Initial Assessment Site Assessments (Part 2)
December 2001
In this article, Ron Prichard examines the
questions that need to be asked during an initial construction site assessment
to determine how the site is meeting both safety and development goals.
by Ron
Prichard, P.E. Ph.D.
Aon Worldwide Resources
In part 1 of this series, we examined the "infostructure":
the underlying concepts behind the assessment process. This installment will
examine the application of this model in performing an initial site assessment.
Tackling a First Visit to a Site
The initial visit to a construction site always initiates more questions
than any subsequent visit. Also, the scope of inquiry is broader. This does
not mean, however, that if new safety issues arise on subsequent visits, that
the scope of inquiry cannot be broadened.
In the initial visit, the main goal is information collection—gathering information
about the basic scope of the project. This creates the "base case" for the project,
against which the state of affairs on subsequent visits is compared. Initially,
the base case is project data is compared with a project standard to gauge the
team's application of Ashby's First Law of Systems: A project must start properly
if it is to finish properly.
The lead members of the project team should be the primary source for information.
By setting the priorities for work and directing the course of events, these
lead members set the stage for project outcome. Their sense of what they have
to do, and the resources available to them to accomplish it, are instrumental
in driving the project. While it is important for the subordinate members of
the project delivery team to have a full and sufficient understanding of the
mission, their errors can, usually, be easily corrected by the lead project
team members.
The purpose of the initial assessment is to gather enough information to
develop a complete, comprehensive picture of the project. This preliminary picture
forms the basis against which the assessments on subsequent visits are compared
to detect improvement or deterioration. Indications of deterioration can serve
as clues for investigation. Project success depends on early detection and correction
of problems while the costs (in terms of time and resources) are low and before
the problem becomes difficult to resolve. Thus, the assessor examines many aspects
of the project, and makes two determinations. The first is the existing state
and its relationship compared to a best practices standard. The second is to
project into the future, an expected state, where the job should be at the next
checkpoint.
On subsequent visits, the assessor evaluates the progress of the project
team. This includes determining that the project purpose is still on track.
Next, the assessor determines what changes have occurred in the project since
the last visit. The focus is to identify those elements that have changed, how
they have changed (e.g., what is the trend of the change), and the reason for
the change (e.g., what drove the change). This lets you hone in on key indicators
of emerging strengths, of growing risks and difficulties, and of potentially
serious problems.
How the team sees its own progress-both in identification of issues and their
proposed solutions-provides insight into the team's problem-solving methods
and management decision-making processes. A construction project is an open
system. This means that it is affected by events in the surrounding environment,
not just occurrences on the project itself. Thus, team awareness of what is
happening on the job and off is crucial. The context of the project is dynamic
and changing, and the project approach must be evolving, based on feedback,
if it is to achieve its stated purpose.
The Key Elements
The key tool in performing the site assessments is the standard question
base. This is built from research and refined over the course of use in the
field. The question set is never complete; modifications must be made based
on what is seen or heard during the site visit. There are seven key elements
to be considered over the project assessment. Not all elements need to be evaluated
each time the project is visited, but the more information gathered, the better
the diagnosis.
These elements and their essential functions are as defined below:
- Design
Translation of vision into defined
goals
Completeness and documentation
Complexity Coordination of systems
Value engineering and constructability
Consideration of environment Special materials and equipment
Particular features or performance specifications
- Project Field
How do people talk about
the project?
What do they say about the project progress?
What do they say about other project team members?
How does the job appear?
- Project Structure
Owner information
Project resources
Schedule and seasons
Contracting strategy
Contract language Contract administration process
Roles, responsibilities, and authority
Goals, expectations, and requirements
Dispute resolution and change control
Partnering
- Project Geography and Logistics
Project
location vis-à-vis workforce and key parties
Accessibility
Adjacent facilities
Climate
Terrain
Regional market
Site details
Local building code officials and permits
Site utilities
- Project Team
Philosophy, approach, and
autonomy
Level of owner participation
Composition
Number, knowledge, and experience
Location and set-up
Attitude
Resources and support
Knowledge and understanding of project requirements
Craft labor source and supply
- Preconstruction Activities
Contractor
qualification
Bidding process
Selection and notification
Project requirements review
Premobilization activities
Submittals
Performance measures and other project controls data
Site planning
- Course-of-Construction Events
Project
communications and information flow
Team turnover
Work coordination activities
Progress monitoring
Problems solving—identification and solution
Project change management
Payment process
Project progress—actual versus anticipated
Contract closeout process
Commissioning, startup and turnover
Subsequent Site Assessments
The utility of these questions comes from compiling the information gathered
into a coherent set of specifications. A pattern then emerges by comparing data
obtained from previous visits. It's not the direct answers to the above questions
that matter so much, as they represent raw data which, taken alone, point nowhere.
Rather, it's the evaluation of the responses, gauged in context, which generates
useful project assessments.
The full four-part series on site assessments includes:
An Informal Process of Questioning (Part 1)
Initial Assessments (Part 2)
Conducting a Site Assessment (Part 3)
Some Final Thoughts on Completing Site
Assessments (Part 4)
Opinions expressed in Expert Commentary articles are those of the author and are
not necessarily held by the author's employer or IRMI. Expert Commentary articles
and other IRMI Online content do not purport to provide legal, accounting, or other
professional advice or opinion. If such advice is needed, consult with your attorney,
accountant, or other qualified adviser.