The Punch-List Obligations of a Construction Project Manager at Project Closeout
ABRAHAM J MAJU
(MPM 630 – Project Closeout)
January 2015
UNIVERSITY OF MARY, BISMARCK ND
USA
Abstract
Most constructions contracts tends to be very specific in regards to the overall planned financial budget of the construction work, the expected quality of the job output from the contractor as well as the duration (time) that is allowed to complete the work. But it is very common that in most cases, it would seem that all that would be required to closing out a construction or any other type of a major capital project would be just to inspect it, accept it and see that the contractor is able to receive all his entitlements and final payments
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Introduction
Constructions project management involves the direct and daily monitoring of all construction activities and tasks, including all the construction methodologies that is being applied, as well as the personnel that directs or guides the project through every single stage or phase of its life cycle. It is pertinent to know that not all constructions jobs might not be successfully completed due to some changed conditions or unforeseen circumstances beyond control like the effects of nature and differing site conditions. Some of the constructions projects get rejected or are abruptly cancelled due to reasons best known to either the contractor or the client as the case maybe, but whatever happens regardless. Proper and effective closure is always needed on all constructions projects.
According to the words of the author Joseph A. Griffin (2011) titled “How to Close a Project”, he noted that “Closing a project should be treated as an integral part of the project plan. The closing process does not begin at the end of the project, but during the planning phase. Each step should be carefully planned and executed as any other portion of the project”. Propounding on the suggested timeline for preparations of a project closeout, the authors Edward R. Fisk and Wayne D. Reynolds (2014) in the Tenth Edition of their publications titled “Construction Project Administration” noted on page 347, that “The closeout period may actually begin several weeks to a month
The stages of the construction project management differ from the stage of business management, in several respects. For example, construction management first stage is the resolution; it is necessary to identify requirements relating to the project by the owner and choose a consult to help in completing a preliminary assessment for the project and the feasibility, also the impact of its presence in the economic and social development areas. However, planning is the first stage on
Many people around the entire world do not possess the knowledge of the different types of constructions and if there is a specific reason this construction are made in certain way or area of the world. Construction is more complex than just building an infrastructure or a facility. It takes planning, land property inspection, design, in numerous occasion financing and the process ends once the project is built and ready for use.
The career that I chose to this research on paper is a Construction Project Manager (CPM). I chose this career for many different reasons, mainly because I have always liked construction and my brother went to school and his doing this profession. I also chose this because this job requires a lot of what I would like to do in my future career. In this paper I am going to talk about the duties/responsibilities, educational requirements, job demand, salary, skills/personality, stresses/satisfactions, and the demand/future of a construction project manager.
Some projects may last only a few days while others could last for years. The author states that the first step in managing a successful project is to develop a plan to produce the desired results on time and within budget. Short projects which are thoroughly and realistically planned are most likely to succeed. However, larger, more complex projects are more likely to encounter things that don’t work as planned. The greatest chance for success comes when
Projects that have insufficient recourses from the beginning will cause stress among the construction professionals. This may create a better working environment, as it will allow employees to have an adequate workload as well as a suitable amount of work responsibilities. Besides this, there is a need to clarify what is expected from each employee in his or her position. Job instructions and goals must be explicit for professionals, in order to minimize unhealthy distress and increase efficiency.
This is the problem which may happen before project manager was appointed due to lack of capital with the stake holders. Or this can also happen if the project manager is not organized and has not done proper planning. So project manager can exclude this problem by sustainable use of resources at the construction site.
This process involves the completion of all activities of all project management process groups to formally close the project or phase of the project and deliver the completed or canceled project, as appropriate. The closure of the project should not be postponed until the completion of the project. This is especially important in connection with construction projects with a diverse and large number of elements and a
Before going any further the project team should come up with a detailed explanation and planning of all the processes related to the implementation of the project. There should be exact dates for the completion of each step, combined with a list the responsible people. Schedule for the deliveries and supplies should be created and a person should be appointed to look after the proper execution. The specialists responsible for the planning should report to the project manager two weeks before the beginning of the construction work.
It is clear to see that throughout the project the tasks and progress were monitored very closely. The project is heavily dependent on the resources provided by its shareholders and in turn they rely on regular updates to reassure them on their investment. In the construction and building industry the methods and application of project management tools are very reliable and well tested. Therefore, it could benefit the project if the it was managed with detailed and defined practises and also follow standards set and agreed upon on a international level.
There are numerous challenges facing today’s construction manager. Some are new to the industry, and some are centuries old. Many of these challenges are a direct result of construction operations, while others a result of indirect, peripheral activities. A surprising number of challenges are not construction issues but must be addressed and managed by the construction manager (CM) to ensure project success. Some of the construction issues include workforce considerations, safety, time constraints, and
In this industry, there is a compilation of jobs that are necessary in project completion. There are those that fund, construct, analyze, budget, and schedule the project. The construction manager is the person who organizes and manages tasks between the owner, engineers, architects, and contractors. It is their duty to be as knowledgeable as many fields as possible as well as having good time management, money management, and organizational skills to ensure efficiency in
Project delivery methods allow for distinct allocation of risk and responsibilities within a construction contract. Each unique construction project calls for a defined delivery method and a written contract in order to ensure the success of the venture. “A project delivery option is defined as a method for procurement which the owner’s assignment of ‘delivery’ risk and performance for design and construction has been transferred to another party” (Mahdi 564). After a legal and appropriate contract is signed, contractual privity exists which allows the contracting parties to hold each other responsible for their actions. The design-bid-build delivery method is often referred to the traditional method of contractual relationships in the construction industry. This method allows the owner to select a design professional based off of the quality of their work, whereas the selection of the construction manager is based off competitive bids submitted after the completion of the design. The traditional method may be viewed as the tried and true system of creating successful contractual relationships, but the evolution of the industry has called for this method to take on different forms. One such form is the construction manager-at-risk (CMR) method, which allows for collaboration between the owner, designer, and construction manager during the early stages of the design process and continues throughout the life of the construction project. This agreement “makes up thirty percent
Let us first take a look through to some other major business and technology trends we are facing today that will impact how we execute our construction projects. It is no secret that we are living in a highly competitive environment, thanks to the global financial crisis there are fewer available projects with more contractors vying for them. Owners and governments increasingly demand that you deliver their complex projects faster and at a lower cost. You need to provide more accurate cost estimates and material quantities to ensure that you stay on budget and because project timelines are shrinking you have to manage projects with as few time and cost intensive RF eyes and change orders as possible. In addition owners and governments are increasingly savvy and expect you to have new qualifications before awarding the work. The construction industry is realigning in a fundamental way that is construction firms like yours are driving integrated practices in more effective production cycles by taking more control of the supply chain.
Construction activities are increasingly becoming more demanding in today’s dynamic world in terms of delivery and complexity hence requires proper management to ensure its timely delivery to desired standards. In order to meet planned targets it is vital to plan and sequence tasks at both (macro and micro) levels along with flow of resources for the activity. It is required to plan work and resources in a manner that the available resources can be best utilised to obtain optimal output.
For centuries, construction industry played one of the most significant roles in a country. It indicates the types of civilization in each society. It helps people to live a qualitative life in homes and other living places. All that qualitative living begins with the construction workers. These workers are not only involved in ditch digging, roofing and other labor jobs, but also has many technical areas like structural engineering, electrical work, watering, environment and other design skills. Besides the work, the time frame and cost of materials are also important parts of completion and quality of a construction job. Their large involvement in a construction project sometimes, causes problems during construction. The