potential claims and delay, so the final IOR represents the collected wisdom and best judgement of the Company Team. Senior Engineer A Senior Engineer’s assignment, and the time allocated to do it, varies markedly between business units. As a minimum, the Senior Engineer should attend the First and Second Risk Management Meetings, constructability reviews and Project Close-out Meetings. In addition, he or she should serve as a point of communication for Corporate to distribute technical and procedural information and for you to give valuable feedback to Corporate in the form of “Lessons Learned” for other business units to share. The Senior Engineer can also serve as a resource to help resolve technical and procedural problems, provide information, direct you to

other resources and be a teacher of the fine art of being an excellent Project Engineer. Many business units also make it the Senior Engineer’s responsibility to prepare a monthly Engineering Status Report, Project Engineers are an integral part of this process.

Project Relationships The importance of dealing effectively with clients, architects and engineers, Contractors and suppliers cannot be overemphasized. The process should start immediately upon our involvement with a project, and should continue beyond the final completion. We all know that good relationships can be made or destroyed in the communication process. It is therefore very important to establish the proper lines of communication with the new client, design professionals and other team members as soon as Company has been awarded a contract. Spend whatever time is necessary to define and document the lines of communication until all team members are in agreement. (Understand the Partnering requirements of your position.) As in all activities, the Company project team should initiate proactive communications. If there is bad news to be communicated, take the initiative and “manage” the process by doing thorough research, assembling accurate facts and developing a strategy for communicating the problem. Relationships between organizations and good people skills that when used properly can make difficult situations resolvable, but when neglected can make even the simplest of tasks a nightmare. Some issues to consider when establishing good relationships are: •

Spend time early in the project to get to know and fully understand the objectives of the other team members. Realize from the start that all organizations have distinct personalities – take the time to understand what makes each entity unique before you form any hard opinions. Consider the following: Who does this person report to? What are the limits of the individual’s authority? What other responsibilities does this person have? What are the person’s “Hot Points”?

•

Remember – the client is our customer – we are only a member of the team, earning a living because of them. A project is only successful if the client perceives it so. No matter how good a job we may do, the project will be a failure if the client does not perceive that we are helping him meet his goals.

•

Go the extra step and learn a little about the individuals on the team. What are their outside interests? What are their past experiences? What are their aspirations? What are their sensitivities?

•

Be an effective communicator – put as much effort into listening to others as you do verbalizing your point of view! You may be surprised over what you can learn by being an effective listener. Remember: Listening is NOT waiting for the other person to stop talking.

•

Be a good partner by example – live up to your commitments, be timely, be sensitive, be fair, and extend to others the support and commitment you expect from them.

As soon as you are introduced to the project team, identify your client. Not only have a clear understanding of the client organization, but also identify the individuals who will be your clients. As an example, our contract for the renovation of a hospital wing might be with a health care administrative group – the client organization – but your individual client might well be the

facilities manager in charge of operating the hospital. We all understand the importance of satisfying our client; the art of good client relationships is to satisfy all your clients. Going back to our example, you could very likely find yourself in the situation where your actions will be agreeable to the facilities manager, but will be totally unacceptable to the hospital administrator. It’s times like this that good people skills can win the day – instead of making one party happy and alienating the other, bring the involved parties together to discuss the opposing points of view. By bringing about a little understanding to both sides of the issue you could well come up with a “win – win” resolution. Avoid pitting opposing parties against one another in such situations – you could find yourself in a situation where the two parties resolve their issues and become estranged in their relationships with you. In developing a good lasting relationship with a client, it’s often helpful to start by understanding the essence of the business he is in. Is he leasing office space, renting hotel rooms, providing health care, making widgets, or educating students? The project that we are about to start is part of his business, a fixed asset on his balance sheet. If you truly understand his business and how that new “fixed asset” fits into his plans and goals, you will be better able to understand his priorities in delivering our services to help him complete the project. You will take a major step forward in learning a client’s business if you take the time to learn the language of his business. Whether the business is hi-tech, biotech, airports, pharmaceuticals, development or retail, each business has its own language and store of knowledge – make them yours, as well. If the client has not been directly involved in the construction process before, you should help him to understand the construction process and our “language”. Help your client understand why it may be crucial to make decisions early in the process so they can make that decision with more confidence.

DAILY CONSTRUCTION REPORTS (DCR) Summary Each job requires the Manager to maintain a Daily Construction Report (DCR), Depending on the size of the job, you may require that the Contractors submit their own DCR. On small jobs of short duration, it may be more efficient for the Foreman to complete the DCR for the Contractor. The DCR should be completed daily and available for the Project Manager to review. Daily Records of work completed, manpower level, safety issues, and potential delay issues or events is critical. The DCR is a management tool for monitoring Work in Place, projecting manpower levels, and recording the daily impacts to the project. This is an extremely valuable tool when discussing manpower shortages and resolving disputes with Contractors. It can also be useful in substantiating to an owner delay claims for weather. Creating a DCR means inputting the description of work completed, manpower, and equipment usage. You need to create a DCR record for each company for each day in ProLog. From the DCR Module you can also access the following:    

Scope

DCR Daily Details – logs the weather, visitors, and other information DCR Events – logs specific types and quantities of work completed. DCR Comply Notice – logs notices sent to subs for compliance. DCR Safety Notices – logs any safety violations and notification.

The purpose of this procedure is to provide direction on completing the Daily Construction Report to ensure accurate documentation of the following key information pertaining to the Project:      

Daily weather conditions Manpower count for all construction trades Description of daily work completed and construction progress Major material deliveries Site inspections and visits Daily Incident Reports and Delays



Utilized to communicate daily activity from field operations to the main office and, if by contract or request, to the Owner and/or Architect.



Used to monitor and record field progress. Used as a record document to track total manpower on site each day, description of the work completed, and other key information.



Manpower totals from the DCR’s are used to create actual manpower counts for input into the RACS. (Resource Allocation Control System). Accurate and timely updates of DCR information are critical.

Responsibilities



Information to be completed in ProLog database using the Field Tab / Daily Construction Report. This is to create a database record of all the daily construction activity.



To be completed by the Project Manager or may be assigned by the Project Manager to the Assistant Managers/Field Engineers. Project Manager to distribute on an as needed basis to the main office in project mail, or keep DCR information current in ProLog to allow Project Executive to check on current manpower from remote location. 

Contractor Daily Construction Report The Contractors’ Daily Construction Report is utilized to obtain information from Contractors for manpower and description of work performed in order to complete the DCR Contractor section. 

Blank forms will be distributed by the Manager to the Contractors at the beginning of the project and are to be submitted by them to our field office by 10:00 A.M. the day following the date of the report. 



The accuracy of the Contractor’s report to be verified.

The Contractor is to include additional information such as quantities installed. (i.e. number of pilings driven on the day of the report and also number of piles driven to date). The location of the work being installed is also to be included. 

DCR Daily Details



Prolog will automatically indicate Contract name, Contract number, Report Number and Date. The reports are numbered consecutively by ProLog.



Weather – If you are working on a job affected by weather indicate sunny, partly cloudy, cloudy, rain, snow, etc. Also, indicate temperature readings (high and low). This is done in the DCR Daily Details Tab. You can update the Time and Temperature at three (3) intervals during the day. You can also track the Weather Conditions and amount of Rain in this Tab.  As climatic conditions may have adverse affects on construction, weather conditions during the course of the day should be documented accurately.  Any extreme weather or poor site conditions, building damage, etc. should also be noted as an Incident Report.



General Notes – You can keep track of any meetings held, inspections made on site, tests completed, milestones achieved, or any other pertinent daily information by adding notes in the General Notes field.

Visitors – List the visitors that are not part of normal Company or Contractors’ work forces (i.e., OSHA, building inspectors, Owner, Architects/Engineers and Company management). Daily Construction Report 



Company Staff – You can track both Company Staff and Company Self Perform Work. Company Staff only requires entry of manpower quantity, trade and classification information. See Standard Procedures for Self Performed Work in this Section for detailed information.



Company Self-Performed Work – See Section Below for Reporting Procedures. Business Unit policies may vary on tracking systems for self-performed work.



Contractors – Indicate Contractor name. Contractors should be limited to those Contractors with whom we have issued contracts. The company names are directly linked from Contracts section in ProLog. Input the Daily Work Description, Manpower/Labor, Trade, Classification, and Quantity for each Contractor. Second-Tier Contractors should be included only as part of the primary Contractor’s daily count.



Crew – a typical crew composition can be set up for each Contractor by using the Crew field. If this is not important simply use “N/A”.



Work Description – Include a brief description of the type of work completed, areas worked, any milestones achieved or other scheduling issued in and the work performed by each trade.

Manpower/Labor 

Trade – You need to include the Trade for each Contractor (e.g. drywall, paint, HVAC, electrical, etc.) This can be selected form a drop down list in ProLog. There may be more than one trade for each Contractor.



Classification – Select a Classification for each Trade listed. This can also be selected from the drop down list. (F = Foreman, J = Journeyman & A = Apprentice). Indicate the total number of each for each trade.



Quantity – Track the total manpower for each trade and each classification. After inputting all of the Contractor labor quantities for each day, ProLog automatically totals labor for that day and cumulative total for the job.



Equipment – Note the major equipment used on site that day in completion of the work for each Contractor. This should be limited to large equipment (Cranes, Lifts, Scaffold) that is directly related to production work.

MANAGER’S DAILY DIARY A job diary is used to record important facts, phone calls, conversations, job conditions, and any other information that you feel could come up later in the job and be of concern to anyone involved with the job. This can be done as part of the DCR Daily Details Tab in ProLog. Try to be as specific as possible. Recording a conversation with a Contractor or the Architect could resolve a dispute over money when the job is being closed out. Remember to include the Project Manager in any decisions made in the field when there are potential cost or schedule impacts. Recording the dates when major material deliveries are made, special inspections are made, when the Contractors were on the project, specific delays caused by the sub, etc. can give you and the Project Manager extra bargaining power when disputes arise. No one will argue with your facts if you have recorded them.

INCIDENT REPORTING The use of a daily reporting to monitor any major events, notices, inspections are critical. These reports can be organized under ProLog by using the applicable fields to documents issues. DCR Events You can track a specific DCR Event for a given Contractor. Each Event is tracked as a number in ProLog. (Examples could include Concrete Poured, Steel Erected, and Exterior Wall Panels Erected). Access this field by using the DCR Events tab and completing the required fields. Enter the company name, type of Event, quantity, unit, location, and any other relative information. The cumulative quantity is calculated automatically by ProLog. (In other words, you can always keep a running total on the total number of cubic yards of concrete poured to date using this feature). DCR Comply Notices On a daily basis, you need to track any communication to the Contractors, which are sent in writing. The best way to communicate specific issues to the subs is using the DCR Comply Notice in ProLog. This is formal notification given to sub for corrective work, failed inspections or tests, clean-up notices, items to complete lists, daily delays to the schedule, or other important documentation. ProLog maintains a record of all of these notices and can be organized by Type for easy future reference. Access these notices by using the DCR Comply Notice Tab and completing the required fields. Using ProLog allows you to keep a log of all the compliance notices issued to Contractors, status, dates resolved, and follow-up that still may be required. This information can be sorted by Contractor or date or status at any time to give a complete update.  As daily reports may be used as legal documentation, it is of importance that problems such as delays, lack of manpower, late decisions by Owner, and lack of information be documented.  Use simple explanations in a manner that would be acceptable for anyone to read – no profanity or colorful adjectives, etc. should be used. No “legal ease”. DCR Safety Notices

It is important to track safety compliance notices sent to Contractors. Any time there is an unsafe condition, safety inspection resulting in corrective work, communication of site safety issues to a specific sub, etc. documentation is critical. We can formally notify subs to of safety issues and keep a project record of this communication. Access these notices by using the DCR Safety Notices Tab and completing the required fields. These notices need to be tied to a specific date with the Contractor name, incident cited, corrective measure required and any follow-up. This information can be sorted by Contractor or date or status at any time to give a complete update. Manager should also complete Incident Reports using either DCR Comply Notices or in the case of an Accident using Safety Comply Notice as a means to record any incidents that may be a potential claim or legal issue in the future.

PROJECT PHOTOGRAPHS The use of a professional photographer to take photographs on a monthly cycle has a number of limitations. Cost is always a consideration. Flexibility is another issue – major events, important milestones and the unanticipated don’t wait for a fixed date each month. Flexibility has another facet – the flexibility of the Project Manager’s time to meet with the photographer and direct which pictures should be taken. Another consideration is time – the time needed to take, process and distribute the pictures. It is not unusual for finished photos to be in excess of one month old before they are distributed – not a very timely means of communication. These problems can be easily overcome if there is a camera on the job-site and the Project Manager or his or her designee takes all photographs to meet project needs. Each project should have a digital camera on site to record progress of the work, special job conditions, and to document status of certain events. This company standard for taking project photographs is intended to make the process more efficient, effective and flexible. As in the past, all projects must at least have a job-site camera capable of imprinting the time and date on the photograph. Purpose The purpose of project photography is very simple – it is an effective means of documenting and communicating important information. While there can be many compelling reasons to take photographs on a project, they generally fall into one of the following categories:    

Make a record of a specific event. Document and/or communicate progress or the lack thereof. Document in-place construction. Meet contractual requirements.

Frequently the reasons for taking photographs can be anticipated and the task planned well in advance. There are, however, many times when the unexpected happens and the need for a photographic record is urgent. It is the intent of these procedures to make the progress photos effective and efficient and at the same time flexible enough to meet unusual project requirements and the unexpected. Content The reason for taking a photo will dictate its content. The following suggestions should serve as guidelines when taking standard monthly progress photographs. Exterior: two views taken at diagonally opposite corners are often sufficient to document the overall progress of a rectangular building. Other shape buildings may require additional views. The exact number of views should be based on the 

judgement of the Manager. The point of view for each photograph should be maintained throughout the project. Interior: where and when interior photographs are taken depends on the project’s design and function as well as its stage of construction. The important issue is that sufficient interior photographs are taken to document the construction activities.  Consideration should be given to the following when determining what photographs should be taken:    

Highly repetitive work Mock-ups High risk areas Special and unique conditions

Aerial views: these have limited value when documenting the construction process, but are very useful under certain circumstances. Aerial photographs at the start and conclusion of a project provide an overview of the project and to fix it within its surroundings. They are also useful when the client does not allow photographs on the job-site – prisons and industrial facilities, which include confidential processes, are examples of this situation. Please note, however, unless there are contractual restrictions aerial photographs ARE NOT SUFFICIENT by themselves. Using aerial photographs to communicate activities on a job-site is quite like inspecting the work by driving by the project. 

Topic specific views: this is the open undefined category of project photographs. This is where the judgement of the project staff plays the most important role – does an event or a project element require, because of potential risk or its special nature, to be documented with a photograph? Then take as many pictures as needed to preserve the needed information for future use! 

The unexpected: events that may need to be documented but would not fall into the realm of routine progress photographs would include but not be limited to: 

 Major project milestones  Documenting field conditions to resolve design Constructability issues to transmit to the Architect(s).  Need for Contractor clean-up – to enforce Back charges  Specific Quality Control concerns  Hidden or concealed work not inspected.  Items of work to be Back charged.  Accidents  Safety concerns  Damage caused by Contractors or others.  Documentation of losses for insurance claims.  Rain damage, delay, Mold, Crimes  Support for claims and counter-claims.

conflicts

or

Responsibilities All staff related to a project have the responsibility of documenting events, capturing information and maintaining information – this includes photographs. If a job process can be improved, if a risk can be reduced of if communication can be improved by the use of a photograph, TAKE A PICTURE! The basic responsibility for project photographic documentation, however, lies with

the Project Manager. While he or she may assign the task to another person, they still retain the overall responsibility to be sure it happens.