Assembling A Collaborative Team - Other - Page 66
Assembling a Collaborative Project Team
In this guidance, it is not possible to dwell on who is best placed to undertake
each role as there are many factors that may dictate the final decision. However,
it is worth mentioning that the relationship between the project lead, lead designer
and construction lead and the ability of those carrying out these roles to work
collaboratively are fundamental to the success of a project and these roles
require particular and careful consideration.
When should roles pass from one organisation to another?
There are a number of scenarios where a specific role might be undertaken by
a different party at each stage. For example:
•a client adviser may undertake the architect role at Stages 0 and 1, with a
different architect appointed to develop the Concept Design at Stage 2
•one architectural practice may carry out the Concept Design (Stage 2) and
another the Developed Design and Technical Design (Stages 3 and 4)
•on a traditional contract, the project lead, the lead designer or a specialist
construction adviser might undertake the construction lead during Stages 2
to 4, prior to the contractor being appointed, and
•the contractor’s specialist subcontractor might assume M&E designer
responsibilities during Stage 4 and develop the design produced by the
mechanical services designer during Stage 3, depending on the contractual
circumstances.
Again, it is not possible to consider who is best placed to perform a particular
role at a particular stage as this will depend on how the client wishes to assemble
the project team and on the skill sets of the various parties. The greatest
aggregation is likely to occur on smaller projects and it is important that those
considering undertaking a number of roles ensure that they have the appropriate
skills to match the roles’ requirements. The increasing number of claims arising
from contract administration or planning applications duties underlines this point.
What stages are being commissioned?
It is important to consider the stages applicable to a project and also which role
is required at each stage. The former is relevant where the client wishes to appoint
the team to undertake limited services: for example, up to planning application
at Stage 2 or 3. The latter is of equal importance as acquiring too many project
team members too quickly makes for a cumbersome team that is difficult to manage.
Of course, the converse is true and late input from one party can result in changes
to the design in later stages.
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