Project Management Overview
At Gemstone the Project Manager is the senior project lead. it is the Project Managers responsibility to ensure that the project is set up and maintained to the necessary Gemstone standards. The Project Manager is responsible for interactions with the Client Team, including external Project Managers and Project Quantity Surveyors, Sub-Contractors and their management teams. The Project Manager is responsible for external reporting to the Client Team, and for internal monthly reporting with the Directors. The Project Manager will have a Quantity Surveyor to support with financial matters, but overall project responsibility remains with the Project Manager. The Project Manager is responsible for attending client meetings to discuss pertinent matters relevant to their project. The Project Manager has discretion to nominate a supporting team member to attend meetings with less pressing issues, however matters delegated must be understood with actions arising recorded and closed out accordingly. Similarly with management of Health & Safety matters, where appropriate the project manager can delegate tasks to supporting team members, these might include, tool box talks, site inductions, risk and method statements and inspections. It is however of prime importance that the Project Manager ensures that these tasks are executed and recorded accordingly.
Below is a non-exhaustive list of responsibilities to be aware of, it is the Project Managers role to ensure they are completed when and if they should arise. The Project Manager will be supported by a Construction Manager and a Health and Safety Consultant, the Project Manager has discretion to manage the project resources as they deem appropriate. Should the Project Manager identify an inadequacy or requires additional team members to perform their role optimally they are to report back to the Directors immediately advising of the inadequacy with recommendations.
Responsibilities:
Handover - The Project Manager will attend the tender adjudication meeting and handover from Estimating. This is where the project team will define budgets, nominate or shortlist Sub-Contractors, agree suppliers that will be used, define the project risks and opportunities, review exclusions and set resource levels and the project team to deliver the project. Following handover the Project Manager will assume responsibility for these matters. This will set the baseline for future project reporting requirements.
Project Scope & Team Briefing - The Project Manager is to review & understand project scope, this includes detailed familiarisation of documents, plans, specifications & standards. The Project Manager is to organise a briefing session with all team members to disseminate their knowledge. Gemstone are keen to embrace a ‘Project Team’ ethos and culture. The team is responsible for ensuring the project is delivered successfully, to achieve this the team must know what they are driving toward and their role in that process. The briefing session is the start of that process. The Project Manager should prepare materials for the briefing, the Project Manager can utilise team members to assist in this process. The briefing session is to be conducted at minimum quarterly intervals with KPI’s monitored.
Site Establishment - The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring the project is set up the Gemstone standards. The site accommodation and welfare facilities are to be in place prior to works commencing. Should space be given by a main contractor or client the Project Manager is to ensure they are adequate. The site facilities are to be set up with all necessary signage, first aid requirements, office equipment, notice board and Gemstone Kanban Board. The Project Manager is to ensure there are adequate welfare facilities for the operatives and Sub-Contractors.
Signage - Gemstone operates a visual standards policy. In brief all visual messages are to be on the Gemstone Template, this comprises of Gemstone Logo in the Header, the message in the appropriate size font (Highlighted Yellow) an image of what is intended to be complied with, i.e. ‘must wear eye protection’ and finally the CIOB logo in the footer. All messages must be necessary, consistent, relevant and prevent confusion.
Health & Safety - The Project Manager is responsible for all Health & Safety matters during pre-construction and construction. The Project Manager is to ensure there is an F10 in place. If this is not the responsibility of Gemstone the Project Manager is to ensure the Client is aware of their obligation. The Project Manager is responsible for completing the Construction Phase Plan and the initial site Fire Risk assessment. Both of these documents are to be reviewed by Health and Safety and signed by a Director.
Inductions - The Project Manager is responsible for preparing the Project Specific Site Induction in the Gemstone Template. The Project Manager is to ensure that all operatives and any persons attending site receive the appropriate induction. It is accepted that visitors need not have a full induction, if a full induction is not given those persons must be escorted around site. The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring those briefings are given and that signatures are properly captured. Under no circumstance are persons to access site without having first had the appropriate site induction.
RAM’s - The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring all Risk and Method Statements are in place prior to works commencing. All Risk and Method Statements must be reviewed by Health and Safety prior to works commencing. Any activities that would qualify as high risk are to be further reviewed by a Director prior to works commencing, an example of high risk activity might include a crane lift or confined space working. The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring that RAMS are properly planned, Gemstone operate a schedule of anticipated works for RAMS, these RAMs are to be prepared in advance to ensure works are executed timely. The schedule includes a summary of RAMs and a separate sheet for the operatives that received those RAMS. The operatives are to sign a sheet acknowledging that they have received a briefing and understood the content of the RAMS. The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring those briefings are given and that signatures are properly captured. The Project Manager should ensure that specific risks are communicated and operatives are aware and prepared to deal with them, this might included paperwork or specific equipment to perform the task.
TBT’s - Gemstone as a business insist that weekly Tool Box talks are given. These should be specific to upcoming tasks or challenges foreseen. As with RAMS there is a schedule system in place. The schedule includes a summary of TBT’s and a separate sheet for the operatives that received those TBT’s. The operatives are to sign a sheet acknowledging that they have received a briefing and understood the content of the TBT’s. The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring those briefings are given and the signatures are properly captured.
Inspections - Gemstone conduct weekly Site Safety inspections. The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring that these inspections are completed. There is a schedule system in place for recording these inspections. These inspections are to be audited by Health & Safety and therefore sent to Health & Safety for review. Any issues observed that are deemed unacceptable are to be rectified immediately and works stopped until remedied. Gemstone will not prejudice the Project Managers integrity, the Project Manager holds ultimate responsibility and their word is final in all matters pertaining to Health & Safety. Should the Project Manager feel compromised or pressured by the Client to complete works in an unsafe manner the Project Manager is to escalate and the Directors pledge to give their full support to the Project Manager. Under no circumstance will the Health & Safety of our team or operatives be compromised for the Project.
PPE - Gemstone operate a five point PPE standard. This includes, Hard Hat, High Visibility Vest, Steel Toe Cap Footwear, Gloves and Eye Protection Glasses. The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring their team police this policy. The Project Manager has discretion to remove persons from site should they persistently disregard their warnings. A yellow and red card system can be employed. The Directors will support the Project Manager in their decision.
Regular Progress - The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring that project proceeds at a pace informed by the Project Programme. The Project Manager is to ensure that all necessary elements converge as required, including, Sub-Contractors, materials, labour resource interfaces and decisions whether those be Gemstone or client driven. Should any of these elements be impeded it is the Project Managers responsibility to ensure those are properly recorded and communicated. The process for communicating an impediment may vary, but at a minimum they should be captured in the weekly and monthly reports. The Project Manager and Directors will agree the escalation process for matters requiring escalation to the client.
The Kanban Board - Whilst it may be considered novel in a construction setting the Kanban Board has been successfully used in manufacturing processes to drive efficiency. Gemstone consider itself a forward thinking company and will constantly strive to improve the service it offers. Gemstone is a firm believer in lean production, driving efficiency and reducing its carbon footprint. Gemstone request the Project Managers full support in adopting this mindset. Gemstone therefore as part of its site establishment and plan for delivering the project will provide a Kanban Board. Further details can be found in the Site Establishments section of this site.
Weekly Deliverables - The Project Manger is to ensure that the following documents are completed or maintained on a weekly basis. The Site Induction Register, the Risk and Method Statement Register, the Tool Box Talk Register, the Weekly Inspection Register and sent to Health & Safety, the Weekly Project Report complete with Two Week Look Ahead, the Project Programme, matters by exception that might affect the project adversely.
Monthly Deliverables - The Project Manager is to ensure that the following documents are completed or maintained on a monthly basis. The Monthly Report with specific updates for these matters for issue to the client
Priority Items
Client Key Actions
Summary of Progress
Health & Safety
Procurement
Project Risks
Design
Requests for Information
Project Financial Health
Quality
O&M
The monthly payment application, the Project Manager is responsible for ensuring that the Project Quantity Surveyor is submitting payment applications. The Project Manager should be familiar with progress financially and issues that may be affecting the forecast. Ensuring the project is a commercial success requires the Project Team and the Financial Team to work seamlessly. The Project Manager is to ensure that the Surveyor is aware of any variations to the works or impediments to progress. Should the Project Manager feel that they are not getting adequate support for financial matters they are to escalate to the Directors immediately.
Monthly Cost Value Reconciliation - The Project Manager and Project Quantity Surveyor are jointly responsible for ensuring that the project CVR is maintained and ready for review in a monthly CVR meeting with the Directors. The Project Manager and Quantity Surveyor will be furnished with the project costs cut off at a pre determined time for inclusion in the project CVR. The Project Manager is given full authority to interrogate the project costs with accounts and can request for errors and adjustments to incorrectly booked costs to be moved.
Monthly programme update - The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring the project programme is updated with progress by way of a redline drop line, impacted analysis and critical path analysis. Should the programme be deviating from planned progress and narrative explaining why is to be provided. The Project Managers recommendation for mitigation is to be offered, should the matters presented be sensitive the Project Manager is to discuss with the Directors so that a consolidated agreed message can be presented to the client.
Change Management Log - The Project Manager and Quantity Surveyor are jointly responsible for ensuring that the Change Management Log is maintained. The Project Manager is to inform the Quantity Surveyor of any pending or likely changes to the Scope of Work so that appropriate advice can be given to the client. As a business Gemstone insists that changes are identified and priced swiftly to give our clients cost certainty on the final outturn cost of the project. The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring the Quantity Surveyor provides timely advice.
Matters Generally - The Project Manager in the monthly meeting will have opportunity to present their thoughts in a monthly meeting with the Directors. There is no restriction on what the Project Manager can raise, everything is encouraged, the bad the good and the not so good. Gemstone are keen and welcome recommendations and opportunities to improve the business.
Quality - Gemstone are always looking for ways to improve the quality of the product it delivers. The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring the project is completed to the highest possible standards. to achieve such the Project Manager is to set up and agree the Project Inspection Test & Witness Plan. The Project Manager is to agree the elements that will require a Benchmark, a Benchmark sets the standard of the element being installed. Once the Benchmark is agreed this becomes the standard. Any deviation is to be rejected. The installation is to be progressively monitored against each Benchmark with Test and Witness Packs completed. The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring these progressive Test & Witness Packs are being completed and recorded accordingly in the Inspection Test & Witness Plan.
Snagging - It is the Project Managers responsibility to ensure the works are progressively snagged with snags closed out prior to any inspection being offered. Gemstone endeavour to close projects out with Zero Defects. Gemstone rely on the Project Manager to ensure the works are handed over to the highest possible Standards.
O&M - The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring that upon completion of the works the Operation and Maintenance Manual is available to provide to the Client. The Project Manager is responsible for ensuring that all client training is organised and provided to the client.