Managing Construction Projects
Working Effectively With Your Architect
Instructor: Gregory P. Benz
How to choose an architect
- Fit and suitability with your project
- How to judge experience
- Who leads the team?
- What engineers will the architects use?
Clarifying your expectations for the architect
- Defining the scope of services and what you want to accomplish
- Knowing the limits of the architect
- Communicating effectively with your architect
Construction administration phase
- Defining the architect’s and the owner’s responsibilities
- Monitoring and evaluating the architect’s performance
- Under what circumstances you should fire the architect
Planning and Managing Commercial Moves
Instructor: Christopher M. Coakley
Planning the move
- Plan for how long your company can afford to be “down”
- Developing an RFP that meets your needs
- Setting the right timing and coordination
- Unusual equipment and computer systems to be moved
- Sensitive documents
- Specialized equipment for making moves to save time and minimize damage
Litigation and Construction Projects
Instructor: Robert J. Kay
Contract forms
- Roles and responsibilities associated with members of the construction team
- Responsibilities under various contract types
- Things to consider in developing your contract
Understanding the potential for legal disputes
- Practical and legal limitations on the delegation of responsibilities
- The importance of adhering to the contract documents when assessing liability
- Training of management and project teams on how to avoid legal disputes
How to close out a complex job that involves legal disputes
- Using construction documents that can avoid legal disputes
- The role of legal “posturing” when closing out a job
What owners should do during the stages of dispute resolution
- Alternatives to explore with the project owner’s counsel before legal actions begin
- Negotiating a compromise without expensive and exhaustive litigation
- Advantages and disadvantages of dispute resolution processes such as litigation, arbitration and mediation
- The role of negotiation in construction disputes
Key Management Issues to Consider Throughout the Construction Project Cycle
Instructor: Richard L. Townsend
Project definition and planning
- Defining the scope of your project
- Mistakes to avoid during the project planning phase
- Key elements in controlling costs
- Control issues associated with various contract forms
- Common mistakes to avoid in the contract
- Should you require a performance and payment bond?
Managing the construction phase
- Assigning tasks
- Establishing an effective contract administration team
- Typical problem areas
- Making sure you get what you pay for
- Controlling the red tape
- Typical overcharges
Managing change orders
- Ways to reduce the number of change orders
- Managing the cost of unavoidable change orders
Closing out the contract
- Warranties, lien waivers, as-built drawings, maintenance manuals, personnel training, test reports
Schedule
Evening before course — 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Optional dinner for those arriving early
Day 1 — 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Session
Day 2 — 8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Session
The University of Wisconsin–Madison, as a member of the University Continuing Education Association (UCEA), authorizes this course for 1.4 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) or 14 hours.
gsrenaski@exed.wisc.edu