Chapter 04

Stage 1 Preparation and Brief

Stage 1

Preparation and Brief ifig0006.jpg

table0003

CHAPTER 04

OVERVIEW

This chapter is about Stage 1 Preparation and Brief, a pre-design stage that follows on from the client-led activities of Stage 0, which focus on deciding what a project is and whether it is a serious proposition. During this stage, clear Project Objectives need to be developed in order to shape and steer the project through subsequent work stages. This stage is about defining and developing both a robust and appropriate approach to the ‘processes’ needed to deliver a project and the Project Outcomes that will determine its success.

Of key importance at this stage is ensuring that appropriate Briefing is a defined and specific task, and that it has a distinct start point and a distinct end, or sign-off. Preparing an effective Initial Project Brief, and appointing the team that needs to do both this work and future work stages, is not something that can be accommodated into other work stages. The ‘preparation’ in this stage is about preparing to undertake the design stages of the Plan of Work that commence at Stage 2. This preparation will include Feasibility Studies, Project Budget and Project Programme.

This chapter sets out why Briefing has such a big impact on Project Outcomes, and identifies the work that needs to be done and the issues that need to be considered as well as who should be involved. It also relates this stage to the Plan of Work task bars Procurement, Planning and Programme. Key questions around support tasks, Information Exchanges and sustainability are also considered.

This chapter sets out:

  • What needs to be considered during Stage 1 for both the core and support tasks.
  • How to make the most of earlier work undertaken at Stage 0.
  • How to ensure that Stages 2 and beyond are set up effectively.

What is Stage 1, and why do We Need it?

Stage 1 is about preparing for and shaping the future of the project in a way that manages the various risks in order to help define and achieve the best outcomes. This stage will be heavily informed by the work undertaken at Stage 0, and together they are about achieving the best possible start for a project. A project vision and Strategic Brief developed as part of Stage 0 will need to be turned into clear Project Objectives and Project Outcomes during Stage 1 – and, hence, are of critical importance for effective delivery.

Any good building project is really only successful if it works for the people that use it and those who own and manage it at all stages through its life cycle. Research by CABE (and others), set out in Creating Excellent Buildings: A Guide for Clients 2003, demonstrated that the earlier an effective brief is considered, tested, discussed and agreed, the more likely it is that it will be achieved.

Whether undertaken as a formal and separate work stage, or more informally by the client, the work done as part of Stage 0 will have already helped to define the project. The Business Case for the project should be understood, and a Strategic Brief put in place to form the starting point for Stage 1.

Stage 1 is a time for the Briefing and preparation that is needed to help ensure that subsequent stages of work, and specifically Stage 2 Concept Design, are as productive as possible. It is about taking information from Stage 0, in whatever form it is in, developing it and moving that information forward as the basis for Stage 1 outputs. This means taking the vision from the Strategic Brief in Stage 0 and using it to shape the Project Objectives in Stage 1. Taken together with the Project Outcomes, this will define the ‘purpose’ of the project.

At the end of this stage, the project should be set up to move forward to Stage 2 Concept Design with a robust, informed and well-developed Initial Project Brief and the appropriate team members in place.

ifig0002.jpg What is a Project Objective and a Project Outcome?

An excellent way to start working with the client group, project team or design team at an early stage is to work together to set clear objectives for the project and to prioritise them. Ideally, all objectives should be ‘SMART’ (specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely). This is not always easy, and sometimes this can take time and refinement to get right. Stage 1 is a great opportunity to take initial Project Objectives, identified at Stage 0, and to shape, refine and develop them to form the basis of the Initial Project Brief.

Table 4.1 Project objectives and Project outcomes.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES ARE: PROJECT OUTCOMES ARE:
Qualitative principles that will shape and inform the scheme and the Initial Project Brief, and which should form an evolving basis for deciding how a project will deliver what is needed. Quantitative and measurable targets, by which the scheme can be assessed and its success tested throughout the design, delivery and post-occupancy stages
These could include considerations such as: These could define issues such as:

  • Qualitative aspirations for a landmark building, appropriate to the project's purpose and site.
  • Requirements for a project to create simple street buildings that relate well to its context.
  • Sustainability as a defining feature of the project, including considering whole-life costing.
  • Minimising future maintenance implications.
  • A desire for award-winning architecture that becomes a recognised example of best practice for that building type.
  • A need to support new ways of working and efficiencies in use.

  • The number of residential units or amount of floor space required.
  • The number of people to be accommodated in an office building.
  • Fixed programme targets that shape the delivery of the scheme.
  • Specific sustainability targets, eg BREEAM 'Excellent'.
  • A need to reflect specific organisational structures, data requirements or systems.

What Tasks are Included in Stage 1: of the RIBA Plan of Work 2013?

Stage 1 is about defining what the project will be, and the tasks required as part of Stage 1 are focused on what is needed to move the project forward to Stage 2 when the design work will start.

The tasks undertaken during Stage 1 are focused on the core objectives. These are to:

  • Develop the Project Objectives and the Project Outcomes, as these will be the benchmarks by which the project is tested and its success measured through design, construction and in-use performance. They often relate to what the client values about the project, and what it needs to achieve in order to work for them and for the end users.
  • Set high-level Sustainability Aspirations response and approach to energy and sustainability as the project develops.
  • Gather and analyse detailed information on how the project will need to work, what it should include, and who it is for.
  • Understand and analyse Site Information, including undertaking Feasibility Studies to test that the brief is achievable and deliverable.
  • Scope out the Project Budget.
  • Develop a strategic Project Programme.
  • Assemble the project team, the Schedule of Services, Project Roles Table and the Contractual Tree, which will define what each of the team members needs to do and how they will work together.
  • Align this information with the Design Responsibility Matrix.
  • Undertake a range of support tasks including the Handover Strategy, Risk Assessments, Project Execution Plan, which ensure that future project requirements inform the early stages of the work.

The work undertaken across these tasks will be ‘captured’ and reported in the Initial Project Brief. The other principal task that sits alongside this work during Stage 1 is the assembly of the project team itself.

In addition to these core tasks, the tasks bars for Stage 1 focus on Procurement and Information Exchanges as most important at this point.

The Stage 1 task bars are:

  • Procurement – This stage is about appointing the project team, which includes setting up the relevant project information to support this. It covers how the team is assembled, how the required roles will be identified and defined, and how the expectations on who should do what will be set out.
  • Programme – Setting out a strategic Project Programme based on key project milestones and relevant advice from team members about what is deliverable and achievable. This will set out an ‘ideal’ timescale for all of the future stages of the Plan of Work in order to help decision-making, and is useful even if it is known that it will change.
  • Town Planning – This new task bar is about testing the principle of development with reference to planning policy and pre-application discussions with the planning authority and others.
  • Key Support Tasks – Working out the secondary tasks that are needed at this stage to support the principal activity of making an informed Initial Project Brief and establishing the project team.
  • Sustainability Checkpoints – Ensuring that a clear set of objectives for sustainability is in place, and that they are appropriate to the scale and complexity of the project as well as planning and other compliance requirements.
  • Information Exchanges – Ensuring that the Initial Project Brief is in a format that is appropriate and clear, and is shared with the right people at the right time.

It’s not Just what you do in Stage 1 that Matters, it’s how you Set Things up to Work in the Future that Really Counts ifig0002.jpg

Setting up a good project is not just about the information that you have and what you do with it, but is also about how the project will be run and managed. The relationship between what you do and how you do it is key to delivering projects well.

Just having the information in place and the schedules completed is not enough if the structures for achieving an effective team are not actioned and delivered.

An example of this is where a design-led high-quality building is required as a project objective but the appointed designers are given very little say in the project, and are sidelined by others on the project team. In this case, the structure of the project has not been set up to achieve the core design-focused objective.

For a project to be delivered effectively and efficiently, the information produced, the behaviour expected of the team (and evidenced through their procurement) AND the way it is managed all need to relate to each other and be shaped around the Project Objectives and Project Outcomes.

A key question to ask is: ‘How can I help make the project team most effective at achieving the Project Objectives?’

Developing the Initial Project Brief

What is an initial brief, and what should it look like?

There is no set format for what an Initial Project Brief should look like, but it should always comprise a structured written document with supporting information that is presented in a way that allows it to be shared with others and is accessible to those who need to use it. A key role of the Briefing stage is to produce something – the Initial Project Brief – that will act as a record or summary of relevant discussions, client requirements and site constraints, which must all have been identified. The information should be clearly presented, easily read and simple for others to understand – both now and in the future. Briefs that are too long, poorly laid out, badly explained or containing unnecessary information are much less likely to be effective.

Table 4.2 A guide to simple briefing information.

table4_2

The initial brief is the result of a series of tasks that lead to knowing more about the proposals, site, client and project requirements. The Briefing undertaken at Stage 1 is about progressing the client’s detailed Briefing requirements. A vitally important part of any project is that the work done is appropriate and proportionate to the outcome that is required, and related to the particular stage that the project has reached at the time. This is as true at Briefing stage as any other, and the process of developing and forming the brief should help define what ‘appropriate’ and ‘proportionate’ means in each particular case. This will be related BOTH to project size and also the complexity of the project, building or site.

For example, an initial brief for a small domestic project might only be a few pages of A4 text with some reference images, whereas a fully developed initial brief for a technical office building might be a thick, bound and illustrated document including extensive technical data and flow charts about how the spaces will be used. Conversely, some small but complex projects require larger briefs and some large but simple projects will need smaller ones.

4.1 There is no set format for what an Initial Project Brief should look like, but it should be identifiable, collated and dated.

4.1 There is no set format for what an Initial Project Brief should look like, but it should be identifiable, collated and dated.

How is the Initial Project Brief different from the Strategic Brief?

The Strategic Brief produced at Stage 0 will reflect the nature of the information needed to support the defining the idea and potential of the project. As detailed in the previous chapter, it will contain high-level information that sets out why a project is needed and what the client’s considerations have been in order to decide to proceed with the next stages. The Strategic Brief’s role is different from later briefs in that it sets the scene for the project but will not yet contain detailed proposals about building requirements or procurement. At Stage 0, the client may want a project but not have a defined site; alternatively, they may have a site but be unclear what can be accommodated on it. By the outset of Stage 1, both of these issues should have been resolved.

The Initial Project Brief will take information from the Strategic Brief, including any site options appraisal work that has been undertaken, and the Business Case, which is likely to inform the budget and programme considerations.

It will also need to refer back to review and Feedback produced as part of Stage 7, which will have been considered during Stage 0. This might include examples of other relevant projects.

In terms of going forward, the Initial Project Brief will need to anticipate and be clear on the elements of the project that will need to become more fixed and definite as it moves into the design stages. Formulating the brief is not a design stage of the project, but it is about creating the conditions for good design and the delivery of high-quality projects that meet Project Objectives and Project Outcomes.

The Final Project Brief comes later, at the end of Stage 2, and is a further iteration of the Initial Project Brief. It is sometimes also included within the Employer’s Requirements (ERs) at the relevant stage for that project.

How do you work out what sort of Initial Project Brief is needed?

Good briefing and preparation is about asking a range of pertinent questions and understanding the implications of the answers. These questions should be very broad, and can be about how the project will be used, its site and servicing requirements, planning-policy considerations, the team needed to deliver it, and its programme considerations. In effect, the Initial Project Brief is about shaping the questions that will be tested and answered from Stage 2 onwards.

A common difficulty is that the problem to be solved is not defined clearly enough, and instead the team start using design to fill this void. It is important to avoid designing too early because:

  • This often gets ‘unpicked’ through subsequent client reviews or changes to a brief.
  • It is hard to demonstrate that the client requirements are fully understood and therefore addressed.
  • Without a clearly formulated and signed-off brief, there will be abortive work and wasted resources.

In order to decide what is needed at this stage, it can be helpful to think about the questions the project team will have as they start Stage 2. It is best to avoid jumping to solutions and to focus on the information that is needed and the testing required, so as to be confident that it can be made to work.

Table 4.3 Questions to shape the brief.

KEY QUESTIONS TO SHAPE THE BRIEF POSSIBLE RESPONSES
What does the client want from this project? Scope out Project objectives and Project outcomes

What type of project is this going to be? Some examples might include: highly technical, constraints-driven, design-led, complex, delivery-focused, budget-constrained, highly sustainable, best-practice - or a combination of the above

What information needs to be gathered in order to be able to move in an informed way to the next stage of work? Site Information (topographical and building surveys), operational client requirements, client procurement constraints, programme drivers, relevant standards and best-practice guidance

What information needs to be undertaken to make sure that the next stages are appropriately informed? Feasibility Studies; viability appraisals; desktop reports on relevant issues such as archaeology, ecology or ground conditions; high-level cost review

Who needs to be involved in or consulted as part of the production of the Initial Project Brief? Wider client group, user groups, stakeholders, planners, specialists, funders, neighbours, community, technical advisors, etc.

At the end of this process, it should be possible to be much clearer about the purpose, scope and objectives of the project. The role of the brief at this stage is to gather together all of this information and, through the briefing process, to set out the requirements of the project. This may include being clear about what is achievable – for example, being realistic about the project budget or the capacity of the site – and setting out parameters for assessing future responses to the brief.

What does the client actually need, and is this different from what they think they want?

Helping the client or client organisation find out what they need from the project is the most important part of the Initial Project Brief, as it goes to the core purpose of the project itself – the Project Objectives and Project Outcomes. Some clients will be able to formulate the brief for themselves, but there is very often a value in it being prepared by an independent or specialist advisor who can look more objectively at the issues raised. Put simply, this process is about asking questions, describing what is needed and why it is needed, and what the client and others who will use or be involved in it see as important.

Client briefs can vary considerably. Some will have detailed technical requirements, others will be very broad and open. Some will include specific design intentions, eg room data sheets or complex technological requirements, and others will be intentionally loose. The key is to get an appropriate amount of relevant information for that specific project and ensure that it relates to the Strategic Brief and Business Case from Stage 0. If all of the necessary information is not there, then further specific studies or investigations will be needed.

It is also important to consider that, broadly, there are two different types of client:

  • Those who are the end users of the project, eg schools, businesses, manufacturers, homeowners or public-sector groups/organisations.
  • Those who are developing the project for other end users, who may or may not be identified before completion of the project – eg developers.

Briefing and preparation should consider that projects need to work commercially AND operationally both for those who will deliver a building and those who will use it once it is complete. A brief needs to consider both of these groups’ needs, and, in an ideal world, would include both of them in its preparation.

Why helping the client to develop clear Project Objectives is so important in achieving good Project Outcomes

Establishing, testing and agreeing clear and measurable Project Objectives is, in many ways, the most important aspect of the early stages of a project. These objectives should form the core of any project brief and set the high-level intentions and priorities of a project so that they can inform any Feasibility Studies during Stage 1 and design development from Stage 2 onwards.

Table 4.4 Project objectives for different types of project.

EXAMPLES OF PROJECT OBJECTIVES
PROJECT SCENARIO EXAMPLE PROJECT OBJECTIVES
A. Small residential extension for a growing family
  • More living space with a better quality of light than the house has currently.
  • To maximise the use of low-impact and sustainably sourced materials.
  • To be completed by next December.

B. Development of five new homes for a small residential developer
  • To deliver five new homes that relate to market requirements.
  • To respond to planning officer's comments positively, in order to help ensure a smooth 'ride' through the application process.
  • To deliver a high-quality product that forms the basis of the company's growing reputation.
  • To deliver a profit.

C. Refurbishment of a teaching and support building for a university
  • To create better lecture spaces suitable for current teaching methods, improved staff facilities and a range of easily accessible seminar rooms and shared learning spaces.
  • To focus on the delivery of the scheme within the cost envelope identified, and to change the scope of the project to fit this.

D. New central library for a small unitary authority
  • To consider new ways of engaging with technology, in order to encourage reading and to extend the use of the library.
  • To create a high-quality working environment that encourages staff retention.
  • To provide informal and formal opportunities to engage with a range of reading materials and local history.

E. New headquarters office for high-tech internet-based company
  • To deliver a significant landmark building that reflects the growing status of the company.
  • To deliver a range of flexible and creative working environments.
  • To anticipate future technical-specification and data requirements for internal and external communications.

A key skill required of those working on brief preparation is to really challenge the brief they have been given and, as far as possible, to be sure that this is actually what is required. As much as some clients will have the appropriate skills to assess their own requirements, there are many others who will not. For them, a specific briefing process to assess their needs will require targeted external support.

ifig0002.jpg What Happens when Project Objectives are not Set out Clearly and Agreed During Stage 1?

  • The design team undertakes abortive work at Stage 2.
  • A team might be appointed without a skill set that matches to the client’s requirements.
  • Key Site Information might be missed, delaying progress and the start of Stage 2.
  • Brief changes are more likely later on in the process.

What should the Initial Project Brief include?

There are various lists of information set out in the Plan of Work and other useful documents about what should be considered and reported on in the Initial Project Brief. This list will vary by project type and size. It should include relevant information from Stage 0 and the Strategic Brief, where available, as its starting point.

It makes sense for the brief to follow the task bars in the Plan of Work.

ifig0002.jpg How the Plan of Work should Inform the Initial Project Brief

  • Project Objectives and Project Outcomes, ideally prioritised based on discussions with the client/organisation and relevant stakeholders.
  • Quality Objectives.
  • Background information on the client organisation and user requirements.
  • Technical project requirements and detailed briefing.
  • Approach to sustainability.
  • Review of Feedback from earlier or similar projects (collected as part of Stage 7 on a range of other projects, either for the same client or others).
  • Site Information, sometimes informed by Feasibility Studies
  • The outcome of relevant Feasibility Studies undertaken to inform the project brief.
  • The Project Budget, and any specific requirements related to the project’s funding arrangements.
  • An outline Project Programme and anticipated procurement strategy related to both the project team procurement and contractor procurement routes.
  • The structure of the project team, including roles, contractual working arrangements and, specifically, how it should be managed.
  • Details of further information needed at subsequent stages, and when this is expected to be required or available. Information Exchanges, and how this information is to be shared.
  • Analysis of previous relevant projects or examples.

The content of each section of the brief will vary, and the list of contents will be specific to each project or client. In any case, a brief should start with introducing the project, explaining it, describing the site and technical requirements and cross-referring to relevant background documents. The brief should also set out how the team will operate, the different team roles and responsibilities, and the next steps.

For some projects, where a contractor is to be appointed early – for example, during Stage 2 – Employer’s Requirements (ERs) may also be required as brief-related outputs.

Scoping the Initial Project Brief

In all cases, consider whether the information is necessary, useful AND appropriate. Concise and clear information is always better than unnecessary and irrelevant detail.

Table 4.5 A contents list for the Initial Project Brief.

table4_5

What Other Issues should you Consider: in preparing the Initial Project Brief?

  • The project team – Time should be taken to consider how the process of preparing the project brief can help with the identification of and cohesiveness of the project team; should these be integrated or separate processes?
  • Changing standards – Whether standards and guidance that are current at the time of initial brief production may change. Where known, impending or likely changes should be identified and anticipated.
  • Specialist advisors – Some types of building or use may need specialist advice, either as part of the brief-production process or in the project team going forward. Ensure that the brief and Project Roles Table/Contractual Tree set out where this is required and at what stage.
  • Reference earlier work – Make sure that the brief includes and references the work undertaken at Stage 0 and other work during Stage 1, so that it does not try to ‘reinvent the wheel’.
  • Client sign-off – During the process of developing the brief, key information will need to be signed off by the client organisation and key decisions will need to be made as part of this process. The project should not proceed on to the next stage unless the brief is agreed with the client group and other relevant parties.

What Feasibility Studies are needed to inform the Initial Project Brief?

The project vision established at Stage 0 may be deliverable in a number of different ways. Feasibility Studies at Stage 1 are project-related investigations that test a range of site, brief, capacity, cost and viability issues in order to ensure that the scope and potential of the project is clearly understood and to inform the project as it goes forward. Feasibility Studies are more specific than the site options appraisal that may have taken place during Stage 0 to help determine if a site was suitable.

In many cases, a Feasibility Study is the first task of a project team; in other cases, it may already have been undertaken by the time the project team, who will take the project on from Stage 2, are on board. Either way, it will be coordinated by a project lead with support and input from appropriate members of the project team.

Feasibility Studies usually represent the first time that Site Information and Project Objectives are brought together, and, most importantly, capacity options for the proposal are tested. This is also when viability testing is undertaken that will inform the Project Budget and a review of the Business Case.

The need for Feasibility Studies will depend on:

  • The need for key issues raised by the client brief to be tested against site-specific considerations.
  • How important it is to consider alternative approaches and options.
  • The need to test and inform the Initial Project Brief in order to be clear that it is possible.
  • The need to scope out cost, financial and legal considerations.
  • Whether project funders or clients require a Feasibility Study to demonstrate the potential and scope of the project, in order to proceed.
  • A detailed understanding of the design issues raised during Stages 0 and 1 and the need for design analysis to inform Stage 2.

4.2 Feasibility Studies test different physical configurations or project scenarios on a given site, in order to assess what can be accommodated and whether it might be made to work.

4.2 Feasibility Studies test different physical configurations or project scenarios on a given site, in order to assess what can be accommodated and whether it might be made to work.

Who is best placed to write and ‘hold’ the brief (architect, project manager, or other specialist)?

It doesn’t necessarily matter who writes the brief, but the critical factor is that whoever does approaches it in the right way and that the client is committed to it. The author should normally have relevant experience, the confidence to talk to the right people and the ability to express the project requirements clearly to others. In many cases the Initial Project Brief will be written by the project/client lead and/or the lead designer, either of whom would continue to have a role into the next stages of the project.

The Initial Project Brief will have a lasting physical, social and environmental impact through all stages of the project design and construction, and on the people who use the finished building. For this reason, input to the brief from key stakeholders and, ideally, end users is very important. Stakeholders should be consulted during the production of the brief and involved in the review and sign-off process once it is completed.

The level of engagement with stakeholders as part of the preparation of the Initial Project Brief will vary for projects of different scales and complexity. Some projects will require extensive consultation, including with other parts of the client organisation, external agencies, user groups and adjacent land/property owners. In some cases, it may be more appropriate for the Initial Project Brief to identify further stakeholder and user-group consultation at subsequent stages, and as part of Stage 2 when the Final Project Brief is developed and agreed.

Once agreed, the Initial Project Brief is not a static, fixed document. It needs to remain at the forefront of the project at all stages, being updated, referred to and signed off as necessary. It should be clear whose responsibility it is to ‘hold’ the brief and ensure that it continues to inform project development appropriately. Mid-stage amendments to the brief need to be treated seriously in order to avoid abortive work. Any significant changes to the brief beyond Stage 1 may mean restarting design work.

Procurement: Appointing: the project team

The other principal activity to take place in Stage 1 Preparation and Brief is the identification, structure and appointment of the project team. This team needs to be carefully considered, effective and appropriate for the project.

There are two key issues for the client to address at the outset of this stage, and for which different skills and experience may be required:

  • What further help does the client need with Stage 1, over and above the team that are working on the Initial Project Brief?
  • What project team does the client need to design and deliver the project, ie the work from Stage 2 onwards?

In some cases, and particularly for smaller projects, this may be the same team as the one that worked on the initial brief; in other situations, specialist team members may be required in order to reflect the different needs of Stage 1 and Stage 2 work. Public-sector clients, who are subject to public-procurement rules, will generally have more complex team-appointment issues to consider than private-sector clients, although this is unlikely to change the range of skills that are required – merely, how the team members are identified and appointed. For public-sector bodies, it is worth preparing a team-procurement plan to ensure that the right team are in place at each stage and that key knowledge and skills are not lost through poorly timed or administered project-team retendering processes.

The benefits of a well-thought-through and cohesive project team that are appointed at the right time and work effectively together are well established. They include:

  • Making a project easier to run during the design, construction and operational stages, and spending less time blaming others and more time arriving at optimal solutions.
  • Avoiding delays while additional or specialist team members are put in place and the responsibilities of different team members are agreed.
  • Matching team skills (rather than roles) to the Project Objectives (including, specifically, the Quality Objectives), making it more likely that these will be achieved.

ifig0002.jpg The Collaborative Project Team

The RIBA Plan of Work 2013 considers the appointment and collaboration of the whole project team, rather than just the design team. The detailed proposals and tasks required to set up a team that is properly collaborative are set out in the RIBA publication Assembling a Collaborative Project Team by Dale Sinclair (RIBA Publishing, 2013).

Getting the right team and structure in place is about achieving the best possible start to a project, and making sure that the right team of people – with the correct skills, knowledge and expertise – are involved, and that they are clear what their roles are at each stage.

All of this information should be set out clearly in the Project Execution Plan (PEP), which is formulated and developed during Stage 1. This document sets out the processes and protocols to be used to develop the design, including the Design Responsibility Matrix, the professional-services contracts used to appoint the team members, the Schedules of Services that define what is expected of each of them and the Project Programme. The PEP is sometimes called a ‘project quality plan’. It should also set out what decisions need to be made by whom at each stage, as a lack of timely decision-making is a major factor in delay and abortive work.

4.3 The introduction to a simple Project Execution Plan for the small domestic extension in Scenario A, showing who is expected to do what and when.

4.3 The introduction to a simple Project Execution Plan for the small domestic extension in Scenario A, showing who is expected to do what and when.

Who are the project team during Stage 1?

The first consideration is the team needed to undertake Stage 1 itself. This will include some or all of the following:

  • In-house members of the client organisation, with appropriate skills and experience.
  • External advisors with built-environment skills and experience of brief writing and analysis (client design advisor, or related built-environment professional).
  • Members of the future project team (architect, project manager, lead designer, etc.).

In most cases, formulating the Initial Project Brief requires the collaboration of a number of parties, with one person identified as lead in order to draw all of the threads together. The appointment and briefing of this team is something for which the client may need specialist advice or support.

The skills of the coordinator of the Initial Project Brief will need to include:

  • Analytical skills, gathering information and working out what is relevant and important.
  • Synthesising and prioritising information from a range of sources.
  • Anticipating and visualising the future stages of the project, in order to flag up issues in advance.
  • Clear presentation and writing skills that can be readily understood by others.
  • Capacity-building, to include all of those who need to contribute to the brief, or who have a view on what the Project Outcomes should be.
  • Being timely and proportionate, so that the brief-writing process does not turn into a bigger issue than necessary – or even, inadvertently, kick-starts the design stages of the project.

The second set of priorities involves identifying, procuring and appointing the team needed to deliver subsequent stages of the project. This is a specialist task, and one for which most clients will need advice on the range and nature of skills required at different stages.

Table 4.6 Skills needed for specific Project objectives

table4_6

Which project team members are needed when?

At Stage 1, the team and processes that will govern the whole project are being established and set out within the Project Execution Plan. A key part of this plan is setting out who the future project team will need to include, and when they will be needed. It should differentiate between who is needed as part of the core project team and when specialists are likely to be required. The PEP should be appropriate and proportionate for each project, and need not be lengthy or complex – it is about thinking through what you expect to be needed at each stage by making reasonable, sound assumptions. For simple projects, it might comprise a single sheet of A4 paper. For complex projects, a larger multi-sectional document will be needed. A key focus for preparing the PEP at this stage is about understanding the client organisation, their needs and expectations.

In the Plan of Work 2013, the team-related information is set out in three main places, each with a different role and purpose but designed to help work out who is needed when, what they are responsible for, and how they will relate to others in the team. These are:

  • A Project Roles Table that sets out the roles required on a project, as well as at which stages those roles will be required and the parties responsible for them.
    4.4 A simple Project Roles Table for a small residential project.

    4.4 A simple Project Roles Table for a small residential project.

  • A Contractual Tree, which is a diagram that sets out the contractual relationship between the client and the parties undertaking the roles required on a project.
    4.5 A simple Contractual Tree for a small residential project with architect as lead and contract administrator and the contractor being directly appointed by the client from Stage 5 onwards.

    4.5 A simple Contractual Tree for a small residential project with architect as lead and contract administrator and the contractor being directly appointed by the client from Stage 5 onwards.

  • A Design Responsibility Matrix, which sets out which part of the design is to be the responsibility of which members of the project team. This is principally about construction detailing, but is valuable through design Stages 2–4 for clarity. It will identify whether the architect, designer, contractor or specialist subcontractor (or others) are to be responsible for different elements of the design in relation to the Schedule of Services, and will need to be carefully managed to ensure that everything is undertaken as envisaged.

4.6 A simple Design Responsibility Matrix for a small residential project.

4.6 A simple Design Responsibility Matrix for a small residential project.

The process of developing each of these elements as part of the PEP at Stage 1 will allow those assembling the team to relate the requirements to the information being prepared in the Intial Project Brief. This close relationship between the team and the brief, with its Quality Objectives and Project Outcomes is a fundamental principle of a successful project.

Table 4.7 Client issues that will shape the project team.

table4_7

The Project Programme: Establishing a programme framework

Delivering a project on time is often high on the list of client priorities and objectives (along with delivering on budget and ensuring high-quality outcomes). However, for projects to be delivered on time many different complex processes, decisions and actions must take place. There is an interesting balance, particularly at Stage 1, between the need for realism and the need for a little bit of optimism over how long a project will take to deliver. Clearly being realistic is important but being ‘too realistic’ can make a project seem like it is failing, and the focus on the Project Outcomes can be lost.

If timescales are particularly tight and are one of the main considerations of a project, then the Initial Project Brief and all future work stages should be shaped around this. Examples include:

  • Schools, which often must secure planning permission by a key funding deadline, and which must then complete the works in time for children to arrive at the start of an academic year or term.
  • Affordable housing that must be delivered by a particular date as a condition of its grant funding, or in order for residents to be relocated.
  • An infrastructure project that is required by a key handover date.

In such cases, the whole brief must be led by this key Project Objective. The Project Execution Plan, the Project Roles Table, and the procurement methods and selection criteria involved in appointing the team must be shaped around these principal programme constraints.

Stage 1 is the point at which the first Project Programme is set out. The process of understanding the programme drivers, constraints and milestones is an important part of developing the PEP and the Initial Project Brief. Stage 1 is a good time for working on a Project Programme, as this process helps to scope out the project, informs the cost plan and is necessary for informed decision-making. As a project proceeds beyond Stage 1, its programme will evolve and change; this is normal, and should be expected.

ifig0001.jpg Do the Client and Project Team Understand the Impact of The Project Programme, and what is Required of them to Help Meet it?

Scenario A: Small residential extension for a growing family
As part of their domestic extension project, the clients know the design team they want to appoint but do not understand when they have to decide to proceed to the next stage of the project in order to meet their own deadline for completion. They are also unclear on the programme risks related to the planning permission that they need for the remodelling works and extension. In this case, the architect sets out a list of the key decisions that need to be made on the project on a simple Project Programme (see Figure 4.7, below) and then explains this to the clients. They also discuss the Schedule of Services all the way through the project – as well as the options with regard to the services that can be provided, and what this means for how much the clients will need to do themselves.

Programme-setting as part of Stage 1 Preparation and Brief is about:

  • Establishing fixed client parameters, or ‘milestones’, eg when a key lease will end, or limits on funding deadlines’.
  • Assessing reasonable delivery timescales for the different stages of the project, related to its likely scale and complexity and making contingency allowances for possible or likely time overruns.
  • Making clear when key client decisions are going to be needed, eg to proceed to the next stage.
  • Considering the principal risks to the Project Programme and how these could be mitigated, either now or as the project progresses – eg the importance of key Site Information, client decision-making and sign-off, and planning permissions.

There are many relevant questions to ask in preparing an initial Project Programme as part of Stage 1, but what is important is the way in which the emerging Initial Project Brief, any background Feasibility Studies and the work on the PEP inform this thinking and develop the rationale behind this important aspect of the project.

Key Programme Questions at Stage 1 ifig0002.jpg

  • Does the client have any particular objectives about when key project milestones should be delivered, and what are the reasons for these?
  • What would an ‘ideal’ programme for this project look like?
  • Are the risks of not achieving key programme drivers understood, and are these clear from the Stage 1 Risk Assessments?
  • Are there key points in this project at which the programme is most likely to be delayed? Which of these can we anticipate and plan for now, eg:
    • ~ Time taken to deliver site or building surveys, site and background information.
    • ~ Planning strategy and the pre-application process.
    • ~ Time take to sort out team appointments, including specialists.
    • ~ Allowing sufficient time for client reporting and approvals.
    • ~ Tender and construction delays.
    • ~ Handover and completion strategy.

‘Programme creep’ happens through the gradual extension of project timescales as the reality of the complex design and delivery process has its impact. This can be mitigated by ensuring that a well-managed project team is put in place, who are clear on their roles from the outset and who relate well with the client and others in the team. Programme creep during Stages 2–4 is often related to changes to the project brief that happen after Stage 1.

The initial Project Programme should be included within the PEP, together with a description of the principal programme objectives and milestones. The rationale for the programme should be explained alongside its importance to the client organisation.

4.7 A simple Project Programme for a small domestic project with a pre-Christmas deadline, to enable the clients to understand when they need to appoint a contractor.

4.7 A simple Project Programme for a small domestic project with a pre-Christmas deadline, to enable the clients to understand when they need to appoint a contractor.

4.8 The principles of a Gantt chart, making clear the contingent programme links between key items.

4.8 The principles of a Gantt chart, making clear the contingent programme links between key items.

Planning and Compliance: Thinking early on about the challenges

Why is planning important at briefing stage?

It can be easy to think that because planning applications are not made until later in the project, planning does not need to be considered as part of Stage 1. However, planning approval has the potential to add considerable risk to a project – in most circumstances, development cannot proceed without it – and a poorly considered planning strategy can have considerable impact on the Project Programme. Even when planning permission is not required – as, for example, with permitted development – this usually needs to be confirmed.

Pre-application discussions with the planning authority are on their way to becoming the norm in projects of any size. This is not a process that can easily be fixed in terms of time or output, as it depends on a range of factors and the agreement of a varied group of people in order to move things forward. Planning risk can be mitigated by an early review of planning policy and through a well-managed pre-application process. This process can be agreed in advance through a pre-application planning agreement (often called a PPA), which sets out what each side will do when, and the issues that need to be agreed.

Who should I talk to about planning, and when?

Early meetings with planning officers are generally very useful, but at Stage 1 any engagement with planning is about the ‘principle’ of the proposals rather than about design issues or specifics.

Current planning policy will set out many of the issues around the acceptability of development and land uses, and policies on scale, views, massing and other criteria such as housing mix, car parking and planning obligations (payments secured through Section 106 agreements or the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)). This information is set out nationally in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Planning Policy Guidance (PPG), and at local level is usually contained in a Local Plan document and other supporting planning-policy documents that will be set out on a local authority’s website. Adopted or emerging neighbourhood plans and Neighbourhood Development Orders (NDOs) are also a key consideration, as this means that local people are often well engaged in the planning process and the future of the area.

Planning policy should be reviewed as part of the briefing and feasibility process. Specific town-planning advice may be beneficial at Stage 1 in order to interpret the impact that planning policy will have on the proposals, and how this information can be used to help shape the Initial Project Brief.

In making a decision about planning permission, the planning process considers a range of factors related to environmental, social and economic sustainability. By setting out the Initial Project Brief (and, subsequently, by designing the project) to respond specifically to relevant planning policies and considerations, the likelihood of a positive outcome from the planning process is significantly increased.

The importance of good design has always been part of planning. Currently, it is set out in national Planning Policy Guidance, in place since 2014, which makes clear that ‘Good quality design is an integral part of sustainable development’, and that ‘Achieving good design is about creating places, buildings, or spaces that work well for everyone, look good, last well, and will adapt to the needs of future generations.’

Key Questions to Ask Regarding Planning ifig0002.jpg

  • How do the Project Objectives respond to planning requirements for broader project-related issues, such as good place-making and sustainability requirements?
  • Have planning considerations been used in developing the Project Outcomes?
  • How has national and local planning policy influenced the Initial Project Brief in order to reduce planning risk?

The discharge of planning obligations and conditions attached to a permission is also a key future stage, which must be undertaken correctly in order to minimise delays to construction.

What other compliance issues need to be considered?

During Stage 1, and in terms of drafting the Initial Project Brief, it is important to consider the principal compliance stages that a project will need to go through and to anticipate the impact of these on the design and delivery process. Building Control approval is likely to remain the most important of these stages. Appropriately experienced professional members of the project team will be able to anticipate the impact of these requirements.

The Initial Project Brief should set out the key compliance stages and the Project Execution Plan, Project Roles Table and Design Responsibility Matrix should set out how the team will be expected to deal with compliance issues.

Are there funding or compliance issues that are critically important for the scheme?

Some projects rely on funding that comes with specific conditions, or which requires that the client organisation demonstrate specific quality criteria. These should be established as part of defining the Project Outcomes and set out clearly in the Initial Project Brief. Such conditions can relate to:

  • The physical attributes of the scheme, eg whether it meets the provisions of the London Housing Design Guide (LHDG) in order to qualify for HCA grant funding, or a need to meet National House Building Council (NHBC) requirements in order to gain the relevant certification.
  • The qualitative aspects of the proposals, eg achieving a minimum assessed score level in Building for Life 12 (BFL12), which is a widely accepted method for assessing good place-making.

In all cases the Project Execution Plan will need to be clear about when and how these attributes need to be demonstrated, and by whom within the team.

Are planning or compliance-related changes likely over the lifetime of the project; and, if so, how should this influence the Initial Project Brief?

Anticipating change in the planning and compliance process is important for the whole project team. Steering a project through the Plan of Work 2013 takes a long time, and planning policies or compliance criteria can change during this time. Sometimes there is warning of key changes but on other occasions there is not, and in such cases the client and project team need to work together effectively in order to resolve any new issues that arise.

The Project Execution Plan and Project Roles Table will need to set out what is expected in terms of anticipating and planning for known issues, eg registering a housing scheme for NHBC compliance at key points, and registering schemes against key sustainability targets such as those contained in the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Key support tasks – who will the project team be, and how will they work together?

Many of the support tasks relevant for Stage 1 are set out elsewhere in this chapter. These will vary from project to project, but are focused on ensuring that the project team is properly assembled and that future work stages are properly considered.

Suggested tasks include:

  • Preparing a Handover Strategy that sets out when and how the client will receive the building or project through a ‘Soft Landings’ approach, and the arrangements for doing so. This should also include a strategy for Stage 7 In Use and monitoring the effectiveness of the delivered scheme.
  • Preparing Risk Assessments that consider the principal risks for a project and the impact that they could have, alongside a risk mitigation strategy with clarity on who is going to manage this.
  • Preparing a Project Execution Plan, including a Technology Strategy and a Communication Strategy, information management and consideration of Common Standards – for the team to work to, and for efficient and clear communications. This includes consideration of shared technologies (eg BIM level 2) and project insurances. Once the design stages have begun, agree processes for change management and the appropriate processes and timescales for client sign-off.
  • Develop and agree a Schedule of Services, a Project Roles Table, a Design Responsibility Matrix and tables for Information Exchanges. Include these as part of each professional-services contract.

Table 4.8 Contents of the Project Execution Plan.

THE PROJECT EXECUTION PLAN AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
WHAT IT SHOULD INCLUDE
Project Execution Plan (PEP) The PEP is a project management tool that sets out how and when the specific tasks needed to deliver the project are to be undertaken and by whom. It will set out how the team has been assembled to respond to the brief and their roles, when the brief will be reviewed, and arrangements and timescales for client milestones and sign-off.
The PEP is an effective way of gathering together all of the ‘hows’ related to a project, and an opportunity to plan out the work in advance. The document will be developed and used by the team member with responsibility for managing the team. The PEP will need to be reviewed at each stage. At Stage 1 it is likely to identify a number of unknowns and areas to be developed further, particularly related to the later stages.
The scope and contents of the PEP will include:

  • Background, project objectives and priorities.
  • Project risks, uncertainties, and limitations.
  • Team structure and organisation, including contact details, roles and responsibilities for all team members and stakeholders.
  • Project strategy related to design, and construction, including detail on how future team members, such as the contractor, are to be procured.
  • Project management processes, including how the team, programme and costs will be managed, key milestones, and how change will be dealt with.
  • Administrative, information and document control systems and procedures, including how information is to be shared.
  • Future implications for commissioning, handover and ongoing maintenance/in-use.

Technology Strategy Sets out how different information technologies would be used and shared by the team during design, construction and the in-use stages. This will include consideration of the facilities management (FM) implications of this information, and how it will be used both to support the design and construction stages and also, following completion, in use as an FM tool.

Communications Strategy Sets out how the team members will communicate with each other, and how information will be shared, recorded and collated. Includes reference to archiving and storing information for effective access by those who need it, both during the project and afterwards. This will vary considerably according to size and type of project.

Common Standards These may include reference to CAD (Computer-aided Design) standards, information-reference systems and data monitoring. It could include anything involving the need for different members of the team to use easily referenced and shared information.

Handover Strategy, including ‘Soft Landings’ approaches An approach to staged building handover, to ensure that things run smoothly and that any potential problems or issues are sorted out in a timely manner. Relevant at Stage 1 because of the need to consider what information will be needed to support the Handover Strategy at the appropriate point in the future, and in anticipation of the particular team skills and support that are likely to be required.

Sustainability Checkpoints: Why do I need to set the sustainability targets now?

Highly sustainable projects that make careful use of resources both in their construction and in use do not happen by accident. They happen because of a clear intention (or Project Objective) on the part of the client or a principal member of the design team, or because they are made to through a regulatory process. The most successful way of achieving sustainable buildings is through agreed client intent from the outset.

At Stage 1, sustainability is important because:

  • The Project Objectives and Project Outcomes need to establish Sustainability Aspirations for the project that will shape how it is progressed.
  • These Sustainability Aspirations need to be set out clearly in the Intial Project Brief, including clear targets showing what success will mean for the completed project.
  • Issues that will affect the delivery of the project are being considered as part of the Project Execution Plan, including items such as waste management and air quality.
  • The client’s needs in terms of energy use and management systems will be under consideration, and need to be incorporated early on. Whole-life issues such as cost in use are important sustainability considerations that should be included in the Initial Project Brief.
  • The briefs for the different members of the project team in the Contractual Tree are being set out, and the Schedule of Services should specify each team member’s role in relation to sustainability. This will establish whether the right team, with appropriate experience in the delivery of sustainable buildings, is appointed.

As well as ensuring that the Initial Project Brief is shaped appropriately around sustainability and energy considerations, other issues to consider include:

  • Understanding what planning policy, planning guidance and the Building Regulations say about sustainability and renewable energy, and being clear how the team will develop an appropriate strategy for responding to this.
  • Anticipating changes in sustainability requirements or standards over the life of the project.
  • Requiring the design team to benchmark against similar project types/locations in future stages.

Information Exchanges: Why is it important to share Stage 1 information?

The Initial Project Brief will be the principal output document from Stage 1. It will gather together all of the related tasks and activities that have defined, analysed and shaped the project requirements and informed the scope and content of the brief itself, so that it can form the basis for the rest of the project. To get this right, it is important to ensure that the brief is complete, acknowledges where information is not known or where agreement has not been reached, and that it is signed off and agreed by all relevant parties. The Initial Project Brief is not intended to be a prescriptive, fi xed document and will evolve into the Final Project Brief during Stage 2.

The Initial Project Brief will then form the basis of the work undertaken by the project team from Stage 2 onwards, when the process of design and the synthesis of the project begins.

Other supporting documents that need to be collated and shared during Stage 1 are set out under ‘Key support tasks’, above, and include the Project Execution Plan and various team-working schedules and appointment documents that have also been developed during Stage 1.

UK Government Information: Exchanges for Stage 1

UK Government Information Exchanges are required during Stage 1 and will be concerned with the sharing of the Initial Project Brief and other information that needs to be confirmed. Stage 1 is a transition stage between PAS 1192:3 which is concerned with the Strategic Brief at Stage 0, including ‘Organisation Information Requirements’ and ‘Plain Language Questions (PLQs)’ and PAS 1192:2 during Stage 2 which relates to the Final Project Brief.

Using Preparation and Briefing: to develop the project approach to risk

All potential building projects carry risk, and many of the risks cannot be fully understood at Stage 1. The purpose of developing the Initial Project Brief is to understand more about the project requirements and limitations, and a key part of this is using Risk Assessments to develop the project approach.

specific project risks are often categorised into:

  • Resource risks – eg project-team appointments or resourcing.
  • Regulatory risks – eg planning or Building Control issues.
  • Physical risks – eg those related to ground conditions.
  • Legal risks – eg land ownership or rights of way.
  • Construction risks – eg complex construction, small site, noise or disturbance.
  • Financial risks – eg those related to increases in construction costs, or to do with funding or viability.

Actually, many early-stage project risks are less technical than this, and it is advisable not to focus only on construction-related risks. Risk is particularly important to Stage 1 because some of the biggest risks to the delivery of any project come from not having undertaken a robust and thorough Stage 0 and Stage 1 process at the outset.

Key Stage 1 risks include:

  • Not having a clear, well-thought-out Initial Project Brief that sets out a complete set of project and client requirements, and a good understanding of the site.
  • Not basing the Stage 1 work on that undertaken at Stage 0 – including the Strategic Brief, the Business Case and any options appraisal – and therefore losing the link back to earlier decisions.
  • Not having an appropriately experienced team in place to undertake the brief, prepare the supporting documents, and appoint the team needed to commence Stage 2.
  • Not having a clear management and delivery mechanism in place for the project, as set out in the Project Execution Plan and the various supporting documents needed before Stage 2 commences.

Project risks are not something that only a project lead has to deal with on a spreadsheet at team meetings. Risk management is something for the whole team to consider at each stage, and to help in proactively managing – the Plan of Work itself is, in effect, a whole-team risk-management tool. Risk need not be boring – it can really focus the design stages on key issues that might otherwise not become clear or be resolved until much later in the process.

ifig0001.jpg What Happens when a Client Doesn’t Think about the Future?

Scenario D: New central library for a small unitary authority

One of the less well-publicised reasons for this project being needed in the first place is that the client has not maintained their existing stock of library buildings well, and the repair bill to keep them open is huge. Publicly, the reason is that they want to change the way in which their libraries are managed and run to keep up with changes in use and provision.

In putting together what appears to be a well-thought-through brief for the new library, the issues that have not been considered are future maintenance, management arrangements and long-term costs in use. One of the advantages of Stage 7 in the Plan of Work 2013 is that it acts as a reminder that the costs and impact of a building in use are a key consideration in its early stages, and need to be considered clearly as part of project briefing.

By asking pertinent questions of the client organisation, their advisors are able to ascertain that only capital costs were considered as part of the Stage 0 work and that there is no brief for long-term maintenance.

Via its inclusion as a key element of the Initial Project Brief and in the risk register, this issue will be considered more carefully by the project team and will influence decisions made as part of the procurement strategy, design stages, material selection and detail choices in the future. This also helps the client to factor in a realistic review of ongoing costs related to the project.

The preparation and Briefing stage is a crucially important time at which to start thinking about project-specific risk. The way that the brief is put together and the team is assembled can begin to mitigate these risks and help to ensure that they do not undermine the delivery of the project or its ability to realise the Project Outcomes.

The Initial Project Brief can help with managing risk by identifying those aspects of the project that appear challenging; to state what is not yet known; and to highlight, even at this early stage, how key risks can help to shape key decisions and the form of the project team.

Table 4.9 Risk Assessment of future stages.

table4_9

Important risk-management tools at preparation and briefing stage include Feasibility Studies, site investigations and assessments, and consultations with key stakeholders, such as the planning authority or adjoining owners.

One of the most significant risks to timely project delivery can be client decision-making – often because it is either not clear what decision needs to be made, or what the impact would be of not making it at the right point. The briefing and preparation stage is about putting enough of the right information together to enable the client to make a formal decision to proceed with the project and to appoint the project team.

What can go wrong during Stage 1, and what can we learn from it?

Table 4.10 Potential problems at Stage 1.

table4_10

Chapter 04

Summary

Stage 1 Preparation and Brief is about setting out a sound and robust start to a project once its principal purpose and Business Case has been agreed, developed and signed off as part of Stage 0.

Stage 1 is about preparing an Initial Project Brief based on technical information, client requirements and Feasibility Studies. It is about ensuring that the client has the right team in place to prepare this brief, and has the information needed to do so thoroughly. As part of the preparation of the brief, consultation will be needed with the client, or within their organisation, in order to understand their requirements in detail and to establish Project Objectives and Project Outcomes. Consultation with other stakeholders and regulatory bodies is also likely to be required.

The second key task of Stage 1 is considering and planning for how the project is to be managed from Stage 2 onwards, and to establish the systems and arrangements for how the team will be appointed and will work together from Stage 2, when design work commences, through to Stage 6, when the project is completed and handed over, and on to Stage 7’s data-gathering and analysis. During Stage 1, the Project Execution Plan is developed alongside a range of supporting schedules and matrices that set out who is expected to do what and when. By the end of Stage 1, the team that will take the project forward should have been identified and appointed.

The value in a well-executed and robust Stage 1 is that it will anticipate the future needs of the project, the team and the client from Stage 2 onwards, and will ensure that, as far as possible, it progresses well into the design and delivery stages. It also makes it more likely that Quality Outcomes and Sustainability Aspirations are met, as well as helping to scope out costs, programme and risk issues early on.

Scenario Summaries

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO OUR PROJECTS BY THE END OF THIS STAGE?

A Small residential extension for a growing family

The Briefing for this project was done by the architect through a series of informal meetings with the clients in their existing house. It was clear that the clients had no professional background in construction, and did not understand the process. The architect wrote a concise report of what they had told him they wanted, which he asked them to review and agree.

Further background studies looked at planning issues, potential costs and other constraints.

All of this information – including recommendations for other team members and when they would be needed, how the project would be run and the required client inputs – were set out in the Initial Project Brief. This document was signed off by the client before they agreed to start Stage 2 of the project.

B Development of five new homes for a small residential developer

The residential developer had a standard brief for the houses, which they had developed on other sites and that they give to all of the architects and other consultants that they employ from Stage 1 onwards. Work on Stage 0 that supports the identification and purchase of the sites that they take on is done in-house, by an experienced development manager.

In terms of developing the site-specific elements of the brief, they asked for each project team to start with a Feasibility Study for the site that covered all of the Site Information and capacity issues, and background discussions with key stakeholders such as planning and highways, and local councillors. A local agent then took the cost plan produced by the client and the Feasibility Study, and advised the client on the viability of the scheme.

The project team clarified the Project Objectives and Project Outcomes with the client in their response to the appointment, and this document formed the basis for moving forward to future design stages. In this document, the project team set out any additional specialist expertise that would be required and when it would be needed.

At the end of this process, the client confirmed the team appointments and agreed the scope of services and Project Programme for the works, which included two 4 bedroomed and three 3 bedroomed houses on the site and a target of Code for Sustainable Homes level 5.

C Refurbishment of a teaching and support building for a university

The architect was reappointed to assist with developing the Initial Project Brief for the refurbishment of the teaching building. This included refining the Project Objectives, Quality Objectives and Project Outcomes identified in Stage 0 as well as the information contained in the Strategic Brief, and adding detail about the client requirements developed as part of a series of workshops and consultation exercises with teaching, management and operations staff.

A key task at this stage was producing a Feasibility Study for the site, in order to inform the Initial Project Brief in terms of how much teaching space the building could actually accommodate in its new format.

The Initial Project Brief and Feasibility Study needed to take into account the wider university master plan that is in place for the campus. The master plan contains much of the upfront Site Information needed, and sets out requirements for cycle parking, entrance and servicing arrangements.

A number of university departments would need to use the building, and so agreeing the Initial Project Brief with them, as well as the next steps in the project, was the most important and complex element of this stage. To do this, the architect arranged Briefing workshops with the key parties involved, and secured a good level of support for the proposals once the teaching staff, in particular, understood the type of spaces that would be created and how they could use them.

Towards the end of this stage, the university estates department coordinated and appointed all of the different consultants to supplement the team comprising the architect and engineer, who had been advising during Stage 1. The estates team produced the Project Roles Table and the Contractual Tree, and reviewed the Project Programme. Each consultant was given a Schedule of Services to work to, and understood each other’s roles.

D New central library for a small unitary authority

The council client appointed a specialist team from one of its consultant frameworks to review and detail its requirements for the new central library. This included Feasibility Studies on the identified site in order to consider the potential size and capacity of the building, baseline surveys and the compilation of other background information. Specific work streams included considering the results of a district-wide consultation on library and communication services, and the use of technology. There was also a review of other recently developed libraries and related facilities across the UK and abroad, to look at recent innovations. This review collected up-to-date data on the services that people access and that assist those excluded from other means of accessing online data and other information.

This stage also included a thorough review of how the council’s library department works at present, and advice on streamlining the system through the use of new technology to reduce running costs. This work involved specialist advisors and technology consultants looking at how this should be accommodated into the proposals.

This work was pulled together by the lead consultant to form the Initial Project Brief. This document included references to the site options appraisal undertaken at Stage 0, and Feasibility Studies on the selected site by architects and engineers from the consultant framework.

The existing libraries team within the authority, and local councillors, were consulted on the brief through a series of workshops that explored what currently worked well and what would improve existing arrangements. Because of the sensitive nature of the changes to the library programme, the council’s communications team started a wider consultation process with residents, explaining how the libraries service was going to be changing.

The council appointed a project manager to advise on team appointments from Stage 2 onwards, who put together the Project Execution Plan, Contractual Tree and Project Roles Table in specific response to the client’s objectives for a high-quality design-led solution that would inspire visitors and be flexible in use.

Because of the specialist nature of this work, the authority decided that rather than use its existing frameworks to appoint the design team, they would use the Initial Project Brief as the basis for a full OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union) procedure for the appointment of the project team as a series of separate appointments.

E New headquarters office for high-tech internet-based company

A highly regarded architect was appointed to work with the client’s in-house creative team to develop the Initial Project Brief collaboratively and interactively. A key task was to undertake an ongoing Risk Assessment alongside their client design advisor role during this stage, in order to ensure that the creative, but not technically experienced, client team had a good understanding of how the developing Initial Project Brief would mitigate key areas of risk in the tight delivery programme.

The client team wanted the project to be highly sustainable and to deliver on an impressive renewables target. The building needed to be extremely flexible to cope with the changing nature of the company and its expectation for growth over the next 5–10 years. The sustainability aspect of the brief became a separate work stream, and prompted the appointment of a specialist team to look at emerging technologies.

Pre-application discussions took place with the local planning department, in order to understand their issues and concerns about the redevelopment of the brownfield site. They were concerned about contamination, the potential scale of the development proposed and the highly innovative aspirations of the client in relation to the site on the edge of a Conservation Area. The key output was the Initial Project Brief, which brought all of these work streams together and provided clear advice for the non-construction-related client team. Stage-specific issues and ‘learning’ included steering a non-professional team, who struggled to remain focused on the tight Project Programme and dynamic brief requirements.

..................Content has been hidden....................

You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.
Reset
3.149.247.159