Integrated Project Management

Project Management is a core skill for every successful architect, consultant, contractor, or project owner. In today’s competitive and recessionary environ¬ment creating success requires a comprehensive approach that is beyond IPD, LEAN, CM, and other delivery methods. This three-day program will address the need for a broader, holistic, effective, and efficient leadership to manage resources, teams of architects and contractors, and budgetary constraints, together with innovative software and collaborative technology.

There hasn't been a period in our industry's history where management of one's particular discipline wasn't a core skill for every successful architect, planner, consultant, contractor, or project owner. The contribution of the construction industry in our economy and its role in promoting growth is undisputed. The same stands true for the need to raise standards and improve the construction industry's operating efficiency: projects need to be delivered on time, within budget, and at a high quality standard to bring the needed benefit to the environment and society at large. Resource and budgetary constraints, together with innovation in software and technology, demonstrate even more the need for a broader, holistic, effective, and efficient administration and leadership of projects. The need for a comprehensive approach to the management of the project across all phases through a timely Integrated Project Management approach is now more essential than ever.

In this three-day program, participants gain an understanding of the basic and more advanced issues, tools, and concepts of an Integrated Project Management approach. Examples are drawn from public and private projects--both at the small, medium, and large scale, at the individual building, and at the mixed-use community development level--both from local and international contexts. Both US and international projects will be addressed, identifying in each case the unique challenges and opportunities.

Key topics include the typical project life cycle and its key stages; the various project delivery methods and how to decide which one suits your needs; how to define and manage roles and responsibilities of all entities involved in a project; and effective delivery of all project stages, including feasibility, project implementation plan and strategy, selection of consultants and contractors, the RFP process, responsibilities for pre- and post-schematic phases of design, shop drawings, total project scheduling and budgeting, subcontractor involvement in the design process, value engineering, handling of the general contractor, construction administration, BIM implications and responsibilities, environmental issues, and management of risk and uncertainty.

Learning Objectives

• Master key project management principles
• Manage the project life cycle and key project delivery methods (IPD, LEAN, Design Build)
• Achieve total project scheduling and budgeting; Recognize risks and uncertainties and master their effective management process
• Establish solid foundations and select high-performing teams (pre-qualification, RFP, comparison matrix)
• Realize alignment of roles and responsibilities for all players
• Motivate teams on concept, strategies, tools, and project implementation
• Direct team and sub-team management and leadership
• Collaborate and learn effectively through in-class workshops and interactive simulations
• In-class interactive workshops aimed to develop problem-solving, design-thinking, and teamwork skills
• Interactive, hands-on approach to learning as key to course success