2 - PjM Flashcards
how many questions are in the PjM division on the NCARB exam?
75
how much time do you have on the PjM exam?
3 hr
if you set aside ___ minutes for each of the case study problems, that leaves about ___ for the other items
5, 1
what is the main topic for module 1 as well as the 2 areas of focus?
resource management
- determine criteria required to assemble team
- assess criteria required to allocate & manage project resources
what is the target % for module 1 on the exam?
7-13%
what kind of plan will help you determine how the design work will be delivered, who will perform the work, and the projected profit of the project?
staffing plan
name the 4 qualities of an ideal staff
- excellent communication skills
- ability to keep on track & stay focused
- talent for overcoming design challenges & obstacles as they arise
- experience in the specific project type
who is responsible for assigning staff & assessing their skills and work that needs to be done on a particular project?
project manager
how many hours are in a full-time year?
40 hours x 52 weeks = 2,080 hours
if a PM is paid $32/hr, what will their yearly salary be, not including bonuses?
$32 x 2080 = $66,650/yr
if a CAD draftsperson is paid $20/hr, what will his/her yearly salary be, not including bonuses?
$20 x 2080 = $41,600/yr
what are 3 typical staff benefits?
- vacation days
- sick days
- health insurance
what are 4 overhead expenses in a typical firm?
- employee compensation
- office rent
- computers & printers
- insurance
each staff member is assigned a _____ to cover slaries, expenses, & create a profit.
billable rate
what is the purpose of a billable rate?
each staff member is assigned a billable rate to cover salaries, expenses, & create a profit
in a small firm, the billable rate might utilize a multiplier of ____ while in a larger firm it could be ____ or higher.
small = 3 larger = 5
what would be the hourly salary for a PM who is billed out at $95/hr and works in a small firm w/ a multiplier of 3?
$95 / 3 = appx. $32
what would be the billable rate of a project architect who earns $25/hr in a large firm w/ a multiplier of 5?
$25 x 5 = $125 per hour billable rate
why would larger firms have a higher billable rate than smaller firms?
larger firms typically incur more overhead (larger offices, more equipment, a larger staff, greater expense)
the ratio of an employee’s billable hours to their total hours worked is called their _____?
utilization rate
what is the utilization rate?
the ratio of employees billable hours to their total hours worked
what is the formula for utilization rate?
billable hours / total hours worked
in a normal 40 hour work week, if a PM is assigned an 80% utilization ratio, how many hours are expected to be billable during the week?
32 hrs
40 x .8 = 32
in a normal 40 hour work week, if a jr. staff is assigned a 100% utilization ratio, how many hours are expected to be billable during the week?
40 hrs
what are some questions to consider to determine project fit?
- what are the skills needed?
- does the firm have enough staff? experienced staff?
- what other experts or consultants are required?
- does the project have special requirements?
- will new software & training be required?
- does the firm have experience in this project type?
- does the location of the project affect ability to perform?
- if project is in another state, is one of the principals licensed in that state?
- does the firm have enough of a portfolio or references to win the project?
what is flexible staffing?
teaming up w/ other architects or professionals on an as-needed basis
typically used by small firms to allow them to submit proposals for larger projects
what are the advantages of flexible staffing?
- extra help w/ no commitment to keep them on after project is complete
- no overhead costs associated w/ employee benefits
- allows firm to gain specialized expertise
- the borrowed or contract employee gets a fairly predictable revenue stream & workload
- a contrat employee has more freedom in setting their own schedule & rate
- ability to pursue larger project types
what are the 3 types of firm business models?
- efficiency-based firms
- experience-based firm
- expertise-based firm
what are the advantages of an efficiency-based firm?
- can do the project better, faster, & cheaper
- projects are not complex and have many repeatable elements
- employ the latest production technology & continually improve the production process
what are the advantages of an experience-based firm?
- they know what they are doing
- can do unique & complex projects by applying their accrued knowledge
- leverage relationships to acquire project & collaborate to deliver them
what are the advantages of an expertise-based firm?
- have special knowledge or talent
- serve as expert consultants or are design stars
- continually work to innovate & to create & acquire knowledge
what are project type examples of efficiency-based firms?
- data centers
- warehouses
- parking garages
- tract (production) housing
- themed retail stores
what are project type examples of experience-based firms?
- schools
- courthouses
- municipal buildings
- boutique hospitality
- museums
what are some characteristics of project types of expertise-based firms?
- distinctive design
- parametric design
- acoustics
- green building/LEED
- high-end kitchen design
which consultant services are part of the architect’s basic scope of services according to AIA B101?
- structural engineer
- mechanical engineer
- electrical engineer
*note: plumbing engineering is not mentioned in the B101 but is generally accepted as an industry standard that the mechanical engineer also provides plumbing engineering design
what are some considerations when choosing consultants?
- complimentary skills
- experience in project type
- prior relationships
- references
- client preference
- ability to meet schedule & deadlines
what are 3 external factors that can affect the fees a firm may set?
- prevailing wages in that city
- typical fee structure based on the type of project
- business model of the firm
what is a design proposal?
an explanation of the process and how the architect provides their services & what they expect to charge for those services
what is the term for services that do not fall under the scope of architect’s basic services?
additional services
what are 4 project team types?
- architect / owner + contractor
- architect / owner / construction manager
- architect / owner / contractor: design-build
- architect / owner / contractor: IPD
according to the architect’s handbook of professional practice, what are 5 common in-house team members in an architect’s office?
- project manager
- job captain
- draftsman
- interior designer
- specification writer
name 4 responsibilities of the project manager?
- coordinating the entire project team, including the in-house team & consultants
- interfacing w/ the principals of the firm & keeping them informed of the progress of the work
- client interaction - keep them informed of the progress of work, review schedule & budget, schedule meetings w/ client
- producing a competent set of instruments
what are 3 responsibilities of the job captain?
- coordinating the working drawing set
- supervising drafters
- reporting to the PM
the draftsman is responsible for what 3 tasks?
- producing drawings from redlines
- interfacing w/ job captain
- specific drawing tasks
name 3 tasks of the interior designer for an in-house project team?
- selecting materials & finishes
- checking on the availability of materials
- providing sketches as required
what are 2 tasks the specification writer will be responsible for?
- compiling the specification manual
2. obtaining specification information from manufacturers
what are 7 key topics for PMs to be familiar with when delegating staff?
- identify team member most capable of doing task
- give team members the responsibility & authority they need
- establish level of performance required
- define the completed activity or results
- define suitable completion date
- agree on the level of effort & time required
- check progress
what is an internal analysis?
a process of identifying & evaluating a firm’s internal capabilities
what 3 items can be found in an internal analysis?
- resources
- capabilities
- core competencies
in terms of an internal analysis, what are resources?
tangible (product or service)
intangible (reputation)
what are 2 capabilities when referring to an internal analysis?
- qualifications of staff
2. ability to meet demands of the project
in terms of an internal analysis, what are core competencies referring to?
major value-creating skills & capabilities of the firm
name 5 resources a firm may utilize when carrying out the delivery of a project as described in an internal analysis.
- human resources
- financial resources
- intangible resources
- organizational resources
- physical assets
what are considered human resources?
- staff
- administrators
- principals
what are considered financial resources?
money to operate the business on a day-to-day basis including payroll
what does tangible mean in terms of resources?
a product or service; something you can put your finger on so to speak
what does intangible mean in terms of resources?
reputation of the firm, talent of the staff (something you can’t put a finger on)
what are physical assets when referring to an internal analysis?
- office space
- equipment
- property
what are 3 general questions to consider when performing an internal analysis for a firm?
- what are the firm’s strengths?
- what are the firm’s weaknesses?
- how do these strengths & weaknesses compare to other similar firms?
name as many as you can of the “how to prepare” items located at the end of module 1 study guide (8)
- set a preliminary staff schedule
- identify consultants needed on the project
- understand how firms make money
- choose an appropriate project
- describe the advantages to the owner of a particular firm business model
- factors on selecting consultants
- things to include in a design proposal
- members of a project team
what is the main topic for module 2, as well as the 3 areas of focus?
project work planning
- develop & maintain project work plan
- determine criteria required to develop & maintain project schedule
- determine appropriate communication to project team - owner, contractor, consultants, & internal staff
what is the target % for module 2 on the exam?
17-23% (13-17 items)
what are the 4 phases of the process that the architect is responsible for setting the schedule?
- schematic design
- design development
- construction documents
- bidding & negotiation
the 5th phase is not listed because the architect does not set the schedule during CA - it is solely the responsibility of the GC
which phase is the most difficult to estimate the time needed for completion?
schematic design phase
what 4 factors can contribute to the length of the schematic design phase?
- size & complexity of the project
- thoroughness of program information provided by the client
- availability & decision-making of the client
- size & experience of the project team
as a general rule of thumb, the DD phase should take ____ to ____ months.
2-4 months
construction documents phase can typically take how long?
3-7 months
bidding or negotiation phase typically takes how long?
3-6 weeks unless a complicated project
what is meant by the term schedule contingencies?
unknown or unexpected issues that arise - schedule can be designed to account for contingencies
e.g., if foundation work is supposed to take 6 weeks - the contractor could add another week to the schedule to account for any delays related to weather or material availability
if a project runs significantly over schedule, increased costs could occur due to ______?
inflation
what are 4 ways to reduce the project schedule?
- working overtime - this will be more expensive for the owner
- hiring more people - this may affect the architect’s profit by increasing overhead
- subcontracting - hiring another firm to help in delivering the project in a timely manner; will also reduce the architect’s profitability
- reducing time spent on the project; may result in lower quality in design documents, will create other concerns during construciton
name 7 ways to manage a project team to aid in agency approvals.
- evaluate project for all codes, laws, & regulations
- prepare written documentation describing code requirements
- attend regulatory meetings as required (design review board)
- oversee project team efforts incl. in-house & consultants
- aid the owner in filing drawings for approval
- receive plan check corrections & distribute to entire project team incl. consultants
- aid the owner in obtaining building permit after all agencies have signed off on the drawings
what does GMP mean?
guaranteed maximum price
what is guaranteed maximum price?
the GC is promising to build the project for a specific amount & signs a contract w/ the owner
should the design or drawings change, would trigger a change order & the construction cost would be adjusted accordingly
what is the critical path method?
typically used as a construction schedule & this method assigns tasks & times to every part of the construction
tasks are shown as arrows, start & finish points marked w/ circles
critical events are tasks that cannot begin until the preceding one ends
important events are called milestones
what is critical path?
the task w/ the longest required time & activities on this path are called critical activities
what is float path?
all paths other than critical path are called float paths
the difference in time btw. a float path and the critical path is called float
what is fast track?
an accelerated or telescoped project
CDs are issued in phases to the contractor - may get an early start on building a portion of the project while the architect continues to work on the remaining drawings
important to note that permits must be pulled for any construction work
what is design-build?
a project delivery method where both the design & construction are provided by a single company or entity
generally speaking, what do PMs do?
they lead the project team, solve problems, interact w/ the owner, & motivate team members to do their best work
what is meant by “project managers lead”?
they have the responsibility & the authority to get the project designed & delivered on time & on schedule
they are the main liaison to the owner to set the program & present the design
they set the staffing & schedules for the team
they facilitate team communications & coordinate w/ the contractor during construction
what is meant by “project managers motivate”?
they are the leader of the team - by organizing a clear task list, schedule, & setting realistic deadlines, the PM becomes a coach for the team
they advocate for the members of the team, incl. standing by the staff & consultants, the owner, & even the contractor
what is produced during the SD phase?
- conceptual site plan
- preliminary building plans, sections, & elevations
- written narrative of the list of major material components, systems, & assemblies
- outline specification
- estimate of the cost of work
what is produced during the DD phase?
- plans, sections, & elevations
- typical construction details
- updated outline specification
- updated estimate of the cost of work
what is produced during the CD phase?
- contract drawings
- project manual
- specifications (part of the project manual)
- general conditions, supplementary conditions (part of the project manual)
- invitations to bidders/instruction to bidders
- updated estimate of the cost of work
what is produced by the architect at the end of the 3 design drawing phases?
updated cost of work
the drawing phase that generally takes about 2-4 months is?
design development
the drawing phase that generally takes 3-7 months is?
construction documents
a project delivery method where both the design & construction are provided by a single company or entity is called what?
design/build
name the 6 “how to prepare” items located at the end of module 2?
- approximate schedule times for each phase of a project
- dealing with schedule changes & contingencies
- benefits of setting a GMP
- knowledge of what project managers do
- typical deliverables during the 3 phases of project delivery
- various methods of construction scheduling
what is the main topic for module 3, as well as the 4 areas of focus?
contracts
- evaluate & verify adherence to owner/architect agreement
- interpret key elements of & to verify adherence to architect/consultant agreement
- interpret key elements of the owner/contractor agreement
- interpret key elements of the owner/consultant agreement to integrate the consultant’s work into the project
what is the target % for module 3 on the ncarb exam?
25-31% w/ 23-29 items
what 3 parties are bound by the AIA A201 - general conditions?
- owner
- architect
- contractor
the AIA B101 is a contract between which two parties?
- architect
- owner
the AIA A101 is a contract between which 2 parties?
- contractor
- owner