Project Administration Flashcards
What is a PEP? What is the contents?
Project Execution Plan - ‘Handbook’ for the project. Ensures that client’s objectives as identified in the strategic brief are carried through to reality. Outlines the project, stakeholders, requirements, business case, contract and procurement route, design team consultants required, contract preferred, programme, risk assessment, planning, how changes should be dealt with, how dashboard reports, action trackers should be used, meeting requirements, how to contact each other, project directory, cost plan/budget outlines, evaluation methods usually produced by PM but should be used by design team
Why is it important to keep an audit trail?
It can put a stop to disputes happening. It can prove that decisions were made or actions should have been undertaken. Useful in EOT claims, disagreements over variations etc.
What do you understand about the planning process?
It is a legal process to obtain planning permission and used to decide whether proposed developments should be allowed to go ahead. National planning policy is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. Planning applications can be detailed or outline. Outline can be used to find out whether a proposed development is acceptable to the LPA before substantial costs are incurred developing a detailed design. It allows submission of outline proposals, the details of which may be agreed as reserved matters later. Detailed planning applications submit all the details of the proposed development at the same time.
A detailed planning application needs to include location plan, site plan, D&A statement.
Permissions may be subject to planning obligations (i.e. section 106 agreements) which are used to mitigate or compensate for negative impacts of development that might otherwise make them unacceptable. Generally construction of the development must begin within three years of the application being approved. There is also a Community Infrastructure Levy is a charge that local authorities can set o new development in order to raise funds to help fund the infrastructure, facilities and services, such as schools.
Permissions might come with conditions. Planning conditions are imposed on a grant of planning permission or a condition included in a local development order. These conditions might require additional approvals for specific aspects of the development such as colour of materials or it might restrict site use (hours of operating or noisy works).
What is change control?
The process through which all requests to change the approved baseline of a project are captured, evaluated and then approved, rejected or deferred.
What is the effect of an EAI?
Instructs the contractor to comply with an action. It is a change to the contract and needs to be adhered to without being refused.
How do you ensure you are communicating with the team and your clients effectively?
Treat everyone with respect. Find out how people want to be communicated and how frequently. Ensure communication methods and lines of communication are set out in the PEP.
What are the principles of contractual legislative and statutory requirements of projects:
- Statutory obligations do not arise out of contract but are imposed by law
- It is important that contracts and appointment documents make it clear whose responsibility it is to satisfy statutory obligations and who is bearing the risk of failure to satisfy a statutory obligation. E.g. a D&B project, the contractor may be required to prepare and submit a planning application, but the client may accept the risk that planning permission will not be granted.
- Building regulations
- Party Wall Act
- The Planning Act
- The Localism Act
- The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act
- The Town and Country Planning Order
- Health and Safety – CDM regs, Management of health and safety at work regulation, work at height regs, COSHH, Noise, vibrations, asbestos, RIDDOR
- Environmental - Pollution, EPC, Waste, Wildlife, Contamination
- Noise
- Traffic
- DDA, bribery, insurance, equal opportunities
What is your understanding of the principles of document control requirements and information management systems:
- The document control procedure and record control procedure are usually the first of the size mandatory procedures to be initiated when implementing ISO 9001 quality management system.
- A robust document control process invariably lies at the heart of any compliant quality management system because almost every aspect of auditing and compliance verification is determined through the scrutiny of documented evidence.
- Documents are information which will evolve over times as new information supersedes old. Documents are active and dynamic.
- Records are static. They state results of activities undertaken in accordance with the product realisation, measurement, analysis and improvement processes.
- A suitable document control procedure must be implemented to define the controls needed to approve, review, update, identify changes, identify revision status and provide access.
- IMS is the general term for software designed to facilitate the storage, organisation and retrival of information.
what administrative processes and management reporting do you use in your role?
- PM is responsible for reporting regularly
- Monthly reports
- Changes to the risk register
- Value engineering
- Updates to the PEP
- Project handover requirements
- Next stage plan
- Cost plan review
- Changes
- Appointment updates
- Planning updates
- Progress
What are some PM processes?
- Monitoring
- Control
- Communication
- People management
What PM phases will you experience throughout a project?
- Initiation
- Requirements
- Planning
- Execution
- Closure
What is PI insurance?
- Provides insurance cover against claims of negligence.
- It is widely used where professional services are being provided to a developer or contractor, and will provide insurance up to a specified insured sum where negligence is provided to have been committed on the part of the service provider.
- Usually written on a ‘claims made’ basis, where the negligent act causing the claim occurs within the policy period.
What are appointment documents?
client contracts for designers and other consultants.
What are collateral warranties?
- Agreements which are associated with another primary contract. They provide for a duty of care to be extended by one of the contracting parties to a third party who is not party to the original contract.
- They create direct contractual relationships between parties that would not otherwise exist.
- Architect may need to provide CW or contractor may need to get CW’s from certain sub-contractors.
What are the administrative processes required for project control, management and reporting?
- Contract admin
- Change Control
- Risk Management
- Reporting
- Minute taking
- Drawdown process
What key take aways did you have from the RICS guidance note?
From the contract administration guidance note I learnt who a contract administrator is - which involves managing the contract between the employer and building contractor. The role of the CA commences when the building contract is in place. The CA is responsible for administering the contract. It states that the decision making function should always be impartial. The CA will carry out tasks such as giving instructions, determining EOTs, authorizing interim payments, certifying completion. Both the client and the contractor is able to challenge the CA’s decision making.
What are the benefits of project reporting.
The benefits to project reporting are:
- Tracking - current project to the original plan
- Identifies risks - allowing you to spot risks early and manage appropriately
- Cost management - allow you to view expenditure clearly
- Visibility - gives full insight of how the project is performing good or bad.
- Control - reporting puts you in control.
- learning - lessons learnt
- Drives project success
What H&S statutory requirements are you aware of?
Construction (Design and Management) Regs 2015
Control of substances hazardous to health
Reporting of injuries, diseases, dangerous occurrences 1995
Health and Safety At Work etc Act 1974