CMAdvisor
Advancing Professional Construction and Program Management Worldwide
Professional CM: A Matter of Degrees…and Credentials
2011 Project Achievement Award Winners
12th Annual CMAA/FMI Owners Survey
November/December 2011
Volume XXX, No. 6
Contents
6
November/December 2011
Volume XXX, No. 6
Professional CM: A Matter of Degrees…
and Credentials
Just what kind of education does a CM need, and what kind of
professional credentials best reflect high competence in the
field? These questions launch a lively and evolving debate.
Introducing CMpat™
CMAA’s Practitioner Assessment Tool
For the first time, the transition to ongoing
operations ranks #1 among areas in which
owners seek significant contributions from
their CMs. That’s just one of the findings of
the 12th CMAA/FMI Owners Survey.
•Record and verify your experience for the CCM.
•Convey your qualifications to employers and clients.
•Plan your future professional development needs.
COLUMNS
5 Chairman’s Report
By Ron Price, CCM
31 President’s Report
By Bruce D’Agostino, CAE, FCMAA
This simple, powerful career management tool helps you gauge
where you are today, where you want to be, and how to get there.
DEPARTMENTS
CMpat is available to CMAA
members for just $75 annually.
18Professional Practice Corner
20 News
24 Foundation
See how CMpat works and start using it today!
25 Certification
Cover photo and above photos: Stephen F. and
Camilla T. Brauer Hall at Washington University
School of Engineering, St. Louis, MO, CMAA 2011
Project Achievement Award Winner. CM by Clayco.
26Roundup
CMAdvisor November/December
CMAdvisor November/December
Two significant new owner endorsements
of the CCM were highlights of the 2011
National Conference & Trade Show,
which drew more than 1,000 people.
Our report includes one pro’s
reading of “the crystal ball.”
IN THIS ISSUE OF NEWS:
Latest CMAA/FMI Owners Survey Results
CMAA’s new CMpat™—makes it easy to:
2
CMAA National Conference & Trade Show
3
10
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
A Strong Start
on a Great Year
Chairman of the Board
Ron Price, CCM, Parsons Brinckerhoff
President and Chief Executive Officer
Bruce D’Agostino, CAE, FCMAA
Editor
John McKeon
Contributing Writers
Stephanie Cifuentes
Martha Montague
expertise, proven performance,
Design
TGD Communications, Inc.
proven leadership. With a
commitment that goes above
and beyond expectations, MWH
CMAA is a construction industry
association of 8,000 firms
and professionals who provide
management services to owners
who are planning, designing and
constructing capital facilities
and infrastructure projects.
Constructors has received numerous
awards and commendations for
superior performance in project
delivery, sustainability, partnering
Our Mission is to Promote and
Enhance Leadership, Professionalism
and Excellence in Managing the
Development and Construction
of Projects and Programs.
and safety. Our track record
exemplifies our performance.
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The New Year will open with a powerful achievement
for CMAA, with the release of a new book, Becoming a
Construction Manager, from John Wiley & Sons.
Wiley, one of America’s more successful academic and
technical publishers, sought out CMAA as its partner
in creating this book. They went looking for the
organization that embodied Construction Management, and that meant CMAA.
It is hard to imagine a stronger affirmation of CMAA’s role in the industry.
How did we reach this position of respect and influence? I think the answer is one
of those concepts that is easy to say but hard to define…and even harder to practice.
Leadership.
The construction industry is complex, decentralized, and subject to forces that often
seem beyond anyone’s control. It has been that way since well before any of us was born.
Owners face this difficult environment with limited resources of time, money, and staff.
They are looking for someone to lead, to speak up and say, “There is a right way to do
things. You can have an excellent result.”
We back up that promise with professionalism, as reflected in our CM Standards of
Practice, in strong educational programs arising from the SOPs, and in a certification
program that reliably identifies the best in the business.
All of these activities, in turn, benefit greatly from the participation of owners in CMAA’s
programs, and in our governance.
CMAA’s By-Laws have been amended to allow us to increase the number of owners
on our Board. As many as half of our directors now can be owners. These are voices
we need to hear, and our Board is where these voices should be heard.
By the way, I am also happy to note we have just elected three women to the Board,
bringing the total number of female directors to six. That’s a big change in a relatively
short time, and I think it benefits us significantly.
In 2009, we redefined our annual spring gathering as an Owners Forum, adopting a
program that put owners front and center and encouraged as many owners as possible
to attend. In 2012, we will refine it further by adding one word to the name of the event.
The 2012 spring event will be an Owners Leadership Forum.
It is our commitment to leadership that has earned us the attention and respect of
our industry, both at home and abroad.
We have come a long way. We owe a lot to our legions of committed volunteers. I am
confident that by working together, and keeping our leadership mandate in mind, we
can have another sensational year.
CMAdvisor November/December
MWH Constructors…proven
STRATEGIC
By Ron Price, CCM, Parsons Brinckerhoff
5
CMAdvisor
Professional CM:
A Matter of Degrees…and Credentials
By John J. McKeon
Should a CM be a manager first, with
enough knowledge of construction specifics
to understand processes…or an engineer
first, augmenting technical expertise
with enough management savvy to guide
successful projects?
The question underlies a broad ongoing conversation in
the industry about just what kind of education a CM needs
and what kind of professional credentials best reflect high
competence in the field.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has tackled this question
and “learned that we need a balance of both construction
managers and engineers,” says Larry Smith, PE, CCM, of the
Corps’ Sacramento District. “Both bring unique skill sets to
our CM duties and responsibilities. Construction managers
bring unique skills related to the business side of construction,
while engineers bring unique skills related to design codes,
temporary structures, and technical compliance of contractor
plans to the contract requirements.”
Michael Holland, CPC, AIC, executive vice president of the
Accreditation Council for Construction Education (ACCE), notes
universities are contributing to this difficulty. They generally
require 120 semester hours for the bachelor’s degree, but
“that’s capped at the top, and the universities continue
to require general ed courses and the like, all of which are
important but take away from the specialized courses that
separate engineering from other disciplines. They aren’t
giving us room to put enough content into the degree.”
USACE’s Larry Smith believes “college and university curricula
are under increasing pressure to graduate students in four
years. Today’s students will graduate with fewer hours of
classroom training than previous generations.”
The diversity in educational paths to CM is also reflected
in where a CM department is located within a university.
At Georgia Southern University, for instance, the CM program
will become part of the College of Business Administration
at the end of the current academic year. It’s part of a broader
reorganization that “created the opportunity for us to recognize
the synergies created by placing a CM program in the midst
of the departments that make up CoBA,” says Prof. Brian
Moore, program chief.
The Corps is one of a number of military and civilian agencies
urging the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to create a new
professional job series for CMs within the federal government.
That effort has required a thorough evaluation of the educational
requirements for CMs.
6
CMAdvisor November/December
• Construction Engineering Technology
• Construction Science
• Civil Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Architectural Engineering
• Architecture
Applicants can also cite additional professional experience to
augment a degree in some other field and qualify for the CCM.
But a number of influential groups, including the American
Society of Civil Engineers, have asserted in recent years that the
traditional four-year college or university degree is not enough
to qualify a professional engineer. Instead, they are advocating
a master’s degree following the bachelor’s or a combined
five-year BS/MS program.
“The Education of a CM” is the title
of a chapter in the forthcoming
book, Becoming a Construction
Manager, being published in
January by John Wiley & Sons.
The text includes interviews with
numerous academic authorities
and industry leaders focusing
on what it takes to be a CM
and what the job is like on a
day-to-day basis.
The book is designed to inform prospective
CMs, including university students, about
careers in CM. It includes a foreword by
CMAA President & CEO Bruce D’Agostino.
Click here for more information about
Becoming a Construction Manager.
CMAdvisor November/December
• Construction Management
More on the Road to
Professionalism…
7
The Construction Manager Certification Institute has gone
through a similar analysis several times over the years, in an
effort to be sure its CCM qualifications include appropriate
college level degrees. Currently, CCM applicants must have
a four-year college degree in one of these disciplines:
Prof. Hank Koffman, PE of the University of Southern California
believes today’s college and university curricula are 100
percent aligned with industry expectations, but only “maybe
50 percent” aligned with the CM Standards of Practice and
“maybe 15 percent” aligned with the content and examination
coverage of the CCM program.
Moore believes the level of alignment is high overall, but
also cites a significant diversity among programs and notes,
“universities often will adapt to the particular needs of the
markets they are closest to.”
“Often industry is looking for training rather than education,”
notes Holland. “That is, they are looking for people capable
of being BIM operators. That’s not what a college education
is all about. Even in community colleges that offer associates
degrees, they are not training people. There’s a clear distinction
between training and education.”
There’s also a critical role for continuing education and
professional credentials, both at home and abroad. “I am
hearing of increasing interest in Asia and Europe in the CCM
designation,” says Moore. “This interest I likely based on the
fact that owners in the U.S. have acknowledged the value
of CCM by requiring people on their projects to have this
certification. The ANSI accreditation further validates an
already very credible certification.”
CMAdvisor November/December
Thus, the CCM could indeed become an internationally
recognized credential.
8
Certified Construction Managers™ deliver
these values on every job, every day.
CMAA is the home of professional
Construction Management.
Learn more at www.cmaanet.org/enr.
ANSI—the American National Standards Institute—accredits
the CCM program as conforming to the requirements of the
International Organization for Standardization’s standard
ISO 17024. “This should mean to the industry that it meets a
very rigorous national and international standard,” says Roy
Swift, PhD, ANSI’s Senior Program Director, Personnel Certifier
Accreditation Program. “In addition, this accreditation can give
confidence to industry that the individuals who are awarded
this credential do have the knowledge and skills needed to
perform their work.”
Moreover, Swift says, ANSI is a member of the International
Accreditation Forum, along with more than 60 other national
accreditation bodies. IAF is working on an agreement that
would provide recognition for ANSI accreditations by all of
its members worldwide.
“Even in community colleges that offer
associates degrees, they are not training
people. There’s a clear distinction
between training and education.”
Professional Construction Management
based on CMAA’s Construction Management
Standards of Practice will improve your
project outcomes and build your business.
The best CM/PM education in the business.
In the meantime, attaining the certification vouches for another
key quality of CCMs. Moore points out that credentials like CCM
“come with the expectation that the professional will continue
to pursue new knowledge, that is, a professional will commit to
continuous learning.” Adds Virginia Tech’s de la Garza, “I believe
that the CCM will grow to become equivalent to the PE.”
CMAA is your partner for high value professional education
for every member of your team at every level.
John J. McKeon is vice president of CMAA. He can be reached at
jmckeon@cmaanet.org.
Deliver SOP-based training to your entire team for as little
as $35 per hour of expert instruction with flexible licensing
of our online SOP modules. Or select from a broad menu of
events, interactive webinars, and other programs.
For new hires, our Construction Manager In Training (CMIT)
program supports the transition into the workplace. At the
high end, the Certified Construction Manager (CCM®) credential
identifies the best in the business.
To learn more, visit www.cmaanet.org/pd-home.
CMAdvisor November/December
When it comes to matching education to industry needs,
opinions vary. “This is a subject that is very much at the top
of the agenda of CMAA’s Academic Council,” says Prof. Jesus
de la Garza, FCMAA, of Virginia Tech. “There is an enormous
amount of work that needs to be done to create this alignment.
Three key issues are: 1) how best to integrate the SoP into
the academic curriculum; 2) how best to actualize the CM
Capstone book; and 3) how to develop an institutional process
that efficiently fosters the CMIT certification.”
STANDARDS
CERTIFICATION
LEADERSHIP
One challenge can be differing expectations between academia
and industry as to just what knowledge and skills entry level
employees will bring to the job.
9
Among the advantages of this new affiliation? Moore notes,
“Very often CM programs are found in Colleges of Architecture or
Engineering. As a result, they may not have been given the level
of support that is provided to programs that are the main focus
of those colleges. CM is a young discipline and many universities
tend to have difficulty determining where it fits best.
CMAA NATIONAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Rising To The “Rising CM” Challenge
The Rising CM Conference held in conjunction with CMAA’s 2011
National Conference & Trade show drew nearly 150 participants.
Attendees heard from industry leaders as well as participated
in a rotating career fair where 15 companies were represented.
Darrell Fernandez, General Manager at Parsons gave the
attendees the following advice with regards to starting your
career off on the right foot, “When you start at your first
company, look for a mentor. They will be your guide, advocate
and the key to your success.” Fernandez said.
The rotating career fair proved to be a great success. The CMITs
and students had the opportunity to connect and network with
a variety of both service providers and owner companies.
“This was a tremendous, phenomenal conference. We overachieved on our plan,” said Tagir Nigamatzyanov, CMIT of Siegel
Construction. “As a CMIT, I get to network with a lot of people
that typically we are not around throughout the year, and get
to know what’s happening in the industry.”
10
CMAdvisor November/December
Kevin Donnelly, PE, deputy commissioner of the New York City
Department of Environmental Protection, announced at the Conference
that the Department intends to require that all construction managers
working on its $14 billion-plus capital construction program be CCMs.
“The core competencies that we are looking for in our construction
managers are consistent with those of the program for the Certified
Construction Manager,” Donnelly said. “We are raising the bar. Going
forward, we have established key personnel qualifications. We do and
will expect our construction managers in the future to be Certified
Construction Managers.
“Our resident engineers will continue to be PEs registered with the State
of New York, but with the high desirability that they also will have the
credential of the CCM.”
Donnelly also commented that “in order for us to be successful, we
recognize that we need to change our organization, both internally
and externally.” Among other critical cultural changes, he went on, the
agency will expect more leadership from CMs in such areas as safety,
quality management, risk management, and timely resolution of issues.
In addition to the agency’s in-house staff, Donnelly said, “we recognize
the significant role of Agency Construction Managers in our success.
We are actively recruiting high performing organizations.”
Earlier in the day, Stephen Mulva, PhD, associate director of the
Construction Industry Institute, relayed to CMAA attendees a new
statement by CII’s Board of Advisors.
“The CII BOA is supportive of endorsing the CMAA Certified Construction
Manager program,” the message said. “CII members are globally deployed.
Once they endorse the Certification Program, they will help CMAA go global.”
CMAA President Bruce D’Agostino welcomed the CII endorsement as a
major step by some of the world’s most active builders to recognize the
value of the CCM. “CII’s membership includes many of the largest and
most influential multinational corporations in such areas as energy,
chemicals, and pharmaceuticals,” D’Agostino said. “As CMAA’s relationship
with CII grows and expands, we are confident that more and more of
these sophisticated and demanding owners will see the tangible benefits
of working with Certified Construction Managers.”
2011 Persons of the Year: The CM/PM
Community of New York City
The entire team leading the
renaissance of lower Manhattan
on the site of the World Trade
Center was honored as “Persons
of the Year,” with top execs
of more than a dozen CMAA
member firms on hand.
Steven Plate, Director, WTC
Construction for the Port
Authority of New York and
New Jersey, accepted the
award on behalf of the group.
CMAdvisor November/December
The National Conference & Trade Show brought two major new
endorsements of the Certified Construction Manager program.
11
Major Owners Expand Support of CCM
TRENDS AND INNOVATIONS:
THE FUTURE OF OUR INDUSTRY
12
CMAdvisor November/December
By Lisa C. Sachs, AIA, CCM, LEED GA, Managing Principal, Cumming
Editor’s Note: Lisa Sachs attended the Tuesday session
“Looking into the Crystal Ball: Predicting Trends and
Innovations in the Construction Industry” featuring
speakers Chris Anzidei, Esq.; Bob Fraga, AIA, FCMAA,
MBP; Blake V. Peck, PE, CCM, FCMAA, MBP, and Chris
Brasco, Watt, Tieder, Hoffar & Fitzgerald.
She was inspired to write this report, in which she
combines key points from that session with “other
tidbits gleaned while attending the conferences,
and a little twist of my own.”
What does this mean for CMs?
Expertise will be required in technology to implement
BIM, which is here to stay, and other technologies
that will develop beyond BIM. CMs will become the
BIM or technology “gate keepers” to control project
costs and schedules as the project progresses through
its various phases.
Specialty skills: Life cycle analytics and
equipment expertise
• How design firms operate today will change. There
will be two types of design firms—the Black Cape
design-led firm and the production firm with ties
to off-site prefabrication manufacturers.
What does this mean for CMs?
There may be shrinking involvement of the CM in the
construction phase with more involvement in the
preconstruction and closeout phases or what I like to
refer to as the “wrap around” phase. The CM will help
the owner “right size” the paper and ribbon for the
“project package” and then help to wrap it and add
a bow on top ready for the grand opening. And then
of course once the ribbon is cut the CM will be best
positioned to understand how to recycle and improve
the next package to be delivered.
Specialty skills: BIM and technology
• Continuing demise of Design Bid Build.
New Positions: Asset Managers (AMs)
Construction Phase
There will be more opportunities to offer specialized
services in the development phase of projects, especially
in the areas of entitlement regulations and finance.
We will need new and better ways to collaborate and
integrate, facilitating cooperation with ever shrinking
budgets. As leaders, CMs are already well positioned
as the ones to clearly and understandably define
roles & responsibilities of all team participants to
ensure reliability and insurability and make folks
work together better.
• The role of designers and their influence will diminish
as fabricators working with newer technologies start
to drive the design solutions.
New Positions: Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for
the CM industry
• Contractor quality control will increase since selection
will be based on best value and performance.
This could mean more collaboration with legal firms
and/or adding lawyers to the Team to facilitate risk
sharing, ownership of design and surety obligations
to avoid “MOAD”—the Mother of All Disputes.
Procurement and Closeout Phases
What does this mean for CMs?
CMs will be the ones to optimize maintenance services
over the life of the asset by integrating BIM with
Facilities Data Bases. With CMs as modelers they can
ensure there are “hooks” to link facility work orders
to the asset as an ongoing responsibility. As data is
compiled during the project and validated at the end
of a project, it is then reintegrated at the beginning as
a continuous living and breathing database ready to
be manipulated, managed and mined for information
throughout the life of the asset.
Specialty skills: Conceptual planning, budgeting
and BIM integration
• More resources will be required from owners to drive
projects due to higher regulations and restrictions,
and because there will be fewer dollars to implement
programs, more creative financing and delivery
options will become the norm.
• More specialized services will be required with nontraditional offerings encouraging collaboration with
more team participants who have a financial stake.
• Changing roles will not be unusual since he who
has the most expertise will be sought after for the
knowledge that will drive more small business
opportunities for individuals and/or new service
lines for larger companies.
What does this mean for CMs?
Specialty skills: Communications, legal, finance,
and entitlement expertise
New Positions: Collaboration Team Facilitator (CTF)
• Best Value may finally begin to trump Low Bid even
in the public sector when factoring value over the
life cycle of a building asset.
• BIM model shared during bid walks reduces fear.
• Improved visualization will ease decision making
at all levels expediting the process, reducing pricing
and minimizing changes during construction.
• Contracts will need to cover longer warranty periods
including deferred maintenance due to shortage in
operational budgets and lack of skilled labor and
expertise to operate technologically challenging
and complex building systems.
New Positions: Concept, construction and closeout
managers AKA CM³
Lisa Sachs is a principal of
Cumming and can be reached
at lsachs@ccorpusa.com.
CMAdvisor November/December
Planning/Development Phase
Design Phase
13
CMs are already a mixed group of specialists comprised
of lawyers, engineers, architects and contractors,
and in the future this group will expand even further
to include financers, entitlement and technology
specialists, facility managers and more. CMs will be
the “go to” experts in project delivery. Why? Because
globalization and technology are finally catching up
with our industry, impacting the way we plan, deliver
and maintain buildings, requiring more collaboration
than ever before and in dire need of skilled leadership.
PROJECT ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS 2011 WINNERS
Buildings, New Construction Project with
Constructed Value Less Than $10 Million
NGA – New Campus East Project
Lois S. Hornsby Middle School and J. Blaine Blayton
Elementary School Construction Program
White Tank Branch Library and Nature Center
CM: MBP
CM: Michael Baker Jr., Inc.
CM: MBP
Owner: Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools
Owner: Maricopa County Library District
Owner: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Customs
and Border Protection
www.mbpce.com/
www.mortenson.com/ and www.dwlarchitects.com/
www.mbakercorp.com/
Buildings, New Construction Project with
Constructed Value Less Than $100 Million
Buildings, New Construction Project with
Constructed Value Less Than $30 Million
Program/Program Phase Buildings
Buildings, Renovation/Modernization Project with
Constructed Value Greater Than $15 Million
Stephen F. Camilla T. Brauer Hall at Washington
University School of Engineering
Wind Technology Testing Center, Charlestown, MA
CM: Public Building Commission of Chicago
CM: Turner Construction Company
Owner: Chicago Public Schools
Owner: Washington University in St. Louis
Owner: Massachusetts Clean Energy Center/
Massachusetts Port Authority
www.pbcchicago.com/
www.claycorp.com/
www.turnerconstruction.com/
www.mbpce.com/
CMAdvisor November/December
United States Southwest Border Pedestrian &
Vehicular Fence
CM: Mortenson Construction/
DWL Archtiects + Planners, Inc.
Owner: National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
14
Program/ Program Phase Infrastructure
CM: Clayco, Inc.
Modern Schools Across Chicago, Phase One
Muhlenberg College – Seegers Union Building
Addition and Renovations
CM: Alvin H. Butz Inc./ Bruner/Cott & Associates, Inc.
Owner: Muhlenberg College
www.butz.com/ and www.brunercott.com/
CMAdvisor November/December
Buildings, New Construction Project with
Constructed Value Less Than $50 Million
15
Buildings, New Construction Project with
Constructed Value Greater Than $100 Million
Buildings, Renovation/Modernization Project
with Constructed Value Less Than $15 Million
Infrastructure Project with Constructed
Value Less Than $150 Million
Infrastructure Project with Constructed
Value Less Than $15 Million
Trails of Africa Birmingham Zoo Birmingham, Alabama
Rehabilitation of the West 96th Street Station
Broadway 7th Ave. Line IRT
Cal Park Tunnel Rehabilitation & Multi-Use
Pathway Project
CM: Urbahn Architects & HDR
CM: Jacobs Associates
CM: Overseas Buildings Operations with
B.L. Harbert International, LLC
Owner: MTA New York City Transit
Owner: County of Marin
Owner: United States Department of State
www.urbahn.com/ and www.hdrinc.com/
www.jacobssf.com/
www.state.gov/obo/ and www.bharbert.com/
16
CMAdvisor November/December
www.hoarpm.com/
Infrastructure Project with Constructed
Value Greater Than $150 Million
Infrastructure Project with Constructed
Value Less Than $50 Million
US Hwy 82 Mississippi River Bridge
Pump Station Upgrade Navajo Generating Station
CM: HNTB Corporation
CM: Hatch Mott MacDonald
Owner: Mississippi Department of Transportation
Owner: Salt River Project
www.hntb.com/
www.hatchmott.com/
Gregory Nadeau, deputy administration, Federal Highway
Administration, addresses a plenary session of the 2011
CMAA National Conference. More than 1,000 people turned
out for the event, which included 40 breakout education
sessions in addition to plenary sessions, a sold-out exhibit
hall, and the annual Industry Recognition Banquet.
CMAdvisor November/December
Owner: Birmingham Zoo, Inc.
United States Department of State New Embassy
Compound Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
17
CM: Hoar Program Management
International Project/Program/Program Phase
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE CORNER
Nothing is more detrimental to our reputations as
Construction Managers than a project over budget.
The skills to manage projects are precisely the
reason our clients depend on our expertise and,
when we cannot deliver reasonably, it can reflect
poorly upon our companies and our industry.
18
CMAdvisor November/December
Team turmoil, lack of cohesion, and claims are just a
few of the results that come out of such situations
and, when hard feelings are factored in, lend heavily
to the negative relationships that can arise among
CMs, design professionals, and owners. The sad part
for the owner is the realization that once this level
of ill will has been reached, it is often too late. They
discover that something went terribly wrong from the
beginning and likely could have been prevented. This
doesn’t have to be the case and competent CMs know
how to address the confusion that can lead to these
situations, as well as how to organize the team and
guide projects to successful outcomes.
Achieving successful project outcomes mandates
that we set appropriate budgets from the outset
as well as identifying and addressing issues that
negatively affect our projects. Project budgets
are developed utilizing many parameters and
clients utilize the information for fiscal and public
accountability. To provide reliable budgets, guides
and protocols developed long ago guide our
industry and, for 90 percent of all efforts, there
is no issue with this approach.
The issue arises when the paradigm doesn’t fit
available categorization. In fact, many buildings
erected based on this paradigm more than 40
years ago now illustrate the problem with this
thinking. Inherently, modifying or changing existing
facilities and infrastructure does not fit easily into
any category as diverse building systems working
together require different efforts to be modernized.
The ability to accurately categorize projects and
identify budgets that make sense is one of the
most valuable skills CMs possess.
Projects that don’t fit cost estimating paradigms, for
the right reasons, should be openly discussed during
the planning stages, not during construction. This is
one of my favorite topics, specifically because of the
havoc these projects can incite as well as the ability
of CMs to manage them appropriately and efficiently
for clients. In particular, projects involving retrofitting
existing infrastructure, equipment installations in
existing central plants (or mechanical yards), and
projects with direct buried piping and associated
equipment are typical examples of efforts that have
a tendency to escalate beyond ‘typical or average’
construction costs. They often require elevated levels
of attention to detail and coordination to implement
necessary modernizations or upgrades.
Why are existing facilities an important example?
First, a large amount of existing infrastructure and
utility buildings are the current focus of clients.
As they were built 50 years ago, they require
immediate attention. Secondly, and very important:
Not every issue in construction can be resolved
using due diligence. Budgets, project scope, and
project teams are often assembled using the
averages or our best information at the time. We
utilize RS Means/Cost Works, McGraw-Hill, and
our local contemporaries, doing our best to ensure
our construction budgets and plans are achievable.
For 90 percent of our projects, there is hardly any
reason to change our protocols.
It is important to note that strict requirements
for project budgeting may contribute to the
development of inherent issues built into the
budgets and categorizations. Clients who must
secure appropriate financing or funding may have
legal parameters already outlined that mandate
certain actions and checks/balances. For those
projects dependent on public funding, any program
manager will tell you that adjustments within the
budget are difficult once the budgets are finalized.
What happens when an inherent flaw is discovered?
Here is a typical example to help clarify the point: let’s quickly
review the general installation of a 300-ton chiller and a 150-ton
chiller. Each project requires the same amount of equipment and
materials including anchorage, piping, valves, thermometers,
etc. The units have roughly the same lead time and delivery
expectations to the site. What is the big difference for the two
beyond performance/load? The 150-ton chiller is one-third
of the cost. In order to design or install each of the units, the
engineer or contractor, respectively, must provide the same level
of effort to install piping and associated components. For one
project, however, their fee will be substantially higher despite
still representing 10 percent of the construction cost for each.
The design effort, cost estimating, scheduling, construction
admin, and commissioning efforts are essentially identical for
each. This example is not meant to indicate or suggest a flat
rate, and professionals should be able to adhere to contractual
obligations. However, when possible, the differences should
be noted and reviewed as part of overall effort to program
the project, setting realistic budget expectations and building
trust and confidence in the project team.
“No matter what the industry averages may suggest,
we have to use our best judgment and experiences to
determine what the best delivery system and team
dynamics will be to deliver the best, most efficient
project for the client.”
Similarly to the chiller example, it is important to note that
many retrofit and modernization projects often encounter
unforeseen site conditions, requiring increased attention
from the designer. Field Engineering is often an overlooked
commodity in the effort, causing many arguments and
disagreements concerning compensation. For underground
(direct buried) piping retrofits, it’s not unlikely or uncommon
to encounter utilities that are unidentified. CMs work with
clients to commission accurate utility surveys but, inevitably,
things can be missed. After a designer has taken the time to
layout the replacement piping, should their fee also cover
any modifications required when encountering unforeseen
utilities? CMs are adept at utilizing allowances and other
creative solutions to address unforeseen site conditions
and other related issues in addition to providing for site
specific requirements ranging from noise mitigation to
public awareness/safety.
It is wise for owners to invest the necessary time to investigate
such projects and learn their “personalities.” Will they fit within
the conventional 8–10 percent design fee rule of thumb? Is
there an economy of scale to consider for the type of work
being performed? Are there advantages to providing fee
structures that serve as a foundation only until the project
parameters and scope can be dialed in? CMs excel at all of these
considerations, providing demonstrated value to assist the
owner in mitigating any potential issues or adverse situations.
In Construction Management, companies face the challenges
of developing and completing projects within a feasible budget.
When the issues discussed herein occur in a project, it is
imperative to clearly identify the issue, establish a reasonable
budget, set reasonable project performance expectations with
the clients, and ensure that the design professionals are able to
perform adequately without any undue or unjust expectations.
The bad news is that not all infrastructure projects can be done
at 8–10 percent design fees. In parallel, the CM effort required
to coordinate and manage these projects requires an elevated
presence as well. No matter what the industry averages may
suggest, we have to use our best judgment and experiences to
determine what the best delivery system and team dynamics
will be to deliver the best, most efficient project for the client.
We should identify the unique aspects of projects and provide
the necessary flexibility and adjustments to the budget and
team member performance expectations to ensure a successful
and predictable project. When we do, we only help increase the
visibility and reliability of our profession.
Donald Young is Vice President and Director of Construction
Services for Salas O’Brien Engineers, Inc. He is based in
San Jose, CA. He can be reached at dc@salasobrien.com.
CMAdvisor November/December
By Donald Young, CCM, Salas O’Brien Engineers
What do we do when replacing equipment, based on RS Means
or other local contemporary budgeting information and we
find the estimate is incorrect due to site constraints or other
phenomena? When we can’t overcome the difficulty of
the project and it just doesn’t fit anything typical or standard
(despite its categorization), this viral effect permeates the project.
This is where the expertise of team members is most important
and, when utilized correctly, adds value to the owner’s experience
with CMs as part of their teams.
19
When Projects Exceed Budgets
for the Right Reasons
NEWS
Joining the Conversation: New CMAA Twitter Account and CMIT group on LinkedIn
12th Annual CMAA/FMI Owners Survey Provide Insight into New Expectations and Needs
CMAA has recently expanded its social
media presence with the addition of
a Twitter account (@CMAA_HQ) and
a new LinkedIn group dedicated to
Construction Managers-in-Training
(CMIT). These two new ventures build
on CMAA’s already strong presence on
facebook.com and LinkedIn.
The Twelfth Annual CMAA/FMI Owners
Survey reveals how the construction
owner community is managing
the current operating environment
climate that has changed along with
the national economy. The survey results
were presented at the 2011 CMAA
National Conference & Trade Show
in Washington, DC.
20
Adding to CMAA’s established LinkedIn
group with nearly 1,300 members, the
new CMIT group provides an open forum
for CMITs to connect, network and discuss
relevant topics or answer questions
about the CMIT application process
and more. With more than 700 CMIT
applicants, candidates or CMITs eligible
to join, the hopes are high that this new
LinkedIn group will become an interactive
environment where ideas and questions
can be exchanged freely.
Join the conversation, today! Follow us on
Twitter @CMAA_HQ, on Facebook.com
or join our groups on LinkedIn.
• An evolving view on project
execution and key CM functions
• Current owner needs and
expectations
• The economy’s effect on
procurement strategy
The findings reveal how owner
expectations continue to evolve
and highlight persistent trends within
our dynamic industry. Among the
key findings, the long-observed trend
among owners toward a more “holistic,
life-cycle view” of their projects is firmly
established. In 2009, the Tenth Annual
Survey of Owners revealed that this
shift would occur sometime between
2009 to 2014.
Today, only two years later, the function
of “Transitioning to ongoing operations
and maintenance” for the first time
ranked highest among 16 areas of
support. In addition, “77 percent of
owners expect their CM to have either
expertise or thorough working knowledge
of facility startup,” the survey report
states. Other traditional CM functions
such as document quality concerns and
issues/disputes resolutions were the
other top CM functions identified by
the survey respondents.
The CM’s increasingly important role as
a leader of the startup process has been
evident for some time. As in past years,
this survey explored what owners expect
from their Construction and Program
Separately, the national economy
continues to affect the procurement
process. Owners were asked how the
continuing global economic uncertainty
has affected their solicitation and
procurement policies. More than half of
survey respondents reported that, “due
to national economic conditions, we find
many bids are priced well below the
levels we expected”. While nearly half of
respondents agreed or strongly agreed
that they plan on taking advantage of
these opportunities to contract work at
the lowest price possible, among those
owners with best-value procurement
The Twelfth Annual CMAA/FMI Survey
of Owners provides insight into the ever
evolving construction industry through
both emerging trends and those of
long standing. The path to success for
CMs remains in adapting quickly and
appropriately to owners’ dynamic needs
including a more complete range of
services, a higher caliber of knowledge
and competence across subject areas
where owners expect the most
significant contribution.
www.mocasystems.com
Improving Return on Investment
Managing facilities and infrastructure systems and
delivering design and construction projects in innovative,
efficient and sustainable ways.
CMAdvisor November/December
CMAdvisor November/December
@CMAA_HQ was up and running,
tweeting 93 “tweets” or updates on
conference events and education sessions
to its nearly 60 followers. The hash-tag
or indexing tool used for the conference,
#CMAA2011NatCon, was also used more
than 100 times, keeping the conversation
running in real-time for conference
attendees. Long-term, CMAA’s Twitter
will provide followers with relevant news,
events and commentary on issues directly
related to the Construction community.
Over-arching themes from the
results include:
policies the results are clear: nearly 61.4
percent disagreed or strongly disagreed
with the statement, “in the interest of
realizing these savings, we are departing,
if necessary, from best-value strategy.”
This shows that owners, while being
presented with a unique opportunity to
execute important projects at major cost
savings, very few are willing to depart
from best-value strategies just yet.
21
CMAA’s Twitter account arrived just
in time for use at this year’s National
Conference on November 6–8, 2011,
in Washington, DC.
Managers. The current results survey
report states that owners are also looking
to professional CMs for leadership and
guidance when implementing Integrated
Project Delivery (IPD). This trend of greater
CM leadership with regards to IPD creates
an opportunity for firms to deliver greater
value to construction program owners.
NEWS
The memorandum includes an
agreement to jointly promote the
CCM program and the use of CM
Standards of Practice. The two groups
also intend to participate in conferences,
training programs and exchanges of
market information and research.
New! E-Book Versions of Program Management 2.0
As its first venture into e-book publishing, CMAA has produced versions
of Chuck Thomsen and Sid Sanders’ Program Management 2.0 for the
iPad, Nook, Kindle and other popular reading devices.
22
CMAdvisor November/December
Program Management 2.0 expands upon the milestone foundation that
Thomsen’s Program Management: Concepts and Strategies for Managing
Capital Building Programs first established in 2008.
“The industry has continued to evolve,” the authors comment. “New
information technology enables concepts that were theoretical just
a few years ago. Cost control pressure has brought new demands for
efficient practices, better controls and improved connectivity. Yet many
of the old issues still remain.”
As in 2008, the authors have assigned the copyright and all revenue from
the new book to the CMAA Foundation to aid in promoting education,
research and career promotion in Construction Management.
Program Management 2.0 is available through CMAA’s online
bookstore (www.cmaanet.org/cmaa-bookstore) at a price of
$25 for members and $35 for non-members. The paper edition
of the book is also available, priced at $45 for CMAA members
and $60 for non-members. Academic pricing is available.
For details, contact the Foundation.
Dennis Doran, CMAA vice president,
Professional Development, presented a
seminar entitled “Meeting Professional
Development Challenges with CM
Certification” at the Construction Industry
Institute’s (CII) Performance Improvement
Workshops (PIW) in Houston, Texas.
The PIW provides information on new
resources, case studies of successful
implementation programs, training
in the development of applicable skills
and the opportunity for Construction
industry leaders to network with their
colleagues. CMAA’s session gave an
overview of CMAA and the value Certified
Construction Managers (CCM) delivers
for service providers and individuals.
Cotter Consulting
provides
comprehensive
services for
planning and
implementing
projects in the built
environment.
University of Chicago
Joe & Rika Mansueto Library
“CCM is the means by which the
[Construction] Profession defines its
own content, standards of practice
and values; identifies these best
qualified to practice it; and offers
an assurance of quality to those
who employ CCMs.” Doran said.
Separately, continued progress was
made on the ongoing collaboration
between CII and CMAA. Both
organizations continue to pursue the
integration of CII’s Best Practices into
CMAA’s Standards of Practice (SOP).
This central activity is critical in order
to bring about the realization of the
alliance’s overarching purpose of creating
Best Practices and Best Practitioners.
Cotter congratulates
and supports Vice
President Jan Turner as a
new Director on the
CMAA National Board.
Town of Normal, Illinois
Multimodal Transit Center
Learn how Cotter can make
your projects successful,
visit us at
www.cotterconsulting.com
Charles H. Shaw Technology and Learning Center
and Henry Ford Academy: Power House High
Aviation
Healthcare
Transportation
Commissioning
Buildings
Sustainability
CMAdvisor November/December
CMAA and the Construction
Management Association of Korea
formally signed a Memorandum of
Understanding during the National
Conference that aims to “establish
a formal relationship of friendly
cooperation to promote construction
management and related construction
industry activities.”
CMAA Leadership Discuss
Benefits of Using a
CCM at CII Performance
Improvement Workshop
23
CMAA Signs Agreement with Korean Association
CERTIFICATION
Foundation Nears Campaign Goal, Receives Major Gifts
Congratulations to Our Newest CCMs!
The CMAA Foundation’s five year capital campaign, “Construction Managers Building
for the Future,” is within close range of its goal of raising an endowment of $500,000 to
provide long-term financial strength for future education, research and career efforts.
Robert Allen
Freese & Nichols, Inc.,
Fort Worth, TX
Bruce Gordon
JMT Engineering,
Sparks, MD
Leo McKinley
URS Corporation,
Seattle, WA
Foundation Board Chair Ed Bond, CCM, FCMAA of Bond Brothers, reported at the
National Conference that the total raised to date has reached $440,000. The goal
of raising the remaining $60,000 got several big boosts recently:
Robert Baldwin
University of
Washington,
Snoqualmie, WA
Brian Green
Federal Bureau of
Investigation,
Quantico, VA
Douglas Omichinski
Bechtel Systems and
Infrastructure, Inc.,
Frederick, MD
Richard Bethell
Turner Construction
Company,
Los Angeles, CA
Steven Hempel
AECOM,
Honolulu, HI
Robert Ostermiller, Jr.
RK&K,
Baltimore, MD
Garrett Johnson
Project Control, Inc.,
Salem, UT
John Parish
CB Richard Ellis,
Columbus, OH
Steven Judd
MOCA,
Newton, MA
Kevin Rollins
H.R. Gray,
Columbus, OH
Daniel Khile
AMEC Environment &
Infrastructure,
Kennesaw, GA
Don Rondeau
Barnhart Balfour Beatty,
San Diego, CA
Keville Enterprises donated an additional $10,000, over and above that firm’s
previous significant support.
Mike Potter, PE, CCM of RK&K, gave the Foundation a gift of $4,000 on site at the
National Conference.
These two gifts, totaling $14,000, actually represent $28,000 for the Foundation thanks
to the matching grant. Moving forward, only $32,000 remains to reach the goal!
Brian Bowers
Bowers and Kubota
Consulting,
Waipahu, HI
Nicholas Cabrera
The George Sollitt
Construction Company,
Wood Dale, IL
Ed Caillouette
Parsons Corporation,
San Antonio, TX
24
CMAdvisor November/December
Dan Carter
Project Control &
Development, Inc.,
Riverside, CA
Barbara Springer
SGI Construction
Management,
Pasadena, CA
Michael Langen
HDR Engineering, Inc.,
Las Vegas, NV
Christopher Vernon
VDOT,
Bassett, VA
Thomas Lavelle
Heery International, Inc.,
Atlanta, GA
Darrell Westlake
KBA, Inc.,
Bellevue, WA
Bryan Lawson
KCI Technologies, Inc.,
Tampa, FL
Douglas Wrenn
MPB,
Fairfax, VA
Joelle DuBois
Bowers and Kubota
Consulting,
Waipahu, HI
Jason MacDonald
MBP,
Richmond, VA
Robert Gauld
Turner Properties, Inc.,
Atlanta, GA
Marquis Manson
City of North Las Vegas,
North Las Vegas, NV
Gisso Yasreb
ACS Architectural
Construction Services, Inc.,
Costa Mesa, CA
Christopher Coles
Anchor Engineering, Inc.,
Oakland, CA
Benjamin Crosby
W.G. Yates Construction,
Jackson, MS
Mr. Soto has extensive experience overseeing all aspects of
certification for associations. He will be charged with maintaining
CMCI’s ANSI accreditation, working directly with CMAA’s Board
of Governors and developing relationships with construction and
industry certification peers on behalf of CMAA.
Mr. Soto spent four years in a similar position at InfoComm
International, administering that organization’s ANSI-accredited
Certified Technology Specialist program. He has a rich background in
project and account management with strong business acumen.
Ricardo Santana
Alpha Corporation,
Miami, FL
ClaytonKuzma
The Covello Group, Inc.,
Walnut Creek, CA
Jeff Cole
Hill International, Inc.,
Washington, DC
More than 200 people turned out for a special evening in the Great Hall of the
Library of Congress, raising funds for the CMAA Foundation.
Michael Kueny
Hill International, Inc.,
Marlton, NJ
Nicholas C. Soto has joined the Construction Manager Certification
Institute (CMCI) as Certification Director.
Ron Young
Johnson Controls,
Sacramento, CA
2012 North American
Iron Workers / IMPACT
Labor-Management Conference
Paris Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
JAN 29 to FEB 1, 2012
www.ironworkers.org
General
Politico
way Charlie Cook
James Con
Don’t miss this year’s
www.impact-net.org
SPEAKERS
800-545-4921 SPECIAL IW/IMPACT HOTEL RATE $109/NIGHT
CMAdvisor_advertisement.indd 1
CMAdvisor November/December
An anonymous donor came forward and volunteered to match all further
contributions up to a maximum of $30,000.
Nicholas Soto joins CMAA as Certification Director
25
FOUNDATION
10/5/2011 11:39:22 AM
ROUNDUP
Hill International has received a contract
from the County of Dallas, Tex. to
provide professional construction project
management and owner representation
services in connection with the renovation
of the North Tower Jail.
26
CMAdvisor November/December
The project includes renovating
approximately 140,000 square feet in
the existing North Tower Jail to create
a centralized medical and mental health
infirmary, including medical clinic space,
a full-service pharmacy and medical
staff offices. The project will also provide
updated space for law enforcement
needs, site security and a central visitor
screening building.
Hill’s services under the two-year
contract will include design review,
construction cost review, construction
project management, owner project
representation and construction site
review. “We look forward to making this
a successful project for Dallas County,”
said Robert A. Ferguson, LEED AP, CCPM,
Vice President in charge of Hill’s project
management operations in Texas.
AECOM Wins US $17M
Contract extension to
complete Phase of Dallas
Area Rapid Transit
AECOM Technology Corporation has
been awarded a US$17-million extension
contract from Dallas Area Rapid Transit
(DART) to complete the second phase of
its light rail expansion program.
Under the contract extension, AECOM will
provide a variety of project control, system
integration and staff support services as
DART completes the 20-mile expansion of
its Orange and Blue light rail lines.
AECOM is honored by this opportunity
to continue partnering closely with
DART, a key client of ours for more than
two decades,” said John M. Dionisio,
AECOM chairman and chief executive
officer. “We look forward to delivering
innovative solutions to enhance Dallas’
mass transit systems.”
During its most recent assignment on
the DART light rail expansion, AECOM’s
project control and support services
played a critical role in enabling the
client to successfully open the 28-mile,
$1.8-billion Green Line on schedule and
under budget during December 2010.
AECOM’s work on the current light rail
contract began during 2002 and has a
value of US$82 million to date.
Parsons Awarded U.S.
Central Command Facilities
Management Contract
Parsons has been awarded a Facilities
Management Contract by the United
States Central Command (USCENTCOM).
Under this contract, Parsons will provide
facilities management, operations
and maintenance, logistics, and
engineering services for USCENTCOM’s
headquarters facilities.
“Parsons is proud to have been selected to
support USCENTCOM personnel at both
its rear and forward headquarters,” said
Todd Wager, Parsons Group President.
“We have been working in USCENTCOM’s
area of responsibility for more than 60
years, and this effort will significantly
enhance and further the command’s
long-range operational support efforts.”
Parsons will perform its services at
MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, FL, and
at an air base in Southwest Asia, with
additional support for forward operating
locations. Parsons has more than 100
offices worldwide, including locations
in Florida and Southwest Asia.
MOCA Completes
Alabama Tornado
Disaster Recovery Effort
Following April’s devastating tornado
outbreak across much of the United
States, MOCA Systems, Inc. deployed
53 construction management personnel
40 hours after its selection by The Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE) to oversee the recovery process
in Alabama.
To support the Tornado Cleanup
Operations in 23 counties MOCA provided
Quality Assurance Monitors and a
management team. MOCA established
a temporary project headquarters in the
Recovery Field Office (RFO) of the USACE
Mobile District in Birmingham, and served
as an extension of the USACE staff.
“MOCA recognized the need to put ‘boots
on the ground’ as quickly as possible to
assist the citizens of Alabama in their
recovery from these destructive storms,”
said John Jones, MOCA vice president,
services. “We were glad to be able to use
MOCA’s specialized expertise to ensure a
timely and successful clean up.”
MOCA monitored debris removal and
ensured the work was performed safely
with minimal further property damage.
In addition, MOCA verified the amount of
debris removed by contractors to ensure
accurate payment and control costs.
The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer
Department has awarded a contract to
Parsons Brinckerhoff for construction
management services for a major utility
relocation project. The project involves
relocating an existing 20-inch water
main that crosses Fisherman’s Channel
and a 54-inch force main that crosses
Government Cut Channel.
Parsons Brinckerhoff will provide services
including project management, contract
administration, quality assurance
monitoring, public information,
design coordination/review, schedule
monitoring/review, field inspection
for water main relocation, and field
inspection for force main relocation.
The project is scheduled for completion
in December 2012.
Fairfax County Selects
MBP for CM Services
MBP has been selected by the Fairfax
County, Va. Department of Public Works
and Environmental Services to provide
project management and construction
management support services.
The contract will be for one year with
two additional one-year renewal periods
and will provide support to a program
involving approximately $1 billion in
construction as a part of Fairfax County’s
Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
“We are excited to once again be working
with Fairfax County and we are looking
forward to contributing to CIP projects as
a part of the CM team,” says Christopher
J. Payne, PE, CCM, Senior Vice President
and Regional Manager. “As a business
headquartered in Fairfax, MBP is also
honored to be a part of a program
dedicated to improving facilities in the
community where we live and work.”
Construction management services
will include project scheduling, construc‑
tability review, cost estimating, quality
control monitoring, claim analysis and
commissioning. The CIP encompasses a
variety of projects in the building, public
works and transportation sectors and will
include improvements to neighborhoods,
courthouses, sewers, libraries, police
stations, fire houses, parks, and other
community facilities and systems.
PA Turnpike Commission
Bridge Project Makes Bold
Statement for Immediate
Infrastructure Investment
Four new bridges crossing the Lehigh
River and Pohopoco Creek recently opened
to traffic, replacing two, deteriorating,
55-year-old original structures on the
heavily traveled Northeast Extension
(I-476) of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
The $102 million construction project has
provided an economic boost to the region,
and has shown dramatically the impor‑
tance of investment in infrastructure, says
Urban Engineers, Inc., which has been
leading the construction management
effort for this project since it broke ground
in January 2009.
Urban’s President and CEO, Edward M.
D’Alba, PE, stated, “The new bridges
make a bold and significant case for
infrastructure investment. The crumbling,
original structures are a stark contrast to
the four new bridges now providing safer
transportation for 30,000 vehicles per
day and enhancing the region’s economic
competitiveness. No one would want to
imagine the negative economic impact if
the original structures were not replaced.”
The bridges—two north bound and
two south bound—were erected parallel
to the west of the existing bridges and
equal about a mile of new bridge super‑
structure. “This was a monumental task,”
the project’s resident engineer, Urban’s
Aaron Barnes, PE, stated. “Enormous
beams, with some exceeding 160 feet in
length, eight-feet high and weighing over
200,000 pounds, are among the longest
and heaviest pre-stressed beams erected
in the state. The bridge foundations
utilized the installation of drilled shaft
caisson construction, ranging from seven
feet to 11 feet-six inches in diameter
for the substructure, drilled 30 feet into
bedrock—the largest that I have ever
worked with.”
Vanir Staff Donates
Time for Construction
Institute Student Days
More than 50 college students from
13 California and Oregon Universities,
volunteers from two California
sections, and representatives from 11
sponsors, including Vanir Construction
Management gathered in September
for the Construction Institute’s Student
Days Conference in Sacramento. Student
Days provides students and industry
professionals numerous opportunities
to get to know each other while
introducing students to the real-world
opportunities open to them in their
futures as practicing engineers.
Aaron Schwartz, of Vanir Construction
Management, was a volunteer to help
give the attendees a dose of inspiration
as well as recommendations and
lessons from his own career to help
guide the students in their career
path beyond graduation. Erika Valle
and Steve Whitehead, also with Vanir,
participated in a job fair during the last
day of the event. Part of the job fair
included a “speed networking” session
where groups of students were given
a few minutes with each company
representative to ask career and
professional questions.
Send Us Your Project
Announcements
CMAA would like to publish the latest
project news from members. Please
put jmckeon@cmaanet.org on the list
to receive press releases.
CMAdvisor November/December
Hill International Selected
as PM for Reno of North
Tower Jail in Dallas County
Parsons Brinckerhoff Named
CM for Miami Utility Work
27
Member News
RO LL OUT
I NSU RANC E
Colorado State University
The student chapter of CMAA at Colorado
State University (CSU) participated in CSUnity,
a charity event through CSU that helps
Colorado residents in need. The chapter’s
members volunteered their time to landscape
the yard of an elderly resident, in addition
to other household tasks that would have
otherwise not have been completed. These
efforts produced more than fifty bags of
yard waste and two large piles of branches,
solidifying the CMAA CSU Student Chapter’s
commitment to helping those who are most
in need within their community.
The student chapter of CMAA at San Diego
State University, in conjunction with the student
chapter of the Associated General Contractors
of America (AGC) is now 50 members strong
and more involved than ever before.
With respect to industry interaction, the
chapters worked in tandem to pour concrete in
the world’s largest research Shake Table Project
and teamed up with the United States Green
Building Council (USGBC) Student Chapter
in an effort to achieve LEED-certification of
the Mission Bay Aquatic Center. In addition, a
“Professional Development Day” was held in
the fall which was such a success that a second
installment is planned for the Spring. These
professional development opportunities allow
industry leaders to interact with the students.
Volunteerism was strong for this active
chapter. This past year has been active and
full of community projects. Thirty students
volunteered at the National Electrical
Contractors Association (NECA) Convention and
chapter members participated in the Habitat
for Humanity’s Home Builders Blitz 2011 as
well as volunteered for local beaches clean up.
If your company is interested in setting up an
information session with the CMAA student
chapter; would like more information about
the Spring PDD; have a construction project
that is open for visitation; or would like to
sponsor and/or become more involved with
the SDSU CMAA & AGC Student Chapter,
please email sdsu.agc.cmaa@gmail.com.
San Diego State University
28
CMAdvisor November/December
Members Tyler Vandervegt, Jordan Tranel, Eli Schutz, and Rob Wikoff
Separately, twenty-four chapter members
are preparing for the upcoming ASC
Competition to compete in the divisions of
Commercial, Heavy Civil, Multifamily, and
Preconstruction Services. In addition, two
students along with their chapter advisor
attended the Rising CM Conference thanks
to the gracious sponsorship by the CMAA
San Diego Chapter. The chapter wishes to
thank CMAA San Diego for its support.
Professional Liability Insurance
Specialists for Construction Managers
(800) 597–2612 www.hallandcompany.com
N EW B O OK
NEW! PROGRAM MANAGEMENT 2.0
By Chuck Thomsen and Sid Sanders
“…a must-read…”
Jesus M. de la Garza, Virginia Tech
“…a perfect fit for young minds…”
James C. Smith, Texas A&M University
“relevant, timely and fun to read…”
G. Edward Gibson, Jr., Arizona State University
Now available in print or e-book.
Outstanding Chapters Honored in Washington
CMAA honored its “chapters of the year” at the National Conference & Trade Show in
Washington, DC, along with the chapters that distinguished themselves in six activity areas.
Chapter members clean up at the beach at Mission Bay
Proceeds benefit the
CMAA Foundation.
The winners are:
Chapters of the Year
Student Chapter of the Year –
Colorado State University
Population Division I –
Indiana Chapter
Excellence in Student Focus –
Chicago Chapter
Population Division II –
Baltimore Chapter
Advertise in ROLL OUT
Excellence in CCM Involvement –
National Capital Chapter
Population Division III –
New England Chapter
Excellence in Owner Involvement –
Mid-Atlantic Chapter
Population Division IV –
Northern California Chapter
On a tight budget, but interested in reaching a
targeted, highly qualified audience of professional
Construction and Program Managers? Call today.
Excellence in Membership Development –
South Atlantic Chapter
Population Division V –
Metro New York/New Jersey Chapter
Excellence in Professional Development –
Southern California Chapter
If you want to advertise in the special Roll Out
Section contact Tom Egly at 703-548-0200 x117
or email him at tom.egly@tgdcom.com
CMAdvisor November/December
Chapter News
Let us show you
what our focused
expertise
can do for you.
29
ROUNDUP
ROUNDUP
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Professional Development Calendar
Doing Something Right
By Bruce D’Agostino, CAE, FCMAA
December 8–9, 2011
Houston, TX
I heard honoree Peter Shea
of J.F. Shea Construction at
the annual Moles dinner in
New York complain about CMs
interjecting themselves into projects, and recently I attended
a dinner given by McGraw-Hill Construction in Washington,
at which celebrity architect Frank Gehry also bemoaned the
increasing involvement of CMs and insisted that architects
didn’t need anyone’s help in maintaining a project’s budget.
Standards of Practice Course
Hosted by the Central Virginia Chapter
December 6–8, 2011
Williamsburg, VA
Becoming a CCM
Online Webinar
Tuesday, Dec. 6
I suspect he was referring to the design budget, not the
construction budget!
CMAA Owners Leadership Forum
CMAA Owners Leadership Forum
May 6–8, 2012
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Long Beach, CA
Pricing Contractor Delay Costs
CMAdvisor November/December
Online Webinar
Thursday, Dec. 8
30
Twice this year I have been in
the audience when a speaker
lambasted Construction
Managers for meddling
and making trouble.
Visit www.cmaanet.org/courses-and-events for
updates and additions to the 2012 webinar schedule.
Generally, though, my reaction on both occasions (once I
got past my initial annoyance) was to think, “CMs must
be doing something right!”
Every construction project or program involves multiple
players, not all of whom come to the process with the
most collaborative of attitudes. When I hear complaints
like these, I conclude that CMs are out there actively
representing owners and exercising leadership over
complex projects and multi-party teams.
In other words, doing what owners want them to do.
Owners’ needs in this area have become steadily clearer.
Our most recent joint Owners Survey, conducted with
FMI and unveiled at the National Conference, confirms
this trend yet again.
We gave owners a list of 16 functions and asked them to
identify areas in which they expected or needed a significant
contribution from their CM, whether in-house or contracted.
For the first time, the function, “Transitioning to ongoing
operations and maintenance (startup)” ranked first. This
function has been rising in importance for years. The 2009
Owners Survey, for instance, concluded that “owners are
taking a more holistic view of their capital construction
efforts and expect a broader set of services from pre-design
to O&M functions.”
Owners are relying on their CMs to deliver this broader
range of services because only the CM is in a position to act
as the owner’s trusted advisor in every phase of a project
from pre-design to ongoing operations.
It’s also illuminating to see what other functions owners
regard as very important for CMs. For example, owners
expect the CM to be the “go-to” person for resolving
disputes and working out problems with documents,
as well as to “explain our needs, policies and processes
to the construction community.”
“CMs are out there actively representing owners
and exercising leadership over complex projects
and multi-party teams. In other words, doing
what owners want them to do.”
We crafted the survey questionnaire to embrace in-house
CMs as well as consultants acting in the owner’s interest.
However, I think the findings of the survey were largely
shaped by another key trend that we reported on last
year, in our 11th Survey of Owners. Owners’ in-house
professional resources are increasingly strained. Staffs
have been reduced and may not be growing again in the
near future. Construction, meanwhile, grows ever more
complex and more specialized.
Owners need effective teams that bring together a wide
range of skills and viewpoints. That need isn’t going to
change. But it creates a second imperative: Leadership.
Leadership is what moves a project smoothly through
multiple phases, keeping the owner’s goals in mind at all
times. Leadership is what knits a group of independent
professionals into a team.
Leadership is what the CM brings to the owner’s table.
CMAdvisor November/December
National Meetings
31
CII Project Management Course:
Front End Planning and PDRI