TRAINING.

Overview

After participating in this course, you will be able to:

• Improve communication channels and enhance design review procedures to ensure project alignment.
• Implement comprehensive quality control measures in the production of construction documents, minimizing errors and discrepancies.
• Elevate the standards of design, bidding, and construction documentation, leading to more efficient project delivery.
• Integrate effective checking processes throughout document development, reducing oversight and costly revisions.
• Minimize communication errors and proactively prevent claims by ensuring the accurate and timely flow of construction information.

Description
Reducing construction claims and minimizing cost overruns often starts with improving the quality of drawings, specifications, and bidding documents. This course equips participants with the knowledge to refine design and production processes, helping to maintain clear communication and a thorough review of contract documents. You'll learn how to enhance the quality of working drawings and specifications, ensuring they meet high standards and reduce the risk of costly changes or delays during construction.

Key topics include strategies for avoiding common pitfalls in producing construction documents, controlling costs effectively, and selecting the right professionals to ensure smooth project progression. You'll also explore legal considerations, delay claims, and methods to resolve potential conflicts in construction contracts. Through case studies and interactive sessions, you'll identify areas for improvement and develop new approaches to ensure more accurate, reliable construction documentation.

By the end of this course, you will have gained practical skills that can be applied immediately to improve project workflows, enhance document quality, and reduce the likelihood of claims and disputes in future construction projects. The course also emphasizes the importance of collaboration and teamwork in achieving high-quality outcomes. These strategies will help you avoid common pitfalls and improve overall project efficiency.

Who Should Attend
This course is ideal for professionals involved in construction and design, including architects, engineers, project managers, planners, and contractors. It's also suitable for construction personnel, owners from both the government and private sectors and those responsible for contract management and procurement.

Additionally, institutional and private-sector owners, consultants, and anyone overseeing construction projects will benefit from the actionable insights provided. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of managing documentation and reducing project risk at all levels. 

Please note: You can check other time zones here.

Syllabus

Day I The Problems: Where Are We Now?

Welcome, Introduction, Workshop Preview, Learning Outcomes and the Assessment Method

Overview

• Scope of program-types of facilities
• Industry trends that give rise to major concerns
• Scale of losses resulting from changes and claims
• Stages of a project-architectural and engineering
• Components of the bidding documents
• Recent claims-weaknesses in the documents?
• Project delivery methods-their impacts

Legal Issues

• Consultants’ liability
• Owners’ liability
• Contractors’ liability

Contracts-A Synopsis

• Contract forms
• Who is responsible for what?
• Client/consultant agreements
• Special consultants-their roles
• Owner/contractor agreements
• Contractor/subcontractor agreements

Inconsistencies In the Documents-An Owner's Perspective

• Where do they start?
• What do owners expect from their consultants?
• Project initiation
• Planning and design stages
• Cost planning and cost control
• Document preparation and bidding stages
• What do owners expect from contractors/subcontractors
• Construction stages
• Construction modifications

Difficulties Producing the Documents- A Consultant’s Point of View - What Are They?

• What do consultants expect from owners
• Project Team-Owner/Consultants
• The process of preparing drawings and specifications
• Cost planning and control
• Coordination with owner requirements
• Coordination with authorities
• Coordination with consultants
• Computer-aided design and drafting

Shortcomings in the Documents- A Contractor's Point of View

• In the bidding documents
• During the contract award
• In the "issued for construction" documents
• Instructions issued during construction
• Claims from contractors resulting from imperfect documents

Reasons Why Change Orders and Delay Claims Happen

• Owner caused
• Design team caused
• Construction team caused
• As Found conditions
• Authorities having jurisdiction
• Logging of changes

Open Forum-Questions and Answers

Day II Setting Objectives: Where Do We Want to Go?

Avoid Problems - Drawings

• But first, are they?
• Demolition
• Architectural and landscaping
• Civil and structural
• Mechanical and Electrical
• Specialty trades

Avoid Problems - Specifications
Here are some for discussion

• Supplemental conditions
• Instructions to bidders
• Bid form(s)
• Trade sections
• Coordination between sections/between drawings and specifications

Avoid Problems - Bidding Documents
Most have legal implications

• Supplementary conditions
• Invitation to Bid
• Instructions to Bidders
• Bid forms and attachments/alternate, identified, separate unit prices, allowances
• Bid security forms
• Information available to Bidders
• Inquiries-pre bid briefings
• Addenda

Avoid Problems - Construction Costs: Cost Planning and Cost Control

• Conceptual versus actual estimates
• Cost limit established
• First cost plan prepared
• Cost checks made through design development and preparation of drawings and specifications
• Identifying critical cost control measures
• Document review for major cost-impact items
• Final estimate and cost check (pre-bid estimate)

Cost Control During Bidding and Construction

• General contractor selection
• Assessing the often-unknown impact of the marketplace
• Cost analysis of bid
• Cost-saving exercises
• Assessing substitutions
• Assessing the schedule of values and construction schedule
• Cost control of delays and changes

Selection of Professionals- Consultants and Contractors

• Excellence is the objective
• Prequalification
• Approaches/direct selection, invited, open competitions
• Request for proposals/responses
• Interviews/reactions
• Evaluation criteria

Owner Assessments of Documents

• Costs contingencies
• Design and document reviews-creating an effective process
• QA and /or QC requirements
• Contract modifications during construction
• Use of project site representative and/or construction manager

Open Forum - Questions and Answers

Workshops
The Day III program, "Evolving New Protocols," is meant to improve the quality of construction documents. In preparation for day three, attendees will be divided into three teams. Each team will be responsible for compiling a list of improvements for quality assurance and quality control procedures that the team believes should be implemented by owners and consultants.

For this exercise, assume that such protocols are not already in place

• Team A - Planning and design
• Team B - Drawings and specifications
• Team C - Bidding, contract award and contract modifications

Each team will be asked to give a 15-minute presentation on Day III.

Day III Evolving New Protocols: How Do We Get There? Who Does What?

Workshop Presentations and Related Discussions
(Program Participants)

• Team A
• Team B
• Team C

Planning and Design Stages-Being Right from the Start

• Concepts that need to be understood by the entire design team before the first line is drawn
• Coordination between design team members
• Use of checklists integrated into the design/contract document quality assurance programs
• Importance of design development
• Client signoffs at each design stage

Working Drawings - New Approaches and Better Uses of Those We Already Have

• Starting point-approved design development documents
• Evolving a systematic internal review process
• Creating a team review process; 60%, 90%, 100%
• Incorporating design changes at this stage
• Involving project managers and field administration personnel from the early stages
• Increased interference studies and related coordination
• Study the difficult details first, typically after
• Third-party reviews
• Client signoffs

Specifications and Bidding Requirements - Consistency A Must

• Integrated drawing and specification systems
• Use of the internet for product selection
• Specification binders
• Meeting client’s scheduling requirements

Bidding, Contract Award and Construction Modifications

• Ensuring that the bidding period proceeds smoothly
• Evaluating bids effectively
• Preparing the contract correctly
• Using the preconstruction meeting to advantage
• Issuing supplemental instructions clearly
• Reviewing quotations and time changes fairly

Partnering - A Concept for Success

• What is it?
• How is it implemented?
• Why a charter?
• Is the concept effective?

Summary - Keywords
A list of keywords, phrases and concepts which evolved from this program will be assembled during the last 30 minutes of the program

Construction Management - Overview of Construction Claims & Disputes

• Contractor Claims vs Owners
• 4 major causes for claims
• Burden of Proof
• Damages
• Claims & Project Delivery Methods
• Claims Preparation & Analysis
• Dispute Resolution Methods

Early Warning Signs of Construction Claims & Disputes

• Bid & Proposal Stage
• Early Construction Phase
• Construction Phase
• Early Warning Signs for Owners
• Claims by Contractors
• Claim Documents
• Claims by Owners
• Construction Risk Areas

Avoiding Claims - Best Practices

• Best Practices for Owners
• Best Practices for Consultants
• Best Practices for Contractors

Questions and Answers and Feedback to Participants on Achievement of Learning Outcomes

Concluding Remarks and Final Adjournment

Instructor

Martin Gerskup, B. Arch, OAA, MAIBC and MRAIC

Martin has over 35 years of experience and is the president of BEST Consultants Martin Gerskup Architect Inc. He specializes in the field of investigative architecture and building science with particular emphasis on the resolution of problems affecting the building envelope. Martin is a member of the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) and has served in various capacities on the Ontario Building Envelope Council (OBEC) Board of Directors from 1991 to 1997.

He was president of OBEC from 1993 to 1994, a member of the council for the OAA from 2003 to 2005, and a member of the ULC Thermal Insulation Committee. During his tenure on the council at the OAA, Mr. Gerskup was Chair of the Discipline Committee while also serving on the following committees: Practice Committee, Registration Committee, Public Interest Review Committee, Communications Committee, and the University Liaison Task Group.

In addition to authoring and presenting many technical papers on the subject of building science, Mr. Gerskup taught as an assistant adjunct professor and tutor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design from 1999 to 2001 and at the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Ryerson University in 2002.