CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS
 Over the past decade, California has witnessed an unprecedented boom in school construction. One would think that we now know how to put together effective construction programs; programs that deliver high quality projects which meet our expectations on time and on budget. However, the reality is that a myriad of factors make this a challenging accomplishment. These factors include:
- An ever changing design landscape
- Escalating costs of construction materials
- The number of construction professionals
- The desire to finish projects yesterday
We have come a long way but we have not yet been able to reach the goal of maximizing the efficiency of our construction programs.
The following comments are based on the reflections and lessons learned from industry and from school district professionals engaged in the practice of building and renovating schools.
I. The role of board members in the construction process
School Boards, in the most general terms, set policy and hire the team that implements those policies. In reality there is much more to it than that. As the voice and conscious of the community, School Boards play a very important role in the survival and growth of the District. The impact of the decisions made regarding school construction is essentially permanent, as they will survive many generations. They should not be taken lightly.
Who should board members or owners hire and why?
At the top of the list of activities for School Boards is the hiring of key individuals to run the facilities/construction program. With the amount of money at stake, it is important that this position be given serious thought and consideration. It is not enough to hire an individual that was a tradesman or that may have built his own home or even a person who has a contractor's license. You need to get the person who has knowledge, experience and success at doing the same kinds of projects contemplated for your program. There is no substitute for knowledge and experience.
Depending on the size of the District, you may have a good solid facilities staff that is supported by a solid roster of consultants and contractors. Alternatively, you may be a low wealth District that has an individual acting as the Superintendent/Principal and M & O Director. Both of these extremes exist and the Board must decide how best to accomplish their educational goals while satisfying their building needs. In most cases, there are very competent contractors, construction managers, architects and other consultants that are available to assist the District. It is up to the District to decide if they are going to hire in –house or use outside consultants to manage the process. There are arguments on both sides of the issue as to which is the better method and in either case the challenge is to hire the best, most experienced, reliable person you can. Remember, in most cases you will be hiring an individual and not the firm so you need to evaluate the individual's resume and references and not be blinded by some firm's glossy portfolio.
The use of consultants is a very cost effective way to solve the staffing problems that exist in many Districts. Consultants are skilled and knowledgeable and are hired for a fixed duration. You can hold these folks responsible to manage the project according to industry standards and practices. Remember, if you follow a proven process and procedure you will get a predictable result.
II. Expectations
School Boards should also be very clear and upfront about their expectations, priorities and timelines. They should take the time to understand the budgets, costs and schedules and be realistic in their requests for changes. Additionally, Board members should have a good understanding of the method of project delivery, as there is a significant difference in risk allocation between the various methods. Lastly, Boards need to be flexible and be prepared to make decisions in a timely manner.
The scope, schedule and budget of a project will dictate the size of the team required to make it happen. As we know, there are many ways to provide seats in a classroom and there are many different types of classrooms each with a necessary function. Central to establishing an efficient construction program would be a clear understanding of the objective and the options available that would meet that objective. For example if it was decided that the District needed 300 new seats, you should consider all the different ways to get those seats:
- using portables
- remodeling an existing school or schools
- acquiring an existing facility and re-designing it for classroom use
- building an entirely new facility.
All of these options have cost and time implications but if you do not review them, you cannot make an informed decision as to which direction to go. Data based decision making is usually the best model.
III. Questions to ask and information to know
In your role as a trustee of the District, there is an expectation that you will have knowledge of the project and frankly, you should ask questions to give you the background information for upcoming decisions. Some of the basic questions you need answers to include:
- What are we building and how does this project support our educational goals?
- Have the District user groups been involved in the planning process?
- What is the capacity? Is there any ability to accommodate potential expansion?
- What is the budget? Are we on budget?
- What is the estimated cost?
- What is the completion date? Is the project on schedule?
- Are we getting the project that we agreed on in the beginning? If not what are the changes and why were they made?
- Do we have an accurate accounting of all costs for this project; hard and soft?
- Are we paying a fair price for the project compared to other California schools?
- Are there any claims or unusual change orders pending?
Conclusion
These are but a few of the knowledge points that Trustees should be familiar with in order to respond to the community and to make decisions about future projects or future delivery methods. Take the time to plan and to learn about the process yourself, or have your staff (or hire a consultant to) provide Board members with a school construction workshop so that all members have a common base of knowledge of the process and expectations.
- Ray Rodriguez
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