Introduction

Facilities managers are regularly tasked with the delivery of significant projects for their organisations. These may range from the commissioning of new works, relocating staff to new accommodation, implementing new working methods or introducing environmental / sustainability programmes. To be successful the FM team needs to apply a structured approach appropriate to the scale of the task. This seminar sets out to demystify the project management process and equip the team with the basic tools to control and deliver projects in line with expectations.

Participants will be shown how to define a brief, assign responsibilities, produce a time plan, communicate and measure progress, troubleshoot, control documents and engender support. The expert trainer will take delegates through a typical facilities project and illustrate the application of a simple methodology. The course is presented by a leading FM consultant / trainer, to help ensure its total relevance to an FM audience.

Objectives

This course sets out a straightforward approach to managing facilities projects in line with objectives, budgets and customer expectations which will help participants to:

• Appreciate the need for formal project management
• Understand the different elements of a project strategy
• Assign responsibilities effectively
• Develop and monitor a project plan
• Know what to report and to whom
• Ensure they involve all the key players
• Deliver to time and budget
• Achieve an effective hand-over
• Gain confidence in management of projects and dealing with people and problems

Course Outline

Getting started

• How to define a project
• Drafting a concept paper
• Drafting a business case
• Interpreting the brief
• Authorities / ownership
• Budget / resources
• Constraints
• Terms of reference

Project strategy

• Why a strategy?
• Components
• Organisation and control
• Planning – critical dates
• Risk evaluation
• Business imperatives
• Technical and quality standards
• Change control

Forming the project team

• Defining disciplines and skills
• Selection of team members
• Allocation of roles and responsibilities
• Availability and commitment
• Objectives and deliverables

Project plan

• List activities
• Draft plan to timeframe
• List key dates
• Identify dependencies
• Consult key players
• Plan approval and sign-off

Project document control

• Reason for controls
• Mechanisms of control
• Types of document
• Updating and reviews
• Audit

In-project management

• Direction
• Communication and people skills
• Reporting
• Measurement against deliverables
• Cost control
• Quality
• Identifying, managing and avoiding problems
• Keeping focused

Post-project

• Objectives met?
• Budget sign-off
• Customer appraisal
• Project review document
• Team reassigned
• Transfer of responsibilities