The right people for the right job is a good motto for any task or situation, but it?EUR??,,????'???s always easier said than done. This is especially true of Landscape Architects and the performing of client services related to contract administration, construction observation or construction coordination?EUR??,,????'??+whatever a contract calls for. ?EUR??,,????'??Registered?EUR??,,????'?? Landscape Architects (those having passed the UNE exam at the national level and the associated state sections) theoretically are authorized to perform services for their clients, such as preparing and reviewing bid documents, preparing construction contracts, analyzing field and change orders, reviewing pay requests and work completed, and recommending final payments to contractors based on these field observations. Experience has proven that these tests of ?EUR??,,????'??minimum competency?EUR??,,????'?? do not end the educational requirements necessary to become a qualified Contract Administrator.

Within the current educational curricula of most universities, Landscape Architectural students are lucky to have received two complete semesters of landscape construction and technologies and one semester of professional practice. Topics such as contracts, change orders and specifications are usually covered in one or two lectures, but rarely followed up by implementation with a project in the landscape construction studio. Due to this inability of the universities to provide this instruction, the burden of continuing education, especially as it applies to field operations, has been passed on to professional offices for completion. Accepting this fact, the profession must face up to reality and begin developing in-house systems for training and continuing education.

Most Colleges Do Not Train LAs for Contract Administration

There appear to be several opinions on how this training should be accomplished. Smaller offices often must provide experience to younger staff through direct participation?EUR??,,????'??+with or without guidance?EUR??,,????'??+in all facets of a project, from conceptual design through completion of construction. Medium sized offices with the proper resources can have a central mentor with many years of experience teach and help develop younger staff members in the practice of Contract Administration. Several larger offices have a staff of specialists in field operations whose main responsibilities are overseeing bidding and construction activities within the office.

At The SWA Group, we are attempting a variety of things in the hopes that they will benefit more people, increase the staff?EUR??,,????'???s experience level, and allow research and development to occur in the areas of new materials and techniques. Even with the system, however, we still find that certain people are not the ?EUR??,,????'??right?EUR??,,????'?? people for the job.

The Training Process

The process we have developed is as follows: construction coordinators are assigned to each new job that enters the office. Their key role is to facilitate the design and production of the project by utilizing their technical knowledge and management skills, as well as to train and educate the team captains of each project in the necessary skills of quality control and client and construction conflict resolution. The team captains take the lead role during all phases of the project, thereby maintaining the client?EUR??,,????'???s contact with a single individual as much as possible. The construction coordinators are available to participate in meetings, design reviews, and consultant coordination as needed.

The construction coordinator also becomes a prime resource for cost estimation, materials research and specifications information. The team captain?EUR??,,????'???s role does begin to diminish, however, as the project enters final construction documentation. At this point, the construction coordinator?EUR??,,????'???s efforts increase. This still allows for continuing education of the younger staff while efficiently utilizing the knowledge of the coordinator to the fullest as it becomes critical to the completion of the project.

Information Exchange and Continued Communication Are Key Ingredients to the Successful Implementation of Any Design.

n the best of all worlds, the team captain would continue to lead the construction phase of the project, but these individuals are more often than not also involved in other projects simultaneously. By diminishing their involvement on a day-to-day basis during construction, they are able to begin new projects. The construction coordinator still must rely on the knowledge of the team captain, however, as it relates to design decisions and discussions that occurred during the design process, in order to make and justify decisions in the field. Information exchange and continued communication are key ingredients to the successful implementation of any design.

The ability to utilize qualified field coordinators during the project assures the client and the design office of quality control. No professional office should allow documents to go to a client or contractor that have not been reviewed by someone responsible to the design office for the completeness and accuracy of the information. The involvement of a technical representative during the design phase provides familiarity with the scope of work and degree of difficulty involved with a particular project. The coordinator can aid in the resolution of consultant responsibilities, as well as coordination and compliance with local regulations and codes.

Finding people to perform these tasks is difficult. Although most professionals desire to be in the field and see things being built, regretfully they do not always enjoy the conflicts and responsibilities of the job, nor do they have the desire to do it every day. Construction administration is a specialized science that requires individuals to have a wealth of practical experience, a sense of fair play, a firm commitment to the finished quality of the job, an understanding of the design intent, knowledge of the technical specifications and construction documents (yours as well as the other team members), and an ability to quickly analyze the situation and make judgments and decisions on the spot. He or she must also be familiar with the means and methods of construction and local codes and regulations.

The Ability to Utilize Qualified Fied Coordinators During the Project Assures the Client and the Design Office of Quality Control

The project manager or team captain of a project is often the best candidate for construction administrator and the clients appreciate the continued involvement of the project manager during this phase. The drawback is that this involvement prevents the project manager or team captain from participating in other projects because the construction periods of some projects often last years. Individual project schedules must be evaluated well in advance of the construction period to allow the client to become familiar with the ?EUR??,,????'??new face?EUR??,,????'?? of the construction coordinator prior to the team captain disappearing. Involvement by the coordinator during the design phase and participation in client meetings becomes imperative if this transition is to be effective.

Finally, the contract administrator selected for a particular project, whether specialist or trainee, must be effective in representing the firm in a manner beneficial to the project. The contract administrator is often the last representative of the design firm in contact with the client, contractors and review agencies and, therefore, becomes either a hindrance or benefit to the firm. That last impression may affect the ability of the firm to follow through effectively in the eyes of other team members and impact future work.

Bruce Hazzard is an active member in the ASLA and CSI and is currently a construction coordinator with The SWA Group in Laguna Beach, California. He has taught Landscape Construction at two universities and lectured on Construction Techniques and Specification Writing for Landscape Architects. He also will speak on contract administration at the Landscape Development Expo at the Irvine Hilton, Irvine, CA, August 25-26.