Underperforming Public Sector Facilities Renovation Repair and New Builds – Time for Change
Introduction
Whether a Federal, State, County, or Local Government, most public sector organizations underperform when it comes to planning, procuring, and executing facilities repair, renovation, or new builds.
Waste is rampant to the extent that 80% or more of all projects are late, over-budget, and/or poorly completed to the dissatisfaction of participants and stakeholders. The economic and environmental impacts are simply not sustainable.
What makes the problem so frustrating is that the solution is simple. Supporting robust processes, tools, and training are readily available to assure on-time, on-budget, and quality outcomes 90%+ of the time.
The only obstacle, which apparently has been insurmountable for decades, is public sector real property owner leadership, accountability, and commitment for improvement.
Solution
The following solutions are fully compatible and compliant with public sector regulations and budget cycles.
Most of the repair, renovation, sustainability, and new build construction projects end up over budget, and otherwise fail due the use traditional inefficient, archaic, and antagonistic processes.
The combination of robust, proven, and integrated LEAN construction planning, procurement, and project delivery processes and locally researched detailed unit price construction cost data results in full financial and technical visibility. The scope of work is fully understood by all parties, owner and service providers, and their associated leadership, procurement, facilities management, and project teams on an early and ongoing basis. The net results include reduction in change orders, improved job scheduling, and projects delivery on-time, on-budget, per owner requirements.
The follow eight (8) items shed additional light on a programmatic approach to all projects that provides the ability to achieve significantly improved outcomes.
The process is not complex if the following key aspects are followed, and detailed processes, procedures, right to workflow and approval forms, are readily available.
#1. Owners and facilities management professionals provide leadership and support.
Organizations of all sizes experience delays, low-quality services, and contract terminations. Minimizing these issues can only be accomplished with owner commitment to change from current ineffective and antagonistic practices.
#2. Integrate planning, procurement, and project delivery. Processes and participants from these phases must be aligned from the start with a robust programmatic, process-centric environment. LEAN integrated project delivery and LEAN job order contracting integrate planning, procurement, and project delivery processes and teams.
#3. Develop and maintain a common data environment. Detailed, locally researched unit price cost data is a core requirement. Scope of work, material, labor, equipment, and time requirements, and cost visibility can all be clearly communicated to all participants.
#4. Include an Operations Manual/Execution Guide as part of all multiparty contracts. Define all roles, responsibilities, workflows, and deliverables that clearly define mutually beneficial outcomes for all participants and stakeholders.
#5. Consistently execute all projects via the same core process. A proven programmatic process, properly and consistently executed, is the only way to mitigate variation. Contrary to common belief, poor process and poor management are responsible for most failures, not employees or services providers.
#6. Encourage collaboration, teamwork, and problem solving. Do not pit on person or team against one another, do not “bid shop”. Focus upon building long-term, mutually beneficial relationships and share risk as well as rewards.
#7. Leverage technology. Technology is best used as a tool to embed robust processes to enable their consistent and efficient deployment and associated management.
#8. Continuously build internal and external knowledge and capabilities. Lack of domain expertise is a core failure point. Mandate initial and ongoing training for all participants. Training should be available in a diverse range of formats, areas, and levels. Also avoid exclusive reliance on external “consultants” and/or “outsourcing” for program management or other mission critical areas. collaboration and communication among team members of the project.
The Future
Collaboration and communication among team members can and must be mandated. Accountability, which has been lacking for decades, must be returned to public sector facilities stewardship. Furthermore, all projects must follow a fundamental core process and we must stop treating construction as unmanageable unique beasts. Public sector leadership must leverage the expertise of its service providers and act to support mutually beneficial outcomes. In this manner, problems are solved more rapidly and efficiently.
The above reduces complexity and risk significantly.
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