Construction Management Standard of Care

Construction Management, UncategorizedApril 18, 20240 comments

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Purpose

Interface Consulting’s experts are often called on to analyze the construction management standard of care employed on construction projects. This expert analysis is then sometimes used to facilitate settlement negotiations where deficient construction management services may have occurred. This analysis can also be used in expert testimony in mediations, arbitrations, and court cases involving construction management standard of care.

Deficiencies in construction management standard of care can result in significant impacts to the execution of construction projects, including cost overruns, schedule delay, quality defects, and health, safety, and/or environmental impacts, among others. Most frequently these impacts are caused by the contractor, the party most typically responsible for the professional delivery of construction management services. But, on some occasions, the impacts can be caused by the owner’s interference with the contractor’s means and methods of execution and/or the owner’s failure to deliver on its obligations to the project and/or construction management program.

On other occasions, Interface Consulting’s analysis may find that the contractor performed the construction management services generally in accordance with the contract and with general industry expectations.

The purpose of this article is to describe construction management standard of care, which first necessitates a discussion of the elements of construction management. This article will also provide a brief explanation of the typical methodologies that Interface Consulting uses to assess whether contractual requirements and general industry expectations regarding construction management standard of care have been achieved. Interface Consulting is frequently asked to formalize its analysis and resulting opinions. Accordingly, Interface Consulting will analyze the events of the project, will develop the cause-and-effect relationship of these events, and will, if instructed, allocate responsibility to damages as allowed under the contract.

This article focuses on the typical and representative application of construction management in the heavy industrial, oil and gas, LNG, and chemical/petrochemical industries. However, Interface Consulting is frequently involved with public works, light industrial, and other heavy industrial disputes.

The construction management, or construction, services may fall within an engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) or engineering, procurement, construction management (EPCm) contract. In other cases, a contractor may be hired to only perform construction management or direct construction services. This article, however, focuses specifically on the construction management program, regardless of the contract structure and whether the construction management contractor had a role in overall project management, engineering, and/or procurement. In addition, this article addresses construction management from a general industry perspective and is not meant to replace or supersede construction management requirements in specific contracts.

1.2 What Is Construction Management and What Is Meant by Construction Management Standard of Care?

According to CMAA (Construction Management Association of America), “Construction management is the practice of professional management applied to the planning, design, and construction of capital projects from inception to completion for the purposes of achieving project objectives, including meeting all time, scope, cost, and quality goals.”[1]

Construction management standard of care entails the degree of application of sound management practices to the construction program such that the construction objectives can be met, which are typically:

Constructed to meet its intended purpose, and only its intended purpose;
Constructed to meet the level of quality that was intended;
Completed when it was supposed to be done;Completed for its intended costs; and

Completed safely and while protecting the environment.[2]

2. ELEMENTS OF CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

When analyzing the standard of care applied to construction management services, Interface Consulting, or any expert, would need to examine the preparation, planning, and execution management performance. This is frequently accomplished by reviewing the construction management performance, not from an overview perspective but at a detailed level within the various elements that constitute construction management.

What are those elements of construction management? One industry reference is the Project Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide).[3] PMI has also developed a Construction Extension to the PMBOK® Guide, which describes supplemental knowledge and practices that are generally accepted as good practices on construction projects most of the time.[4] Other industry organizations include the Construction Industry Institute (CII), Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International (AACEi), American Institute of Architects (AIA), Center for Business Practices (CBP), and Construction Management Association of America (CMAA).[5]

The PMI Construction Extension to the PMBOK^®Guide states that the Knowledge Areas in the PMBOK^®Guide are applicable to construction projects, albeit with modifications to address the unique attributes, practices, and applications associated with construction projects. The PMI Construction Extension to the PMBOK^®Guide introduces the Knowledge Areas applicable to most construction projects.

The Knowledge Areas, or elements, from the PMI Construction Extension, which help to inform the evaluations and analysis of the construction management standard of care, are as follows:

Project Integration Management;
Project Scope Management;
Project Schedule Management;
Project Cost Management;
Project Quality Management;
Project Resources Management;
Project Communications Management;
Project Risk Management;
Project Procurement Management;
Project Stakeholder Management;
Project Health, Safety, Security, and Environmental Management (HSSE); and
Project Financial Management.[6]

The PMI Construction Extension further introduces two additional Knowledge Areas that are applicable to construction projects:

Project Health, Safety, Security, and Environmental (HSSE) Management; and
Project Financial Management.[7]

While it is not absolute that the elements of Construction Management be organized, documented, and managed in precisely the form introduced by the PMI Construction Extension to the PMBOK^®Guide, these Knowledge Areas, or elements, typically need to be present and assessed in the evaluation and analysis of the construction management program standard of care. However, care must be taken to adapt these standard of care principles to the needs of each specific project.

The Knowledge Areas within the PMI Construction Extension to the PMBOK^®Guide are intended to guide the more generalized execution of a construction project, not specifically the construction management elements within a construction project. Therefore, when Interface Consulting examines the standard of care and performance specific to construction management within a construction project, we conduct a deeper and more thorough examination of the elements specific to construction management. As a result, while the construction management elements that Interface Consulting typically examines and analyzes do resemble and overlap with the Knowledge Areas from the PMI Construction Extension to the PMBOK^® Guide, Interface Consulting will conduct an analysis more focused on elements specific to and within construction management.

The elements of construction management that Interface Consulting will typically attempt to analyze and evaluate are briefly described as follows:

Project Description/Scope Definition – The scope of the project and more specifically the construction aspects of the project should be appropriately and sufficiently defined. The project description and scope must be sufficiently defined such that the construction management team can manage and deliver the correct project.
Key Objectives – The key objectives of the project, and more specifically the construction aspects of the project, should be appropriately and sufficiently defined. For example, is the project schedule driven, cost driven, quality driven, or otherwise. Clear definition and understanding by the construction management team is needed to make both strategic and tactical decisions during the planning and execution of construction management for the construction project.
Health, Safety, Environmental, and Security (HSES) – The plans for execution of the project and more specifically the construction aspects of the project should be appropriately and sufficiently defined for meeting Health, Safety, Environmental, and Security objectives established by the project. Sustainability may also be included as an objective of the project and if so, should be included in the plans for execution of the project
Organization Plan – The construction management plan should identify the qualification(s) of the resources that will be called on to execute both the construction management services as well as the actual construction activities. In addition, to the qualification of the resources, the plan should recognize and define the quantities of these resources that will be necessary to complete the construction work compliant to the schedule. The plan would also address the training and preparation of the resources to the specific site requirements.
Subcontracting and Resources – There should exist a sufficient subcontracting and resources plan that defines what construction works will be self-performed versus those that will be subcontracted to other organizations. The subcontracting plan(s) should define methods for pre-qualification and evaluation of potential subcontractors’ capabilities. The plans should also address the bid processes, including evaluation and award of solicited bids, claims management practices, methods of progress payments, and associated verification of the construction works, along with final payments and releases of liens.
General Site and Locale Logistics – The construction management plans should define strategies and methods for the mobilization and demobilization of project resources to the construction site. The construction logistics plans should also address site transportation, worker and equipment/material movements, parking, lunch and break facilities, restroom facilities, and other on-site facilities needed to support the construction program. Importantly, the logistics plans should also address the coordination and interaction between the subcontractors and with the contractor(s) and owner(s). The logistics plans should also define the use of various technologies that will be used to support the site logistics.
Communications – The plans should be in place to define engagement with the stakeholders and public relations, specific for the construction aspects of the project. The plans should address the coordination of the various parties to the construction program, including formal and informal information sharing, standing and impromptu meetings, and the associated protocols and documentation of meetings.
Field Engineering – The plans should define field engineering activities, including the processes and practices for initiating and managing changes, Requests for Information (RFIs), vendor submittals, and the on-site maintenance of engineering records and documents. The plans also should specifically address the process for the preparation of the as-built records and documents.
Quality Assurance and Control – Plans should exist for managing and assuring the quality of the site construction program. The plans should address the quality criteria established for the project and/or the construction program. The quality assurance and control plans should define the inspections and tests that will be conducted, which parties would participate, and which representatives would have authority to approve and/or reject the inspection and/or test results.
Materials Management – Specific plans should be in place for all aspects of the on-site management of the process equipment and materials, including activities such as field procurement, on-site laydown and warehousing, as-received inspection processes and processes to pursue and manage back-charges for damaged and/or missing components, and the management of the release of process equipment and materials to the various construction subcontractor organizations. The materials management plan, or another section of the construction management plans, should define the methods and processes for the preservation and maintenance of the process equipment and materials from the time they are received individually on the site until such time that the care, custody, and control of the constructed facility is transferred to the owner. If not specifically defined in the site logistics plan, then the construction management plans should somewhere define how process equipment and materials will be delivered to the specific construction work. The objective would be to avoid the situation where construction workers are waiting on material deliveries, thus leading to loss of productivity.
Project Controls – Detailed plans should be in place to monitor the progress and status of the project and to aid and support project and construction management decision-making. These plans should address schedule management, cost management, change control, risk management, and reporting and the associated tools and methods that would be utilized.
Construction Work Execution Management – The construction management plans should define how the site will be released, or made available, to the individual subcontractors engaged in the construction works. The construction execution plans should also define methods for controlling and managing the adjacent work and construction work interfaces between the various subcontractors directly executing the construction work.
Completions and Turnover – Detailed plans should exist to define the completion of the construction works, the responsibilities of the various parties to the construction work program, and how the completed work will be verified through a turnover process. The turnover process should define the dossiers for the completed works, the verification approvals, and punch management practices and procedures. The plans should clearly define the progression from mechanical completion of the construction work and, where applicable, through pre-commissioning, commissioning, performance testing, and closeout, as applicable for the specific contract.
Document Control – The construction management plans should define how the various records and documents will be controlled, managed, and distributed to the appropriate parties across the site, including the software platform(s) that will be utilized.
Use of best available technology and value add practices – The project’s execution plans should define the use of best available technology and value-add practices specific to the construction management program, if applied. The appropriate conduct of constructability reviews, along with the engagement of the appropriate representatives from the construction management organization, at the correct time, may be an example of a value-add practice engaged on the project. Advanced Work Packaging[8] and the use of other best available technologies may also be present in the plans for the construction execution of the project.

These elements of construction management guide Interface Consulting’s detailed evaluation of the standard of care that would be employed on a specific construction project. However, before commencing with the detailed evaluation of construction management standard of care, the expert must also understand the basis for the evaluation – contractual, general industry practice, or a combination of both.

3. REQUIREMENTS AND/OR EXPECTATIONS OF THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT CONTRACTOR

3.1 Construction Management Services – Contractual Requirements

Interface Consulting typically will review the applicable sections and chapters of the prime contract that address construction management, to gain an understanding of the contractual requirements.

Mature contracting organizations will typically have specifications, processes, and/or plans that more fully define the requirements and expectations and establish the requirements and expectations for the construction management program. Typically, these specifications, processes and/or plans tend to establish general requirements and/or expectations for the construction management program, define the minimum requirements and expectations, or do some of both.

The prime contract will typically provide reference to these other documents, as either Exhibits or Attachments. When the prime contract provides more definitive requirements and expectations for the construction management program, this provides Interface Consulting with a strong basis to begin the examination and analysis of construction management performance.

3.2 Construction Management Services – Generally Accepted Industry Practices

However, Interface Consulting frequently finds, especially with less mature contracting organizations, that the prime contract does not provide definitive requirements and/or expectations for the construction management services. Instead, the prime contract may state that it is the contractor’s responsibility and duty to lead and to carry out the construction management services in accordance with generally accepted industry practices or something similar. In these instances, the prime contract does not provide a strong and defined basis for evaluation of the construction management performance. Therefore, Interface Consulting is left to evaluate the construction management performance against generally accepted industry practices.

This becomes a complication – what are the generally accepted industry practices, and where are they documented? Unfortunately, the generally accepted industry practices are not neatly organized and maintained by some commonly accepted industry organization. There are plenty of recommended practice publications, technical papers, and technical articles, but to Interface Consulting’s knowledge there is no single and universally accepted set of standards termed “generally accepted industry practices for the process and heavy industrial construction industry.” Therefore, often it becomes an evaluation, by technical experts, of the issues that occurred on the project and a subjective analysis of whether it would have been expected that a competent construction management contractor would have been able to avoid, manage away, and/or mitigate risk away from these undesirable events.

3.3 Construction Management Services – Combination of Stated Contractual Requirements/Expectations and Generally Accepted Industry Practices

Interface Consulting frequently finds that the prime contract outlines certain and/or minimum requirements and expectations for the construction management program. However, the contract typically also includes language that the construction management contractor is to also employ generally accepted industry practices. Therefore, Interface Consulting most often finds that the detailed evaluation and analysis of construction management standard of care necessitates an evaluation of the actual performance against both the stated contractual requirements and what performance is expected according to generally accepted industry practices.

4. CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT STANDARD OF CARE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION – PROCESS FOR THE ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION OF PERFORMANCE

4.1 Baseline Research for Comprehension and Preliminary Assessments and Evaluations

The review of the relevant sections of the prime contract and referenced exhibits and/or attachments is typically the first step in the construction management standard of care evaluation process. As stated previously, a review of the prime contract provides for a basic understanding of the construction management contractual requirements. In other words, from a review of the prime contract Interface Consulting could ascertain if the contract provided specific requirements for the construction management program, or perhaps that it instead outlined certain minimum expectations. Alternatively, Interface Consulting may discover that the prime contract simply, or generally, stated that the construction management contractor was responsible to plan and execute the construction management services in accordance with generally accepted industry practices. Or, Interface Consulting may learn that there was a combination of some specific and/or minimum requirements from the prime contract plus an expectation that the contractor would employ generally accepted industry practices, above and beyond the stated requirements of the prime contract.

Interface Consulting will first want to develop this baseline understanding of the contractual requirements for the contractor to provide construction management services. Interface Consulting will also want to understand the owner’s role in the construction management process, at least the owner’s activities that overlap with and have a potential to impact the construction program.

Typically, the next task in the evaluation process is to review and analyze the construction management execution plans that were developed by the construction management contractor, or perhaps developed jointly or semi-jointly by the construction management contractor with the owner. In this review process, Interface Consulting will preliminarily assess whether the plans were formally developed for the specific construction program. Interface Consulting would also preliminarily assess whether the plans were appropriately thorough in content and appropriately reflected the contractual requirements and/or general industry practice, if the prime contract was silent on specific and/or minimum requirements and/or expectations. In conducting this analysis, Interface Consulting will preliminarily assess whether the plans, as a minimum, cover the construction management elements described in this article.

To develop a baseline understanding and comprehension, the next task is to review the various contemporaneous construction project records and reports. In the initial review of project records, Interface Consulting will typically focus on the formal monthly and weekly reports, most often produced by the construction management contractor. We may also find it necessary to review certain pieces of correspondence between the parties (contractor, subcontractor, owner, other) dealing with certain events or problems experienced on the project or during the construction program. From this preliminary review of the contemporaneous project records, Interface Consulting would typically identify and list the key problems and issues that occurred during the project and/or construction program.

4.2 Specific Analysis and Assessments Leading to Cause-and-Effect Evaluations

Using the preliminary list of key problems and issues that occurred during the project and/or construction program, Interface Consulting would conduct additional, specific analysis of the contemporaneous project records and reports. At this point, we may need to examine other detailed records such as daily construction reports and/or field notes produced by the construction foremen, general foremen, and/or superintendents. We may also examine any requests for information (RFIs) that were produced relative to the issues of interest as well as other correspondence such emails and meeting notes, project controls data, change order requests, procedures referenced in the more generalized construction management plans, etc. Based on the additional, specific analysis, Interface Consulting would refine the list of key events, or groups of events, that caused impacts to the construction program.

Additional research and analysis, also using the more detailed project records, would then be used to define the key impacts and/or effects on the construction program from these key events and/or groups of events.

Interface Consulting would attempt to evaluate whether the construction management contractor’s lack of a thorough and professional plan, in accordance with the contract and/or general industry expectations, lead to or created the resulting problems. Did the construction management contractor’s failure to adequately staff its organization with qualified individuals, to carry out the plans and to provide general oversight to those plans, perhaps lead to or create the resulting problems? Did the construction management contractor fail to demonstrate leadership, adaptability, and flexibility in response to unexpected conditions (engineering, procurement, etc.), increasing the severity of the problems? Lastly, Interface Consulting may analyze if the owner’s actions or inactions interfered with the construction management contractor’s ability to effectively manage the work.

Interface Consulting would also evaluate whether the contractor managed the work according to the stated plans. The purpose of this evaluation is to determine if the contractor provided a trained and educated construction management staff that also demonstrated discipline to the developed construction management work plans. On some occasions, it may be discovered that the construction management contractor developed a good construction plan, but then failed to execute and manage the construction program in accordance with the plan.

However, Interface Consulting would also strive to understand if the contractor demonstrated flexibility and adaptability to amend their plan as a result of the realities experienced on the project, to reassign and/or add resources, or to introduce corrective actions. While this can seem like a double-edged sword, Interface Consulting would look to understand if the contractor initially managed and controlled the construction works to the established plan, but then demonstrated flexibility and adaptability to revise the plan in a disciplined and well-communicated manner. Construction projects do not go perfectly – engineering errors/delays, equipment and material delivery delays, equipment/material quality issues, poor subcontractor performance, and construction labor issues such as availability, skill and experience, differing conditions, etc., will occur – but how does the construction management contractor respond and react to these challenges? Did the construction management contractor demonstrate leadership, flexibility, and adaptability in response to the encountered problems, or did the construction management contractor fail to adequately and professionally respond, which then tends to compound the problems and lead to schedule delays, quality issues and/or cost growth.

Our review, examination, and analysis of the project contemporaneous records may indicate problems and/or insufficiency in planning and/or anticipation of the problems. If so, then we will look back specifically to determine if the related construction management plan(s) or underlying procedures were inadequate and/or not properly/professionally adhered to, and/or whether the construction management organization failed to demonstrate flexibility, adapt, and redirect. By conducting a further review and analysis of the project contemporaneous records, we will strive to determine if trade-off studies were conducted or decisions were made with less formal evaluation of the potential impacts to the cost, schedule, quality, and HSE execution of the works. Examples might include working overtime to recover the schedule but then failing to recognize and react to the potential impact to productivity (cost); adding resources with the intent to improve production output but having the intended result offset by an impact to productivity (cost); working through less than ideal weather conditions, with the production gains being potentially outweighed by the productivity impacts; re-scheduling/re-sequencing of the works; and de-scoping/reallocation of the work, among others.

4.3 Common Construction Management Risks and Deficiencies

The PMI Construction Extension to the PMBOK^®Guide provides a listing of the most common causes of risks in construction projects.[9] Interface Consulting believes that extracts from the list can also be fertile ground for the most common deficiencies on construction projects. Based on Interface Consulting’s experience, we have found the following risks, extracted from this list and with slight modification, to be some of the most common deficiencies in construction management programs.

Insufficient contractor and/or subcontractor capability
Lack of competency in advanced construction technology and/or tools
Inefficient and/or ineffective coordination of the construction management execution plans
Poor and/or incomplete development of the construction management execution plans, processes, and procedures
Insufficient prioritization, plans, or execution of plans for the health and safety of the construction workforce
Poor coordination and collaboration with the owner and/or other stakeholders
Unavailability and/or inability to recruit sufficient skilled human resources
Inability to manage the labor human resources to avoid labor strikes and/or a disinvested workforce
Mismanagement of scope changes
Mismanagement of engineering and design changes, errors, and omissions
Delays in processing technical queries and requests for information from the construction workforce and/or subcontractors
Insufficient and/or poor documentation management
Incomplete, insufficiently detailed, and/or inaccurate cost estimate of the construction portions of the project
Incomplete, insufficiently detailed, and/or inaccurate schedule for the construction portions of the project
Insufficient plans and/or skills to monitor, manage, update, and report cost and schedule progress and impacts
Unavailability and/or mismanagement of delivery, receipt, transfer logistics, preservation, and maintenance of permanent equipment and materials
Mismanagement of the work fronts between the various construction disciplines and/or subcontractors
Insufficient and/or mismanaged quality assurance and testing plans
Mismanagement of the handoff and/or turnover of the constructed facilities for precommissioning and/or commissioning
Insufficient plans and contingencies to address climate/weather conditions
Mismanagement of other factors affecting workforce productivity

4.4 Allocate Responsibility for the Causal Events

After identifying the key causal events that significantly affected the construction program, if instructed by our client, we would then turn our focus to understanding the party most responsible for the causal events. We would conduct an in-depth analysis into the root-cause for each causal event. Often, this in-depth analysis would take us back to the fundamental construction management elements.

We would evaluate if the event was caused by inadequate planning and preparation. Interface Consulting would evaluate the adequacy of the original plan and determine if it foresaw the potential risk of the event that occurred. If so, did the original plan establish risk management processes and procedures to mitigate and control the risk event? If the plan failed to recognize the risk event, Interface Consulting would evaluate and opine on whether a competent construction management contractor should have employed a more robust plan – in other words, a plan meeting generally accepted practice – or whether the event was so rare and unusual that the construction management contractor could not have been expected to foresee the possibility of the event occurring.

As stated previously in this article, Interface Consulting would also expect a competent and professional construction management contractor to demonstrate adaptability and flexibility, to accommodate the changing conditions. Therefore, Interface Consulting would evaluate if the construction management contractor adjusted and amended its plans in the face of unexpected changes or if it failed to accommodate the changes.

Interface Consulting would also analyze and evaluate whether poor decision making, poor execution management, and/or poor leadership by the construction management contractor either initiated or allowed the causal event and/or failed to minimize and/or to avoid the causal event. Interface Consulting would conduct this analysis specific to each causal event and would develop the associated cause and effect relationship for each, based on our comprehensive review and evaluation of the cause-effect event(s).

As noted previously in this article, because of Interface Consulting’s research and analysis of the project records, we might instead conclude that the contractor performed the construction management services generally in accordance with the contract and/or generally accepted industry practice, as might be the case. In these instances, we might find that it was the engineering program, procurement program, or general project management program that caused the construction problems. Conversely, we might find and conclude that it was the owner’s failure to meet its obligations and/or the owner’s interference in the construction program that led to the causal events. Lastly, we might find that issues beyond the control of the construction management contractor, such as COVID-19, disrupted the project and lead to the causal events.

4.5 Develop an Expert Report

Often Interface Consulting would be requested to formalize the analysis and opinions in an expert report, frequently referred to as the first or primary expert report.

If an opposing expert was also engaged to examine the construction program problems and construction management standard of care, they too would typically formalize their analysis and opinions in an expert report.

In the instances where two opposing experts have formalized their analysis and opinions, the triers-of-fact may request the opposing experts to prepare responsive expert reports and/or joint expert reports. The responsive and joint expert reports tend to highlight areas where the experts agree and where they disagree in relation to their analysis and opinions regarding the construction program and the construction management standard of care.

4.6 Claim Settlement – Provide General Support and/or Expert Testimony

The formalized expert reports regarding construction management standard of care may be used to support commercial negotiations between the parties. If the negotiations have stalled, the expert reports provide formal support to mediation, arbitration, or court proceedings as dictated by the prime contract.

The experts may also be called upon to provide expert testimony in any of these forums.

5. SUMMARY

Interface Consulting is often called upon to analyze the construction management standard of care employed on construction projects. This expert analysis is then sometimes used to facilitate settlement negotiations where deficient construction management services may have occurred. This analysis can also be used in expert testimony in mediations, arbitrations, and court cases on construction management standard of care. Deficiencies in construction management standard of care can result in significant impacts to the execution of construction projects, including cost overruns, schedule delays, quality defects, health/safety/environmental impacts, and others.

When analyzing the standard of care applied to construction management services, Interface Consulting would need to examine the preparation, planning, and execution management performance. This is frequently accomplished by reviewing the construction management performance, not from an overview perspective but at a detailed level within the various elements that constitute construction management.

Interface Consulting frequently finds, especially with less mature contracting organizations, that the prime contract does not provide definitive requirements and/or expectations for the construction management services. Instead, the prime contract will state that it is the contractor’s responsibility and duty to lead and to carry out the construction management services in accordance with generally accepted industry practices or something similar. In these instances, the prime contract does not provide a strong and defined basis for evaluation of the construction management performance. Therefore, Interface Consulting is left to evaluate the construction management performance simply against generally accepted industry practices. Interface Consulting frequently finds that the detailed evaluation and analysis of construction management standard of care necessitates an evaluation of the actual performance against both the stated contractual requirements and what performance is expected according to generally accepted industry practices.

Interface Consulting’s typical steps in the evaluation of construction management standard of care are as follows:

Conduct baseline research
Perform analysis and assessments leading to the cause-and-effect evaluations
Allocate responsibility for the causal events (if instructed by the client)
Develop an expert report
Provide claim support and/or testimony

[1] See Construction Management Association of America (CMAA), Construction Management Standards of Practice, 2021 edition, Chapter 1.1, p. 7.

[2] See publication, “Why Construction Management Claims Occur and How to Prevent Them”, by Richard J. Long, P.E., P.Eng., Chapter 4.2, p. 61.

[3] Project Management Institute (PMI), A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, PMBOK^®GUIDE, Sixth Edition.

[5] See publication, “Why Construction Management Claims Occur and How to Prevent Them”, by Richard J. Long, P.E., P.Eng., Chapter 4.2, pp. 67-73.

[8] Advanced Work Packaging was developed through a collaboration between the Construction Owners Association of Alberta (COAA) and the Construction Industry Institute (CII), under CII Research Team (RT) 272, Advanced Work Packaging: Design through Workface Execution.

by Michael Gunter