Now you’ve a better idea on the process of appointing professionals to support any construction work, you’re ready to move onto the next section, which outlines how to effectively manage your asset.
Appointing and managing professionals
It’s likely that, unless you have a vast range of skills and experiences within your project team, your organisation will need to appoint and mange professionals to support the development of the asset.
It can be a good idea to set up a working group made up of the different professionals that you’ll appoint throughout the building process.
This can allow for in-depth consideration of all aspects of design and development at an early stage and can support timely decision-making if changes need to be made.
When appointing professionals, always start with a clear ‘brief’ that outlines what you’re looking to develop and why, and how much budget you have.
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Involving an architect
You may have already engaged an architect as part of your planning permission process (see section 4A), but if you haven’t and are progressing with any construction works, appointing an architect is advisable.
Read moreA good architect will see the constraints of a project and offer solutions to create an inspiring and useful asset.
When appointing an architect, don’t be afraid to ‘shop around’ until you find the right individual or company, with specific experience of working on similar facilities to those that you want to develop.
When searching for an architect, for budgeting purposes allocate a fixed cost for the whole process and set a clear brief. An architect’s brief should cover:
- the nature of the project and the demand and need for it
- what the project aims to achieve
- outline design ideas and feedback from community engagement
- detailed breakdown of what is required as part of the asset
- the title deeds, where available
- any known site constraints and reviews and designs of the asset that you’ve acquired in the earlier stages.
Once you have received responses to your brief, make sure that you assess what each architect is proposing, to make sure it meets your needs and is within your budget.
Once you’ve identified a preferred option, confirm your decisions in writing so that in the case of any dispute, this gives written evidence of your instructions.
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Involving surveyors
A surveyor will conduct a site survey which can highlight any structural problems and issues such as dry rot and woodworm, with existing assets which might result in unforeseen expenses in the future.
Read moreWhile a surveyor will highlight problems with the asset as far as they can, further issues may be identified later in the construction works, so it’s wise to include a contingency sum in your budget to cover additional costs.
There are also other specialist surveyors who you may be required to appoint throughout your project. These include:
- Quantity surveyor. Will prepare budget costs estimates for any development work. Once these costs have been established, you may need to review your initial business plan and the finances you’ve allocated to the project, as these more detailed costs may impact on the overall affordability or delivery of your project.
- Land surveyor. Will prepare plans of site.
- Valuation surveyor. Will provide independent advice on the value of an asset.
To help you find an appropriate surveyor, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors provides a list of their members that provide the required services.
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Health and safety and involving a Principal Designer
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations are intended to ensure that health and safety issues are properly considered during the development of an asset.
Read moreThis helps to minimise the risk of harm to those who use, build, and maintain structures.
These regulations state that the Principal Designer has responsibility for managing and co-ordinating health and safety during the design phase.
It’s important to remember that the appointment of a Principal Designer is a legal obligation and it’s your responsibility to ensure that someone has taken on this role.
More information about the role can be found through the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
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Appointing contractors
When appointing contractors to carry out the development works, you’ll need to prepare a tender package, which is a formal process by which you invite a number of contractors to bid to complete the work.
Read moreThis is designed to ensure a fair, transparent and competitive selection process. Your tender package should include full detailed designs and a written specification plus an itemisation of all works and any health and safety requirements.
Most external funders will require a competitive tender process, and it is good practice to invite at least three contractors to tender for the work.
Ideally contractors should be chosen who have worked on similar projects and with similar organisations in the past and can complete the work within the specified timetable.
Some national governing bodies and funding bodies will have specific contractors who they’ll recommend based on their experience and quality.
Some funders also may want to be involved in the tender process, and most will want to receive the tender report, which is usually prepared by the quantity surveyor and details all the returned tenders with a recommendation on whether to proceed with a contractor.
Once all tenders have been received and a preferred option has been selected, the quantity surveyor and architect will negotiate the cost of the works with the selected contractor.
When costs have been agreed, planning permission is in place and building control approval has been received, the architect and quantity surveyor can issue the contract documentation to the chosen contractor.
Throughout the build phase it’s important that you and your appointed professionals regularly check on progress. You may be required to work through and respond to any issues or challenges together, so keeping in constant contact is vital.
Once construction is complete, the handover stage is important as it will now be your organisation’s responsibility to manage and maintain the asset.
Any handover should include a specific defect period following project completion to allow for problems and issues to be sorted without any additional charges.
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