Using local contractors for construction work benefits the community by keeping money in the area and reducing the cost of imported management and labor. To accomplish this, the construction management firm must have the commitment to working with the local contractors throughout the entire design, bidding, and construction period. (MLF)

Successful completion of a construction project requires the efforts of a team composed of the owner, architect, and contractor. A preconstruction conference can clarify the roles of the team as specified in the design contract. (MLF)

Identifies procedures that help reduce cost over-runs on school construction projects. (MLF)

Two firms provide design and management services under one contract. (Author)

Discusses Beaufort County School District's (South Carolina) "Facilities 2000" plan to simultaneously build and renovate multiple schools within one district and an oversight committee's communication efforts with the surrounding community. The committee's approach in providing accountability, monitoring progress, and reporting to the…

Describes a web-based project management (WBPM) for university construction projects and the two approaches for establishing this type of system. Also highlighted are how a WBPM can improve project delivery by reducing project lost time, system comparisons, and project cost savings generated by a WBPM. (GR)

Managing complex capital construction projects provides formidable challenges to school leaders. Increasing enrollment, new state mandates, aging schools and the need for technology-rich environments are issues that require both more space and better quality facilities. Short-handed district leadership teams already find themselves more than fully…

Explains the owner-contractor relationship of construction management and the time and budgeting advantages it offers public educational agencies by dealing with only one firm. (MLF)

Defines construction management, lists the qualifications for the position, the services offered, and the benefits of construction management. (MLF)

Describes ten steps involved in successful renovation of a college recreation center. They are as follows: hire the right architect, be realistic about costs, devise a plan, do a mental walk through, approach the renovation in phases, communicate to users, expect lost revenue and displacement issues, continue to communicate with architects and…

To interlink major systems, some communication companies are proposing construction of communication towers on school grounds. Schools and municipal governments possess strategically located, unzoned properties. Districts planning to tap this financial oil well should draw up a lease agreement specifying property use, term, rent, access rights,…

Reviews the types of facility construction project delivery methods and the concerns that facility owners have when embarking on a construction program. The considerations that should guide the owner in selecting the proper delivery method are highlighted. (GR)

Offers advice on how school administrators can properly plan and monitor school construction projects to contain costs. Cost control tips discussed include project scope definition, contract bidding and awarding practice, and project management techniques. (GR)

Team members working together in the fields of construction management, value engineering, and architecture will speed delivery of a building, reduce initial cost, reduce operating cost, and construct a better building. (Author/MLF)

In an effort to depoliticize design-build contracts, the Commonwealth of Virginia created a management review board to determine whether a locality should be authorized to use a design-build contract in lieu of competitive sealed bidding. This paper explains that process. In order to employ a design-build contract for a specific construction…