Project Management Procedures

PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES

1.0 Project Engineer`s Duties Re Structural/Civil Services

Duties of a Project Engineer (structural/Civil) are as follows:-

 To represent the Structural/Civil Engineer at all project meeting for the first Consultants` commissioning meeting.
 Project Engineer will be part of consulting team usually led by an Architect or a Project Manager specific duties
include in this role are as follows:-
- To coordinate all services which are the responsibility of the firm on the project and to carry out any
direct duties (e.g. design, report, drawings production and/or supervision) which are necessary relating
to the particular discipline for which the Project Engineer is qualified and is therefore directly
responsible. The coordination aspect of this work will be over and above the role of a full time Resident
Engineer if one required. Specific duties included in this entire role are as follows.

A. Report Stage

The preparation and submission of a report embodying preliminary proposals or feasibility studies and estimates of cost
and time where appropriate for consideration by cost and time where appropriate for consideration by the Client,
including all or any of the following:-

 Having appointed or employed an Engineer, the Client wants him to assess the project requirements and to
devise and present alternative schemes for his consideration.
 On appointment, the Engineer`s first tasks are to become acquainted with and to review the Client’s
requirements, and then to agree a brief of the investigations.
 The Engineer shall inspect the site and consider all physical, financial and political constraints, devise possible
solutions and compare them.
 The Engineer shall submit a report to the Client summarizing his findings and conclusions and recommending a
preferred solution with an estimate of its capital and likely maintenance costs.
 The Engineer`s report on his investigations should recommend the basis for the economic design of a project. It
should therefore review the main design choices and the major problems which may affect construction.
 The studies required to develop a preferred scheme for a major project may be some or all of the following:-
- a study which assesses the requirement of a particular sector of a country or industry in order to identify
individual projects for investigation.
- a pre-feasibility study which investigates whether or not there is likely to be a viable demand for the
project to be studied, whether or not the required resources of implementation would be available within
acceptable cost limits, and whether or not a feasibility study would be justified.
- a feasibility (or pre-investment) study which involves preliminary surveys to investigate technical and
economic viability, an estimate of capital and operating costs, and other information to enable the Client
to decide whether or not he should try to finance the project, it does not include detailed design, but may
include some outline design.
- a master plan which is a long-term development programme and which generally indicates how
construction and expenditure can be phased.
- an environmental impact study which considers the effect the proposed development would have on the
environment.
- a geotechnical study which investigates the nature of ground where works may be constructed and
assesses possible problems.
- a project study which develops the preferred scheme in detail, especially its technical aspects, this is
sometimes known as the final design study.

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- a financing study in most cases the Client will make the necessary financing arrangements himself, but
exceptionally the Engineer may be required to identify possible sources of finance and to assist the
Client in establishing the arrangements for the provision and repayment of the funds needed, in which
cases a special report on the financing arrangements will be needed.

 Investigation and collation of available data, drawings and plans relating to the project.
 Investigation of financial implications relating to the proposals or feasibility studies.

Specific Functions
 A broad strategy of approach to future stakeholder involvement needs to be formulated, discussed and agreed.
 A detailed scope of works needs to be drawn up, inclusive of resolution of detail strategic issues and
organizational and management framework/approval.
 Ascertain the status quo of the project environment and draft a status quo report.
 Identify potential role players, establish a stakeholders forum and nominate and appoint consultants.
 Identify and prioritize needs with professional surveys and information gathering.
 Analyze needs and alternative solutions and reach consensus regarding the intended project. Formalize an
agreement/social compact.
 Refer all reports and matters to the Client which require attention.
 Co-ordinate meetings and flow of information.
 Monitor progress, take action, do rolling wave detail time scheduling, prepare and distribute routine progress
reports.
 Monitor, analyze and report expenditure in relation to estimated completion costs.
 Review all documentation, examine alternatives/sensitivities/global picture.

B. Preliminary Design Stage

Following the Client’s instruction to proceed; the development of preliminary proposals or the basic planning of the
project, comprising all or any of the following:-

 Submission of a basic planning report if required by the Client.

 Establishment of final design criteria.
 Advice to the Client as to the need for any further surveys, analyses, tests and site or other investigations which
may be required and arranging for these to be carried out at Client’s expense.
 Advice to the Client, as may be necessary, on the appointment and delineation of the services of other
Consultants, Architects and Specialist Advisers, arranging such appointments and consultations with such
advisers in matters affecting the Project.
 Design of any process or system or refinement of the preliminary process design, where such process design is a
prerequisite of the Project.
 Preparation of any preliminary plans, drawings and estimates required for seeking the approval of statutory
authorities.
 Consultation on technical matters with authorities and interested parties other than those having rights or powers
of sanction and making modifications to the preliminary design of the Project arising out of such consultations.
 Submission of updated and revised estimates of cost, time and financial implications previously reported on.

Specific Functions

 Obtain and analyze all pertinent information and record, review, discuss, agree Client’s needs, requirements and
goals
 Obtain sufficient conceptual designs and analyze work to be able to plan, budget and specify:-
- the overall design task

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- the main elements

- required systems
- requirement for further analysis
 Group discuss project variables & characteristics and plan:-
- goals into objectives, deliverables and responsibilities
- key result areas and success criteria for all stakeholders
- analysis of environmental and technical constraints
- analysis of assumptions, risks, sensitivity and information to acquire
- strategies for execution inclusive of styles, delegation, controls/configuration, etc.
- project policies, procedures
- interface criteria and stakeholders
 Prepare a work breakdown structure in sufficient levels of detail and configure into logic sequence, phases and
composite deliverables. Estimate time durations, introduce milestones and align with time and seasonal
constraints to get a master bar chart.
 Prepare an organization breakdown structure; draw up requests for proposals, pre-qualification requests or
advertisements for team members and/or consultant organizations. Collect applications, interview, analyze,
recommend for client selection. Do appointments and service agreements. Complete scope of services –
instructions for professional work inclusive of task descriptions, information provided; quality instructions,
assigned man-hours, delivery dates and deliverables.
 Prepare a cost account plan with a logical roll-up, inclusive of man-hour cost estimates applied at standard,
negotiated or assignee rates. Apply management, technical and financial reserves, overheads and arrive at a
working budget.
 Prepare a quality plan by selecting standards procedures, adding specific procedures, devising interface controls,
periodic and other control check points, level of details required, calendar of meetings, documentation system,
authority requirements for sanctions/permits/approvals.
 Draw up the preliminary report which confirms economical/technical/managerial viability of the project. Submit
and defend the report with the Client. Make any necessary changes.

Design and Tender Stage

Following the Client’s instruction to proceed, the preparation of all documents necessary to enable tenders for the
Works to be called for or for the Works to be otherwise placed by the Client, including all or any of the following:-

 Advice the Client as to the necessity for further surveys, special visits, use of specialist consultants, setting out or
staking out the Works, etc, and arranging for such to be carried out at the Client’s expense.
 Preparation of designs, tender drawings, specifications and engineering schedules of quantities.
 Provision of information necessary for the design of other services.
 Submission of updated and revised estimates of cost, time and financial implications previously reported on.
 Drafting or adapting invitations to tender, tender conditions, forms of tender and conditions of contract and calling
for tenders when instructed to do so by the Client.
 Analyses of tenders and submission of recommendations on the acceptance of tenders and if necessary revising
the estimates of the cost and the completion date of the Works.

Supervision Stage

 Administration and timely completion of the Contract.

 In administering the Contract the Engineer`s decisions must be scrupulously fair and impartial as between Client
and Contractor, and must, to the extent that the Contract document provide, be based on the terms and
conditions specified therein.

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 Overall co-ordination of the work of the professional team, the programming and execution of the design and the
financial control of the project.
 Issue instructions to Contractor.
 Attend regular meetings on site with Contractors, Consultants and Client for the purpose of administering the
Contract.
 Employ, on behalf of the Client and at his expense, specialist firms for inspection and testing of the Works, and
for taking samples of materials and testing, on and off site, as well as for the inspection and testing of fabricated
work.
a) Project Engineer
The head office shall be represented by a project engineer whose duties are broadly as follows:-
 To provide detailed design and drawings where tender drawings would have been found to be too sketchy to
ensure acceptable quality and cost reasonably.
 To redesign and provide related drawings where there are variations to the Client’s requirements of the client or
changed site conditions and to estimate the effect which each of those changes will have on the programme and
cost of the works.
 To supervise the resident engineer.
 To prepare regular and special progress report.
b) Resident Engineer
The function of the Resident Engineer is to watch and supervise on a day to day basis the construction and
maintenance of the project. The principal duties of the Resident Engineer are as follows:-
 to organize his work to suit the approved programme
 to co-operate closely with the contractor on matters of safety
 to supervise the works and to check that they are executed to correct line and level and that the materials and
workmanship comply with the specification
 to examine the methods proposed by the contractor for the execution of the works, the primary object being to
ensure the safe and satisfactory execution of permanent work
 to execute and/or supervise tests carried out on site, and to inspect materials
 to keep a diary constituting a detailed history of the work done and of all happenings at the site and to submit
periodic progress reports to the Project Engineer.
 in the case of any work for which the contractor may claim payment as additional work, to agree with the
contactor and record all relevant circumstances so as to ensure that agreement exists on matters of fact before
any question of principle has to decided by the Project Engineer
 to measure in agreement with the contractor the quantities of work executed and to check daywork and other
accounts so that the interim and final payments due to contractor may be certified
 to record the progress of the work in comparison with the programme
 to record on drawings the actual level and nature of all foundations, the character of the strata encountered in
excavation and full details of any deviations from the drawing which may have been made during the executing of
the works, i.e. to produce all record drawings.
c) Inspector’s Duties
 Experienced inspectors shall be employed under the Engineer`s Representative to undertake general supervision
of the Contractor’s work, and junior inspectors as detail checkers on the mixing of concrete and any such work
requiring constant supervision.
 The duties of inspectors are of great importance and demand wide experience, practical knowledge, integrity and
tact in dealing with the foremen and workmen employed by the Contractor.

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 Selection of suitable staff is therefore a matter of great importance not only to secure satisfactory work but also to
ensure smooth working of the Contract.
d) Progress Report
 The Engineer shall maintain a check on progress through regular reports submitted to him by the Engineer`s
representative.
 These report must be in a form that will give the Engineer a clear and concise picture of the progress made and
the extent to which this is ahead of or behind the Contractor’s programme; they should be accompanied by such
progress charts or diagrams as may be necessary for this purpose.
 If the is behind programme on way items of work the report should state the reasons for the delay and the steps
which the Contractor is taking to remedy matters.
 The Engineer`s Representative may also be required to submit financial reports.
e) Instruction To The Contractor
All instruction shall be given by the Engineer`s Representative to the Contractor in writing, either directly or as
confirmation of verbal instructions.
f) Variations
 Any instruction from the Client concerning amendments to the design or to the work already done, on account of
altered requirements, should invariably be given to the Engineer.
 The Engineer shall then instruct the Contractor by means of a variation.
 The Engineer shall also advise the Client on variations found necessary or desirable and inform the Client of the
effect of all variations on the programme and the cost the Works.
g) Value of Co-operation
 There is a great need for the Engineer and the Contractor to work in close co-operation and to understand the
problems that the other has to face. Any advice, assistance and co-operation given to the Contractor in his
execution of the Works is likely to benefit not only the Contractor but also the Engineer and the Client. Likewise
any advice and assistance which the Contractor can give to the Engineer should benefit all parties.

Specific Functions

 Monitor and integrate the examination and approval of contractor’s methods, plans, drawings, designs for general
design conformance.
 Expedite answers to contractor’s queries, variations, corrective actions, sub-contractors.
 Monitor control records of deliveries, quantities, weather conditions, events, client issued items.
 Monitor advice to client regarding performance bonds, insurance, retention bonds, violations of contract, claims,
disputes, differences, acceptance, hand-overs, final certificates.
 Monitor and integrate site management inclusive of:-

- allocation of space, access and services to contractors

- project public relations
- setting out and maintenance of beacons
- documentation release and revision control
- contractor information
- assumptions/unforeseen circumstances register/recording
- safety/security/progress
- verification of materials, workmanship, procedures and guarantees

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- non-conformance and fault resolution and control

- variances and remedial works
- witnessing inspections, tests, hand-overs, defects lists
- release of retention
 Expedite and finalise a project completion report inclusive of reconciled costs, as-built information, maintenance
manuals, spare parts lists etc.

2.0 Checklist

2.1 Pre-Contract Duties

- Ensure that the Client is aware that he carries the financial risk for unforeseen events and the financial
managerial and advisory resources required for the Contract.
- Warn the Client of the decisions and actions required of him, giving programme dates for the finalization of
designs, the provision of access, construction and taking over of the Works.
- Design and detail the Works and as far as possible prepare clear working drawings and a concise
Specification.
- Prepare accurate Bills of Quantities, detailing the works required and complying with the Standard Method of
Measurement where possible.
- Ensure that the Client and his staff understand the role of the Engineer.
- Ensure that the Engineer has a defined and readily understood method of selecting tenderers and
recommend that the number invited should be limited.
- Ensure that all tenderers receive the same tendering information and are given a sufficient period for the
preparation of tenders.
- Make all site and service information in the Client’s and Engineer`s possession available to those invited to
tender.
- Ensure that tenders are delivered in specifically marked envelopes to the Client or the Engineer by a fixed
date and time, and that they are opened in the presence of witness at a declared fixed time.
- Check tenders carefully and correct any errors in the extension of items, rates, times and quantity. Notify
tenderers of any resulting changes in the totals of the priced Bills of Quantities and tender sums.

Review tenders received with particular regard to the proposed construction methods; the degree of risk
involved; the implications of sectional completion dates on the Client’s and the Contractor’s cash flow; and
the anticipated final contract price. Submit a report to the Client pointing out any rate that is less than the
known cost of carrying out the work to which it refers and recommending the acceptance of a particular
tender, with reasons. If any tender rates are in doubt, recommend that the tenderer be invited to stand by his
rates or withdraw.
- Advise the Client to give tenderers the name of the successful tenderer at the earliest opportunity and
recommend that the list of the values of the tenders received be circulated.

2.2 Post-Contract Duties

- On the appointment of the Contractor, confirm the appointment by letter.

- State by letters to the Contractor and Engineer`s representative details of the powers and responsibilities
which are to be delegated to the latter. Name the Engineer`s Representative and the members of the project
team, and give a date for the commencement of the Works.
- Agree the extent and method of payment for variations and extras. Agree methods for the supervision and
recording of dayworks, preferably before work is commenced, and confirm these details in writing.

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- Do not exceed the power granted by the Client, e.g. do not take on the responsibility for redesigning or
significant variations and extra works without the Client’s agreement to such works and to the provision of the
necessary finance.
- Make decisions on extensions of time at the stages and times required under the contract.
- Ensure that the site diary and site records are properly kept and agreed where appropriate with the
Contractor, and arrange for regular progress photographs to be taken.
- Ensure that a site diary and site records are properly kept and agreed where appropriate with the Contractor,
and arrange for regular progress photographs to be taken.
- Ensure that site meeting are held at least once a month and that minutes are kept and agreed.
- Issue certificates for payments after interim measurements promptly.
- Visit the site regularly – at least once a month. Inspect works in progress and review compliance with the
Contract programme.
- Ensure that nominated subcontractors are properly appointed by the main contractor and that appropriate
Subcontract Conditions of Contract are applied.
- Agree measurements of quantities for completed work as the work proceeds, and agree with the Contractor
that they are to be carried unaltered to the final account.
- Ensure that claims are properly detailed and that any sums due thereon are settled as soon as possible.
- Ensure that Certificate of Maintenance and Completion are issued to the Contractor on time.
- Ensure that the Client is aware of his new insurance liability when the Maintenance Certificate is issued.
- When preparing decisions, review all evidence available and, if possible, arrange for the Engineer`s
Representative to put the Client’s case, and the Contractor his, to enable a clear judgement to be made of
the issues.
- In the event of arbitration, try to keep the dispute within the scope of the Engineer`s decision and present
evidence fairly and concisely.

3.0 General

The guide principle for the Engineer and his staff is that the Contract is a joint enterprise for the benefit of both parties:
the Client is entitled to a project well executed and the Contractor to fair dealing and affair profit. It should always be
remembered that the Contractor could only price and resource for the works which were were defined at the time he
tendered.