Site Assessments: Conducting a Site Assessment (Part 3)
January 2002
In this, the third of a four-part series,
Ron Prichard discusses how to tackle the task of gaining information about a
construction site by actually going on-site and determining what those working
on-site think of the project and its progress.
by Ron
Prichard
Aon Worldwide Resources
In previous articles, we addressed the "infostructure" of the site assessment
model and the basic elements of conducting site assessments. This installment
explains how to tackle the task of gaining information around the work taking
place in the field, and how to put it into useful form.
The primary gauge for rapid on-site assessment is to monitor the project
field key element. This encompasses four associated, essential functions:
- How people talk about the project
- What people say about others on the project
- How they talk about progress
- How the job actually looks once you go out on-site
Keep in mind that this data is not collected sequentially. While complete
data collection on the first three categories is not necessary before the project
begins, enough information must be acquired on the last category to help steer
the tour.
How are these opinions acquired? Regarding the first three classifications,
answers are gained as part of the dialogue during the site tour. It's important
to seek out views that either verify your initial opinions or refine them by
confirming or disqualifying them. All questions need not be answered every time.
By developing a base set of information on certain key questions, subsequent
visits will help you gauge which elements have changed, in what direction, and
why. These changes provide clues as to the progress and direction of the project,
and generate leads for inquiry.
This article examines each of these four essential functions in more detail.
How People Talk about the Job
Here, you are seeking information in four areas:
- What do they think about the job in general?
- What do they think about the project documents?
- What are the specific issues attracting most of their attention?
- How do they view the problem-resolution process on the project?
Regarding the project in general, you want to get an overall impression of
the project trajectory—where is the job headed in relationship to the stated
goal(s). People engaged in a project are able to detect rather quickly, and
early in the process, whether a project is going to be successful or not. Most
want to link themselves to a project's success, while distancing themselves
from any failure. So, first try to discern how those on a project identify with
the project.
This can be accomplished by gauging how the overall project is viewed. Ask
about their general impressions regarding the concept and scope of the project
(what is being built), the resources and approach used (organization and staffing,
contracting and delivery strategy), and the sense of direction. Next, find out
what is thought about the owner and the owner's staff and advisors assigned
to the project (such as architects, engineers, inspectors, and other third parties
acting as agents for the owner). Here you are seeking impressions of the competency,
adequacy of advice, and level of support provided. This is also where you gauge
the project management style of the owner. Is it a collaborative process or
a strict hierarchy (just do what you are told or required to do). The final
line of inquiry is to get their assessment of the quality of the project team
as an aggregate.
What Is Said about Others on the Project
This is a subtle area of inquiry. It is where you gauge attitudes about the
other parties involved in the construction process. This involves the examination
of two areas: what the project team thinks of its own management and members
of its organization assigned to the project and what is thought about the other
contractors, subcontractors, and labor force on-site.
How They Talk about Progress
At this point your goal is to find out what people on the project think about
how the project is progressing, using their own words. This is where you give
them the opportunity to open up in an area where they seldom find anyone else
who cares to listen to their opinions. Focus on work activities and try to get
a sense of the sorts of problems being encountered, the successes and difficulties,
how they and other team members are resolving issues, and what unexpected events
have emerged.
In this area, you are also gauging the general willingness to share information.
Evasiveness or reluctance to discuss the project progress is a sure sign of
trouble. It could indicate that the people on the project are either very unsettled
about events or are attempting to conceal issues from you
How the Job Looks On-Site
This is a crucial area of assessment and will involve the major focus of
energy. Since a project depends on actual physical work and accomplishment to
progress, you need to determine how well things are actually going on-site.
Also be concerned for how management is functioning, as this aspect is critical
to directing and monitoring the work. This aspect of the evaluation begins from
the moment you arrive on-site and encompasses ascertaining all the following
elements:
- The definition of the project site itself, with identification, separation
and security, access points (as discernable points of entry)
- The signs and other directional indicators (emergency and informational,
to guide people to the appropriate places on the project site)
- The clarity of traffic patterns; the parking areas for craft and management
(condition and upkeep, amount, trash, organization, adequacy, proximity
to work, entry and exit points)
- The access points for deliveries, visitors, and emergency personnel;
organization, layout, order and tidiness of the trailer city, storage areas,
and lay-down yards
- The proximity of the key staging areas to other areas of the project
- The location of management office trailer to other staging areas
This information can be gathered through observation. It is typical to note
that if there is a significant separation between the management locales and
the craft parking areas, the craft parking lots will suffer (as will the morale
of the workers). Also, if the condition of the parking lots deteriorates, it
is an indicator that management doesn't really care about the people performing
the work since, after all, they haven't bothered to check on things. Taken a
step further, why then should workers care? The craft personnel understand intuitively
that the things that count get checked.
The pattern noted in this quick site assessment should be replicated in other
areas of the project. The staging of the office trailers—commonly referred to
as "Trailer City"—should provide an indication of how things are going on-site.
As you approach the trailers, look for the same elements you did upon arrival
on-site. Once inside the main office trailer, again look for these elements.
Things such as order and organization, layout, cleanliness, and the set-up
will reflect the personality of the project manager (and the approach used in
handling the project itself). What is tolerated in the main trailer will be
reflected out in the actual construction work areas. If there are discrepancies
in these patterns, other forces are at work that need to be defined and explained.
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)
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