A Few Keys to Project Success

FORM A PROJECT TEAM AND GET INVOLVED. Form an implementation team with all impacted county departments represented (e.g., probation/sheriff, general services/public works, fiscal/accounting, etc.). Critical issues will cross lines of authority and can’t (or shouldn’t) be decided by just one department. Success will require involvement, discussion, resolution, and consensus of many players. Experts in construction, finance/accounting, facility operations, and facility maintenance must be involved.

MEET REGULARLY AS A TEAM (even when individuals think there isn’t much to talk about). Appoint a note taker who records issues, and summarizes discussion and group decisions. This creates a valuable historical written perspective that is useful over a project's life, from concept to construction close out.

INVOLVE CONSULTANTS AS NEEDED but don’t over-rely on them.  It's your facility; you have to run it after the consultants are gone. Get involved and stay involved. Hundreds, if not thousands, of decisions will get made with or without you.

COSTS GO UP AS TIME GOES ON. Your greatest opportunity to save costs and impact design is early in the process. A corollary is that options become more limited as design progresses.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CSA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE by grant managers, facility inspectors, architectural plan reviewers and the State Fire Marshal. Consult on issues, especially staffing implications of planned conceptual design, before schematic design drawings are submitted. Remember that these folks have seen hundreds of facilities and know T-15 and T-24 standards issues; they are a useful resource that may save you time and money before you invest in formal drawings.

READ THE CONTRACT AND AUDIT GUIDE. Key team members must know what’s required by the Contract Administration and Audit Guide. Read it, including the contract language. Consult with your CSA field representative if you have questions. Many problems can be avoided simply by reading this document. This project involves more than construction; it involves grant money, federal and state contract requirements, formal recordkeeping, invoicing, accounting and auditing functions.

PUT IT IN WRITING. Communicate critical questions/issues/decisions in writing to the CSA (and the CSA will respond in kind) on matters that may have legal, regulatory, timeline, grant management, contract, or fiscal implications. (Don’t worry, the CSA won’t be offended.) A similar written communication/documentation process should also apply to your relationship with consultants, contractors, subject matter experts, etc. This protects county, state and federal interests over a multi-year project where memories can get foggy, verbal misunderstandings can occur, and people may retire or transfer to new positions. It’s also important for monitoring and auditing purposes. Avoid the potential of "he said, she said" disputes on critical issues involving money, scope of work, what the grant pays for, consultant advice, etc. ("I said 1,000 locks, not 1,000 clocks!")