© 2025 News On The Block. All rights reserved.
News on the Block is a trading name of Premier Property Media Ltd.
© 2025 News On The Block. All rights reserved.
News on the Block is a trading name of Premier Property Media Ltd.
There is no excuse for a poorly managed project. At the outset, every client understandably expects to see it delivered on time, on or under budget and to an exceptional quality. However, too often failure to achieve this is down to poor project management. A Project Manager with relevant knowledge and experience, and equipped with efficient processes, tools, and templates, can significantly improve the delivery of any project.
The Process
Project Management begins with an initial appraisal meeting in order to define the brief, identify key requirements, and set expectation levels concerning time, cost and quality.
Following the initial appraisal, feasibility studies and cost planning exercises are normally undertaken and the resulting scope of works is agreed and signed off. All information, along with budget estimates are included in the Project Execution Plan (PEP) which details how the management and coordination of the design will be undertaken, how the work will be procured including the project delivery process.
Project Execution Plan
The PEP should be produced at the earliest opportunity and updated throughout the project. The document is shared with the client and the wider project team, and acts as a control document, which can be reported against at regular meetings. It should identify the Project’s key objectives, milestones, activities and the resources required throughout the project. As a minimum, it should include the following:
The project programme is one of the most crucial aspects of a PEP as it is used to monitor progress and cost at every stage by defining tasks and setting pre-tender, pre-contract and contract stage targets.
Tracking and Monitoring
Assembly of the correct team from the outset is crucial in order to successfully deliver the project. Combining a Chartered Building Surveyor’s skill-set with a robust project management methodology offers clients well rounded technical and management expertise, and will reduce the risk of their aspirations not being met. Key Action Tracking Schedules (KATS) and Risk Registers operate on a traffic light system and are important to monitor the completion of each stage of the project. They keep the entire project team aware, informed and focused on key tasks throughout every stage of a project. They also facilitate information collection and project tracking to ensure that any risks remain a focus until resolved.
Risk Management
With the aim of controlling overall time, cost and quality of a project, risk management is the process whereby specific project risks are identified, understood and actively managed.
The risk management process includes undertaking risk reviews, producing risk registers that enable the project manager to identify an effective risk management strategy to mitigate the potential for variations, which could be costly and disruptive.