CVS 466: CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT II

Chapter 7: Project Administration & Documentation

L. O. Muku

Department of Civil & Structural Engineering

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7.1 Introduction
Key aspects of Project administration and documentation:
1. Line of authority and communication among owner, consultant and contractor.
2. Project meetings, client-consultant and site meetings.
3. Progress documentation and reports.
4. Site diary/log/Site journal.
5. Records and drawings.
6. Records of change orders, claims and delays, and plant.
7. Resource planning, coordination and control.

1) Line of Authority on Construction Projects

o Construction projects involve organizations (not individuals).
o Organizational decision making is ponderous. Yet decisions and approvals are required on a
daily basis during the performance of a construction contract.

o Agency relationship: owner or architect/engineer, designates another party such as the

Architect (A), Resident Engineer (RE), Clerk-of-Works (COW) or called site inspector, to
act on their behalf.
o Owner or architect/engineer is bound by the acts and omissions of its A/RE/COW.
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Traditional Contracting

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Site Agent & Assistants
The Contractor shall constantly keep upon the Works a suitably qualified and experienced
Person who shall be deemed to be the Site Agent of the Contractor for the purposes of the
Contract, together with such senior assistants and supervisory staff in each trade as may be
necessary as set out in the Contract Documents or as amended from time to time after prior
approval of the Architect.

Instructions to Site Agent

o The Contractor shall ensure that the Site Agent and such senior assistants as aforesaid are
persons who are capable of receiving verbal and written instructions in English or
Kiswahili.
o Any directions or instructions given to such Site Agent and/or his assistants by the Architect
or site staff shall be deemed to have been given to the Contractor..

Exclusion of Persons Employed on the Works

o The appointment of the Site Agent and his removal shall be at the reasonable discretion of
the Architect / Engineer.
o The Architect / Engineer may also, but not unreasonably or vexatiously issue instructions
requiring the dismissal from the Works of any Person employed thereon..
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Site Staff
Duty of Site Staff
o The Employer shall be entitled to appoint an Architect, Resident Engineer, Clerks of Works
and such other site staff as necessary from time to time whose duties shall be to act as
inspectors on behalf of the Employer.
o The site staff so appointed shall be under the direction of the Architect/Engineer. The
Contractor shall accord them every reasonable facilities for the performance of their duties.

Directions Given by Site Staff

o Any directions given to the contractor, or their Site Agent regarding the Works by the Site
Staff shall be of no effect unless given in regard to a matter in respect of which the Architect
/Engineer is expressly empowered by the Conditions to issue instructions and unless
confirmed in writing by the Architect /Engineer within three (3) working days of such
direction being given.

o If any such directions are so given and confirmed in writing by the Architect /Engineer
then as from the date of issue of that confirmation it shall be deemed to be an
Architect’s/Engineer’s instruction.
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Line of Authority on Construction Projects
Agency relationship
– Actual authority: express grant of actual authority
– Apparent authority: allows another party to operate with the appearance of
authority to act on behalf.
– Delegation of authority: to delegate authority to others
– Limited authority: limitations on the scope of the agent’s authority.

Types of Meetings in Construction

o Project conceptual design meetings (in-house).
o Project presentation meetings (to potential client).
o Project “kickoff ” meetings (in-house project team).
o Project manager’s organization or coordination meeting.
o Project budget meetings for production.
o Project design meetings (technical coordination).
o Project constructability meetings (design/construction interface).
o Planning and scheduling meetings for project workload.
o Pre-negotiation meetings (in-house preparation).

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Types of Meetings with the Contractor
o Pre-bid conference.
o Pre-construction conference.
o Requests for substitutions of materials or products.
o Change orders and extra work.
o Corrections required.
o Scheduling changes.
o Mediation of construction difficulties.
o Protests and dispute.
o Difficulties caused by conflicts in drawings & specs.
o Project acceptance and transfer of responsibility.
o Post project review meeting.

Steering group/team
 To consider project brief, design concepts, capital budget and schedules.
 To approve changes to project brief.
 To review project strategies and overall progress towards achieving client’s goals.
 To approve appointments of consultants and contractors.

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Project team
o To agree cost plan and report on actual expenditure against agreed plan.
o To review tender lists and tenders received and decide on awarding work.
o To report on progress on design and construction schedules.
o To review and make recommendations for proposed changes to design and costs,
including client changes.
o To approve relevant modifications to project programmes.
o To provide effective communication between teams responsible for the various phases of
the project.
o To monitor progress and report on developments, proposed changes and schedule
implications.
o To review progress against schedules for each stage/section of the project/works and
identify any problems
o To review procurement status
o To review status of information for construction and contractors’ /subcontractors’
requests for information.

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Design team
o To review, report and implement all matters related to design and cost.
o To determine/review client decisions
o To prepare information/ report/ advice to project team on:
– Appointment of sub/specialist contractors
– Proposed design and/or cost changes
o To review receipt, co-ordination and processing of subcontractors’ design information.
o To ensure overall co-ordination of design and design information.

Finance group/ team

o To review, monitor and report financial, contractual and procurement aspects to
appropriate parties.
o To prepare a project cost plan for approval by the client.
o To prepare and review regular cost reports and cash flows, including forecasts of
additional expenditure.
o To review taxation matters.
o To monitor the preparation and issue of all tender and contract documentation.
o To review cost implications of proposed client and design team changes.
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Site Meetings
Main/General contractor’s report
o Quality control
o Progress of the works
o Welfare (health, safety, canteen, industrial relations)
o Subcontractors
o Design and procurement
o Information required from Engineer/client
o Site security
o Drawing registers
Reports/reviews from:
o Architect / Engineer
o Building services
o Facilities management
o Information technology
o Quantity surveyor
Statutory undertakings and utilities
o Telephones
o Water
o Electricity
o Drainage 21-Feb-24
Site Meeting..
Approvals and consents:
o Planning
o Building regulations
o Local authority engineer
o Public health department etc.

Information:
o Issued by design team
o Required from design team
o Required from contractor

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Procedure for meetings
o Agenda – issued in advance stating action/submissions required.
o Minutes and circulation list (time limits involved).
o Written confirmation and acknowledgement of instruction given at meetings (time limit
involved).
o Reports/materials tabled at meetings to be sent in advance to the chair.

Handling yourself at a meeting

o Determine who called the meeting.

o Find out the reason for the meeting.

o Understand the background of the subject.

o Establish your own position on the subject.

o Determine your goals or objectives before the meeting.

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Contract Documents
o Drawings
o Specifications
o Bills of Quantities (Contract Bills)/Schedule of rates)
o Agreement
o Conditions of Contract.

Documentation
Certificates
o Interim certificate
o Certificate of practical completion
o Certificate of making good defects
o Final certificate

Others
o Certificate of Non-completion
o Architects / Engineers Instructions
o Variation Orders

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Drawings
o Survey plan
o Site plan, layout and drawing
o General arrangement
– for services
– foundation
– floor plans
– roof plan
o Elevations
o Sections
o Ceiling plans
o Construction details
o Large scale details

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Schedules
o Window schedule
o Door schedule
o Finishes schedule
o Manhole schedule

Drawings and schedule for records

o Documents upon which the specification or bills of quantities are based – a full set of
completed drawings and schedule.
o Contract drawings and schedules – those to which the contract documents refer, and
which are marked accordingly
o ‘as built’ drawings

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Construction Site Office Files
o Correspondence
o Working/construction/Job drawings
o Shop/fabrication drawing submittals
o Requisitions
o Reports
o Samples
o Operating tests
o Deviation request/change order.

Construction Records
o Progress of the work
o Telephone calls
o Testing of materials
o Diary
o Log of submittals

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Daily Construction Reports
o Project name and job number
o Client’s name (name of project owner)
o Contractor’s name
o Name of Project Manager for the design organization
o Report number and date of report (use consecutive numbering).
o Day of the week
o Weather conditions (wind, humidity, temperature, sun, clouds, etc.)
o Average field force, both supervisory and non-supervisory
– Name of each contractor or subcontractor on the job that day
– No. of manual workers (skilled and general labour) at the site
– No. of non-manual workers (superintendents and foremen) at the site.
o Visitors at the site: include names, employers, and time in and out.
o List identity, size, and type of all major pieces of construction equipment at the site each
day. Indicate if idle, and reason, if applicable.
o Log all work commenced; status of all work in progress; and all new work started. Identify
location of the work as well as its description, and which contractor or subcontractor is
performing it.
o Sign the daily report with your full name, title, and date.
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Format of Construction Diary /log/Site journal
o Use only a hardcover, stitched-binding field book.

o Pages should be consecutively numbered in ink, and no numbers should be skipped.

o No erasures should be made. In case of error, simply cross out the incorrect information
and enter the correct data next to it.

o No pages should be torn out of the book at any time.

o Every day should be reported, and every calendar date should be accounted for.

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 Content of Construction Diary/log/Site journal
o Record telephone calls made or received, and substantial outline of the nature of such
calls, including any statements or commitments made during the call.

o Record of any work or material in place that does not correspond with the drawings or
specifications, as well as the action taken.

o List any other problems or abnormal occurrences that arose during each day, including
notations of any particular lack of activity on the part of the contractor. Note corrective
actions taken.
o Record time and the nature of the contractor’s representative to whom field orders are
delivered, and the nature of the contents of the field order.
o Note unforeseen conditions observed by the inspector that may cause a slowdown by the
contractor.
o Where extra work is performed because of an unforeseen underground obstruction, make
a record of all personnel and equipment at the site and how they are occupied. (the
number and craft of each person idled, idle equipment etc. )

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Content of Construction Diary /log/Site journal..
o Record the content of all substantive conversations held with the contractor at the site
and any trade-offs, deals, or commitments made by either party.

o Record all field errors made by any party at the site. Identify in detail and indicate
probable effect.

o Show name of the job at the head of every page.

o Sign every diary entry and indicate your title immediately under the last line of entry
on each day’s report.

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Objectives of Construction documents
o Communication of Information
o Evidence of conformity
o Knowledge sharing

Documents may be in any form or type of medium

o Paper
o Magnetic
o Electronic or Optical Compact Disc
o Photograph
o Master sample

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Extent of documentation differ from one organization to another
due to…
o The size of organization and type of activities;
o The complexity of processes and their interactions, and
o The competence of personnel.

“Documented procedures” Activities

o Control of documents
o Control of records
o Internal audit
o Control of nonconforming product
o Corrective action
o Preventive action

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Documents
o Process map, process flow charts and/or process descriptions.
o Organization charts.
o Specifications.
o Work and/or test instructions.
o Documents containing internal communications.
o Production schedules.
o Approved suppler lists.
o Test and inspection plans.
o Quality plan.

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Control of documents
o To approve documents for adequacy prior to issue.
o To review and update as necessary and reapprove documents.

o To ensure that
– changes and the current revision status of documents are identified.
– the relevant versions of applicable documents are
available at points of use.
– documents remain legible and readily identifiable
– documents of external origins are identified, and their distribution controlled.

o To prevent the unintended use of obsolete documents, and to apply suitable

identification to them if they are retained for any purpose.
o Records shall be established and maintained to provide evidence of conformity to
requirements and of the effective operation of the quality management system.
o Record shall remain legible, readily identifiable and retrievable. A documented
procedure shall be established to define the controls needed for the identification,
storage, protection, retrieval, retention time and disposition of records.

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