10 Steps to Great School Facility Projects!

The government has been exploring ways to get the economy going again. One of the important steps they are considering is to invest in school construction projects. These projects have a great impact on our communities because they create jobs, upgrade our infrastructure and invest in the future of our children all through a single project. School construction projects are a fantastic way to get the most bang for taxpayer bucks both short term and long term.

School facilities are also incredibly complex projects. They often involve many different types of spaces including classrooms, labs, gymnasiums, cafeterias, auditoriums, libraries and offices. The buildings have a wide range of systems and require many specialized professionals to design, build and maintain these facilities.

School projects are also challenging because they have a high level of scrutiny. Public officials, taxpayers, parents, teachers, administrators and students all have an interest in the design and construction of these projects. They require a careful orchestration of discussion and debate around how the schools should be designed, how much money should be spent and how quickly these projects can come together.

After having personally designed and managed dozens of these projects I have put together a short list of steps needed for the success of any great school facility. These are steps that you should consider if you are personally involved in a school construction project or even if you are a stakeholder (parents and taxpayers are key stakeholders) who is watching from afar.

Step 1: Set Clear Expectations
Most school facility projects are set up around a need, for example; a building is out of date, the community is growing, there is a change in curriculum or a combination of reasons. While these are important reasons to engage in a facility project they are not a clear set of expectations for the design and construction of the building. Set clear expectations about time, quality, budget and specific goals. Look for examples in your community or beyond of successful projects that can be used as a benchmark and distill the key elements of those projects. Be as explicit as possible with the team and the community about what is expected and how success will be measured.

Step 2: Get the Right Team
On any capital project there is typically a large team of diverse professionals who will touch the project. This group will often include accountants, estimators, project managers, attorneys, architects, engineers, contractors, educators, public officials and members of the public. It is easy to go out and get the best professional in each area, but often it is more successful to get a team that can play well together. Traditionally there are a few key players; the project manager, architect, contractor and a key educator, who lead the project. If you can build a core team that is professional and works well together the project should go reasonably smoothly. Look for teams that have worked well together in the past. It is also important to make sure the team is complete. Bring in all of the experts you need.

Step 3: Design Matters
In schools, probably more than many other buildings, design really matters. Educational facilities are not just warehouses for kids to spend their days. They are institutions with aspirations to educate, elevate and inspire our youth. The design of these buildings must not only meet the needs of our communities, but should really set the tone for the expectations of the students who attend. Good design makes a difference. Don't settle for projects that are boring or drab. Task your project teams to create places where learning is the centerpiece and children are excited to come to school.

Step 4: Watch the Clock
The schedule matters, often more than the dollars. At the onset of the project get a clear schedule together and test it regularly. It will continue to shift and change over the course of the project, but tracking days will make the difference between opening in one year or three. Push your consultants to set clear schedules and keep to them as much as possible. Make sure you do the same and get decisions to the team in a timely manner. Letting days slip in the beginning of a project can cost weeks at the end. Delays hurt everyone so manage the clock.

Step 5: Concise, Complete, Correct
As the project moves from design to construction make sure that the documents are ready. There is a simple adage in architecture; Concise, Complete, Correct. Say what you need to, nothing more, nothing less and make sure it is right! Regardless if you are a lay person or a technical person, you to should be able to look at the documents and see if they seem right or wrong. Ask questions. It is your right and responsibility to know what the documents say both so you know that the design is correct and to make sure there are not future problems. Enforce quality control at all levels and you will be ensured to have fewer headaches in the process.

Step 6: Count the pennies, but pay for the aspirin
Speaking of headaches budgets also matter. It is important to pay attention to the bottom line, but don't get caught up trying to catch pennies and missing the dollars. Construction projects require a complicated orchestration of people, materials, tools, dollars and time. Sometimes it is more important to pay a few extra dollars to get the right material, or work some overtime and keep the project moving. Money certainly matters, but once the building is built it is far more expensive to correct a mistake than it is to pay for the right thing first. Be sure to keep the individuals responsible for the design engaged in the conversation about the budget. Architects and Engineers will often have good suggestions to save money without sacrificing the overall product.

Step 7: Contingency Contingency Contingency
Every project will face a pothole or two. In my career I have never seen a project without a significant unforeseen issue. Sometimes it is a weather delay, other times it has be a change in a legal requirements that require a redesign. Sometimes a product you were counting on is no longer produced, other times a key member of your team may have a life change that takes them away from the project. Always carry a a contingency of both time and money to handle the potholes that might occur. A good rule is to start the project with a 15% budget contingency and 2 extra months for every year of the schedule. If you can manage the project without ever using the contingency you will be a hero, but it is there for the rainy days. At each phase of the project you can reduce contingency a little bit, but make sure you carry 5% and at least a month of extra time until the end. Many projects wind up using that last bit of contingency in their final push.

Step 8: Open book
Since schools are public buildings it is important to maintain transparency in the process. Hold public meetings where anyone can come to get updated on the progress on the project. Involve the various stakeholders in the key decisions. Make sure you fully document the process and keep all of the parties appraised of major issues. By communicating throughout the process you can help maintain good faith and identify potential issues before they become calamities.

Step 9: Keep your eyes on the finish line
With the number of people involved and the range of decisions required it is easy to put off minor decisions until they become critical. Don't let that happen to your project. As decisions are presented make a call and document them. If they need to be revisited identify a deadline. It is important to move the project forward and keep the teams working towards the finish line. In schools more than other projects the finish line can not usually move, so if it is missed an entire year may be lost. Focus on your deadlines and make sure they are met.

Step 10: Review, Evaluate and get ready for the Next one
Once you have been involved with a school facility project you will have a new set of skills and experiences that are unique. If you enjoy the process, like I do, then take some time at the end to evaluate how things went. What could have been better? What would you do different? Are there team members that you want to work with again? What was the biggest success of the project? What was the biggest failure? By reviewing and appraising the actual outcomes you, your team and your community will be better prepared for the next project and hopefully it will be even smoother.

I wish you all luck on your coming school facility projects! Please send me any other thoughts or tips you have or questions about your communities upcoming projects.