CE 521 – CONSTRUCTION METHOD AND

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

CONSTRUCTION REPORTS

BY: ENGR. ROMEL N. VINGUA

 PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Urdaneta City, Pangasinan

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

DISCUSSION ASSESSMENT / EVALUATION

Construction reports

A report is a written document that provides information. In the construction

industry, reports are typically formal documents that
provide information about key events, project stages or processes to
a client, local authority, purchaser and so on. They can also provide more
general information about the state of something, ranging from
individual components to the entire construction industry or the wider
economy.

Ideally, reports should be concise, written in easy-to-understand language,

should be easy to navigate, should contain only information that is
necessary, and should not duplicate information that can be found
elsewhere.
 Different types of reports in construction

 Accident report.
 Assessment and lessons learned report.
 Authority monitoring report (AMR).
 Business case.
 Completion report.
 Concept design report.
 Construction progress report.
 Construction stage report.
 Cost report.
 Detailed design report.
 End of contract report.
 End of stage report.
 Final report for construction works.
 Home report.
 Homebuyer Report.
 Lessons learned report.
 Post project review.
 Preliminary business case.
 Production information report.
 Project execution plan.
 Project manager’s report.
 Options review report.
 Soil report.
 Tender appraisal report.
 Tender report for construction contracts.

Accident reports in construction

There is a legal requirement through the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous
Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) for accidents and incidents to be reported to
the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

While RIDDOR recommends that all accidents, however small, are recorded in
an accident book, it identifies the more serious types of accidents which must be
reported to HSE as well as being recorded in the book. These include:

 Any injury that stops an employee doing their normal work for a period of 3 days or
more.
 Major injuries such as broken arms, ribs, legs, etc.
 Fatalities.
 Disease.
 Dangerous instances occurring at work such as machinery
breaking, scaffolding collapsing or any other appliances breaking and
causing damage.
 Injury.
 Dangerous occurrence.
 Injury offshore.
 Dangerous occurrence offshore.
 Case of disease.
 Flammable gas incident.
 Dangerous gas fitting.

The appropriate form should be completed by the responsible person. Fatalities and
major injuries can be reported by phone to the HSE. A report must be received within 10
days of the incident.

The following information should be recorded:

 Injured person’s personal and contact details (name, phone number, address,
age, occupation, etc.).
 Reporter’s personal and contact details (name, position, phone number, address,
etc.).
 Accident details (date, time, location).
 Injury details (type, body part, whether any work days were lost as a result, whether
an ambulance was required, whether the injured person lost consciousness, etc.).
 Witness details (name, phone number, address, etc.).
 Details of any supporting evidence (e.g. CCTV footage, photographs,
training records, health and safety check records, cleaning logs, etc.).
 Reasons for accident (how it occurred, working conditions at the time, PPE being
worn, equipment being used, events leading up to accident, etc.).
 Response to accident (first aid provided, whether the area was made safe, direct
action).
 Preventative action (training needs, preventative plan put in place, how recurrences
will be prevented).

Lessons learned report for building design and

construction
A lessons learned report (sometimes referred to as an ‘assessment and lessons learned
report’ or ‘lessons identified report’) is an assessment of lessons that can be learned
from a project that could be applied to other projects. This is particularly useful
to clients who are regular developers and may run a continuous improvement program
and may be a requirement of some funding organizations.

A lessons learned report may be prepared as part of a post project review, undertaken
during the defects liability period. The purpose of a post project review is to look at the
effectiveness and efficiency of the project delivery process. The lessons learned
report focuses more specifically on how things could be done differently in the future.

It might identify:

 Mistakes that could be avoided in the future.

 Successful strategies that might be adopted in the future.
 Procedures or resources that could be improved.
 It may be prepared by an in-house team, by members of the consultant team or
by independent client advisers. If such services were not a requirement of
original appointments then new appointments or re-appointments may be necessary.

It is important to agree:

 The purpose of the report (who is it for and how they will use it).
 The scope of the study required.
 The reporting procedures and timescale for the study.
 The stakeholders that will be involved.
 The techniques that will be used.
 The information that is available.

The report might include an assessment of the project, or simply focus on the lessons
that can be carried forward. Assessments may be both qualitative (based on research,
interviews and workshops) and quantitative (such as key performance
indicators or benchmarking assessments).

Qualitative assessments could include:

 Cost vs budget.
 Project progress relative to milestones.
 Number of complaints.
 Number of incidents / accidents.
 Number of working hours spent on different aspects of the works.
 Use of materials.
 Number of defects.
 Number of disputes.
 Amount of waste generated.
 Amount of recycling.
 The number of variations.

Aspects of the project that might be assessed could include:

 The quality of briefing documents.

 The effectiveness of communications.
 The performance of the various members of the project team.
 Quality issues.
 Technical issues.
 Health and safety.
 Certification.
 Variations.
 Claims and disputes.
 Collaborative practices.

For each lesson, the report might describe:

 What went wrong / right.

 Why it went wrong / right.
 Seriousness, ie is it worth avoiding / replicating in the future.
 If so, how can this be done.
Authority monitoring report AMR
Local plans are prepared by local planning authorities. They create the framework for
the future development of an area and are the starting-point for considering
whether planning applications should be approved.

Local development schemes (LDS) set out the program for preparing the development
plan documents (DPD) that will make up the local plan.

It should:

 Set out progress with local plan preparation.

 Report on activities relating to the duty to cooperate.
 Describe how the implementation of policies in the local plan is progressing.

It may also provide information about the implementation of any neighborhood plans,
and whether there is a need to undertake a partial or full review of the local plan, and
may highlight how contributions made by development have been used, such
as planning obligations, the community infrastructure levy and new homes
bonus payments.

Business case for construction projects

In the very early stages of a project, a preliminary business case should be prepared.
This is then developed into a detailed business case for the preferred
option after feasibility studies and options appraisals have been carried out. The
detailed business case is the document that will be used to determine whether authority
should be given for the preferred option to progress to the next stage (concept design).

Preparing a business case may require input from independent client advisers (such
as management accountants, business development advisers, facilities
managers, specialist advisers such as IT consultants, etc.), but generally, it will be
prepared and 'owned' by the client, who can learn a considerable amount about
themselves and their project through the process of writing the business case.

A business case may include:

 Confirmation that the project is compatible with the client's stated vision, mission and
objectives.
 An assessment of the support for the project.
 Confirmation that feasibility studies have been completed, the appropriate options
have been explored and a preferred option identified.
 Confirmation that the project is likely to deliver its business goals. These goals should
be prioritised and should be testable so that the developing
and completed project can be tested against them.
 Confirmation that the proposal is affordable, achievable and likely to deliver value for
money.
 Confirmation that the scope and requirements are realistic, clear and unambiguous.
 Confirmation that appropriate advice has been obtained.
 Confirmation that market conditions have been properly considered.
 Identification of major risks and possible mitigation.
 Identification of third party dependencies and necessary consultations.
 Assessment of the likely need for the appointment of a consultant
team or independent client advisers.
 Assessment of long term investment prospects.
 Assessment of procurement options.
 Statement of design intent.
 Schedules of critical dates (some of which may be beyond the control of the client):

1. Planning committee meetings.

2. Key holiday dates.
3. Client board meetings.
4. Spending budgets.
5. Competition coming to market.
6. Grant entitlements.

 Projected financial forecasting:

1. Projected balance sheet.

2. Cash flow projection.
3. Project expenditure.
4. Income (or savings) projections.
5. Projected profit and loss accounts.

 Plans for the next stage.

The business case should be written in clear, concise language that is easy to
understand and may include diagrams and illustrations where appropriate. It may be
seen by a wide range of people and so should be accessible and should express
key brand values.

Final report for construction works

A final report is prepared by the contract administrator at the end at the end of
the defects liability period once all defects have been rectified.

The final report should provide a summary of activities during the construction phase,
describing:

 The works that have been completed.

 The variations that have been agreed.
 Claims for loss and expense or extension of time that have been agreed.
 The original contract sum.
 The final account.
 The completion date.

It is useful if both parties to the contract sign off the financial aspects of the report as
representing the full and final settlement for the contract.

It can also be useful to prepare an end of contract report that provides

greater detail about the performance of the contractor and is a record that can be
 referred to in the future in the event of public scrutiny, legal proceedings or if a
judgement is being made about whether to employ the contractor again.

Concept design report

One of the outputs of the concept design stage is to produce
a report which records the design concepts for major aspects of the project that might
be worth developing as detailed designs. The report also identifies instructions required
from the client.

The concept design report might include:

 The aims and objectives of project.

 A summary of the project brief.
 Areas of compliance and divergence between the concept design and the project
brief.
 Identification of constraints, including
local context, site levels, access, buildability, manufacturing, financial and local
authority planning and building regulations.
 The outcome of key consultations.
 Statement of how the design meets the client's needs.

1. Site context and strategy.

2. Design and access statement.
3. Site layout, including car parking, hard surfaces, water features, art etc.
4. Landscape strategy.
5. Layout of accommodation, including analysis of adjacencies between functions.
6. Sections.
7. Elevations.
8. 3D visualizations and/or physical models.
9. Fire strategy.
10. Services strategy including emissions targets.
11. Information and communications technology (ICT) strategy.
12.Maintenance strategy.

 Outline specifications:

1. Quality standards.
2. Materials.
3. Definition of key construction elements, standardisation and non standard elements.
4. Prefabrication and mass production opportunities.
5. Long-lead items.
6. Proposals for major engineered systems such as: cladding, mechanical and
electrical equipment, lifts, and structural frames.
7. Potential requirement for specialist design.
8. Outline proposals for structural systems and where appropriate method of demolition.
9. Outline proposals for building services systems.

 Schedules of accommodation.
 Planning strategy.
 Soft landings strategy.
 Cost plan, providing a break-down of the capital and ‘life cycle’ costs and identifying
potential cost problems and cost reduction possibilities.
 Procurement options such as two-stage tendering.
 Programme and phasing.
 Buildability and construction logistics.
 The use of materials and the potential for re-use and recycling.
 Waste handling (see also site waste management plan).
 Sustainability.
 Risk assessment.
 Health and safety issues.
 Areas requiring further research.
 Instructions required.

Construction progress report

Construction progress reports are prepared regularly (often monthly) by the contract
administrator during the construction phase and issued to the client. They will generally
be a summary of the reports received and discussions held at construction progress
meetings.

Construction progress reports may be a combination of minutes of construction

progress meetings and reports received during those meetings, with key issues
highlighted in an accompanying cover note. Alternatively they may be a re-written
version of that information prepared specifically to suit the client's requirements.

Construction progress reports might include:

 A summary of the progress made in each key area of the project.

 Analysis of progress against the program
 An explanation of the causes of any delays.
 Progress photos.
 Analysis of key performance indicators.
 An assessment of any quality issues.
 Weather reports.
 An assessment of any health and safety issues.
 Reports of any issues with neighbors (such as noise, dust, vibrations, rights of
light, access, safety etc).
 Reports about off-site fabrication and off-site payments.
 Earned value analysis.
 An assessment of any design issues.
 An assessment of any other issues that need to be addressed and proposals for
addressing them.
 Any instructions required from the client.
 Look ahead to the next period (including specific requirements for progress photos
during the next period, which may include off-site fabrication photos).

Construction stage report

The construction stage report is prepared by the contract administrator at the end of
the construction stage. It might include:

 Minutes of the final construction progress meeting.

 Relevant parts of progress reports from the contractor and where appropriate
the consultant team.
 Relevant parts of the cost consultant's report.
 A summary of the progress made in each key area of the project.
 Analysis of progress against the program.
 An explanation of the causes of any delays.
 Progress photos.
 Analysis of key performance indicators.
 An assessment of any quality issues.
 Reports on health and safety issues.
 Reports of any issues with neighbors (such as noise, dust, vibrations, rights of
light, access, safety etc).
 Reports about off-site fabrication and off-site payments.
 Earned value analysis.
 An assessment of any design issues.
 An assessment of any other issues that need to be addressed and proposals for
addressing them.
 Any instructions required from the client.
 Details of handover procedures.
 Where appropriate, details of phased completion, and partial or sectional handover.
 Any terms or qualifications that will be applied to the certificate of practical
completion.
 A proposed schedule of defects.
 Details of any ongoing works by others.
 Insurance details.
 Any remaining access issues.

The report should highlight any instructions required from the client.

Cost reporting
Cost reporting is a process used to inform a client (or other party) about the magnitude
of a construction project’s predicted, or actual cost. This can be expressed either in
absolute terms or as a variance compared to the project budget.

Cost reports are typically prepared by a cost consultant (such as a quantity surveyor)
and updated regularly (perhaps monthly), to keep the client informed and to help them
and the project team control costs.

Typically, cost reports will evolve through the life of the project, developing in detail and
accuracy as more information becomes available about the nature of the design, and
then actual prices are provided by specialist contractors, contractors and suppliers, and
actual costs incurred.

A cost report will generally include all the costs incurred by the date of the report, where
they are known, a forecast of the costs likely to be incurred during the rest of
the project, in so far as these can be foreseen and estimated, and risk allowances for
the possibility of unforeseeable costs. Contingencies to cover these risks are often
expressed in terms of percentages. The percentages applied are at their greatest in the
early stages of the project when there are the greatest number of possible risks, but
 they can then be reduced as better particulars about the project become available and
some risks have passed or been overcome.

It is important to be clear what costs will be included in cost reports. For example,
the client may have costs that, whilst they are directly related to the project, they would
prefer to account for them themselves. This might include; land
acquisition costs, specialist plant or equipment, furniture, construction contracts outside
of the main contract and so on.

In the absence of a single, standard type of cost report format, or specific formatting
requirements by the client, most cost consultants will develop their own format for cost
reports.

Detailed design report

The detailed design report is prepared by the lead consultant for the client at the end of
the detailed design stage, when the design is detailed but has yet to be packaged.

The detailed design report might include:

 A design and access statement.

 Site layout plans.
 Functional layouts.
 Circulation and operational strategy.
 Floor plans, sections and elevations.
 3d modelling.
 Details of wall enclosures.
 Details of doors and windows.
 Details of key specification items such as door handles, plumbing fixtures and so on.
 Reflected ceiling plan.
 Key technical designs.
 Co-ordination between architectural and engineering design.
 Phasing, demolition and decanting strategies.
 The use of materials and the potential for re-
use, recycling and waste handling (see site waste management plan).
 Structural design criteria.
 Drainage.
 Sustainability.
 Cleaning and maintenance strategy.
 Site services analysis (existing gas, water, electrical, mechanical, etc. services).
 Building services design criteria.
 Services strategy.
 Health and safety strategy.
 Fire strategy.
 Status of approvals.
 Risk assessment.
 Cost plan.
 Program and phasing.
 Procurement strategy.
End of contract report
Once the defects liability period has ended and the final account has been agreed, it is
advisable for the contract administrator or construction manager to prepare an end of
contract report (or post contract report). In the case of the construction manager this
should be completed for each trade package. On a traditional contract it is a
commentary or overview of the history of the main contract.

An end of contract report can be useful for a number of reasons:

 In the public sector, the politics of public scrutiny can lead to questions of audit,
proprietary and transparency long after the project is completed.
 On all projects unanticipated legal proceedings can require the history of a project to
be examined.
 It can provide a useful reference document chronicling the contractor’s performance.
This can be helpful when considering whether to employ that contractor again.

An end of contract report may include the following:

Contractor design obligations and performance:

 Progress against programme.

 Adherence to design intent.
 BIM competency.
 Co-ordination with others in relation to things such as setting out and interfaces.
 Statutory approvals and independent design checks.
 Design faults.
 Variations.
 Resources employed.
 Off site engineering pre-payments.

Fabrication

 Progress against programme.

 Manufacturing errors, omissions or faults.
 Variations and scope reductions or increases.
 Percentage of work against factory output.
 Resources employed (machinery and labour).
 Suppliers and subcontracts.
 Offsite payments.

Site installation

 Management resources.
 Progress against programme (delays, productivity and earned value analysis).
 Site co-ordination and efficiency.
 Labour or material shortages.
 Subcontractor performance.
 Industrial action.
 Plant (hired or owned).
 Progress photographs and installation records.
 Mock ups, samples and testing.
 Unacceptable work and quality ratings.
 Variations.
 Protection of installed work.
 Handover documentation.
 Defects and snagging.
 Weather / force majeure.

Contractual

 Final account evaluation against contract sum.

 Contingency expenditure.
 Contractual warning notices of delay or disruption.
 Extensions of time.
 Details of claim applications, evaluations and settlements.
 Counter claims and liquidated and ascertained damages.
 Dispute proceedings.
 Performance bond.
 Collateral warrantees, guarantees and insurances.
 Insurance claims.
 Copy of any supplemental or wrap up agreements.
 Copy of signed contract documents and post tender minutes.

Stage report for design and construction

The precise contents of end of stage reports will depend on the type of project,
the procurement process and the stage of development of the project. However,
typically they will provide a snapshot of the project development, identify any divergence
between the project and the brief, budget or programme, identify any risks, highlight any
decisions required from the client, and explain the procedures for the next stage. They
should be concise and should only include required, or co-ordinated information and
necessary interpretation and should not duplicate information that already exists
elsewhere.

During the early stages of a project, reports might be prepared by independent client
advisers, or by the client themselves if they are an experienced client. During the design
stages, they might be prepared by the project manager or lead
consultant (or contractor on a design and build project). During construction they might
be prepared by the contract administrator, perhaps based on a report prepared by
the contractor.

Final report for construction works

A final report is prepared by the contract administrator at the end at the end of
the defects liability period once all defects have been rectified.

The final report should provide a summary of activities during the construction phase,
describing:

 The works that have been completed.

 The variations that have been agreed.
 Claims for loss and expense or extension of time that have been agreed.
 The original contract sum.
 The final account.
 The completion date.

Home report
A home report, is a requirement for the sale of houses in Scotland, and must be made
available by the vendor on request to prospective buyers.

A Home Report includes of three documents:

 A 'Single Survey' which provides an assessment of the condition of the home,

a valuation and an accessibility audit.
 An 'Energy Report' which provides an assessment of the energy efficiency of the
home and its environmental impact, and recommends ways to improve its energy
efficiency.
 A 'Property Questionnaire' which is completed by the seller of the home and
provides information such as Council Tax banding and factoring costs that will be
useful to buyers.

Lessons learned report for building design and

construction
A lessons learned report (sometimes referred to as an ‘assessment and lessons learned
report’ or ‘lessons identified report’) is an assessment of lessons that can be learned
from a project that could be applied to other projects. This is particularly useful
to clients who are regular developers and may run a continuous
improvement programme, and may be a requirement of some funding organisations.

A lessons learned report may be prepared as part of a post project review, undertaken
during the defects liability period. The purpose of a post project review is to look at the
effectiveness and efficiency of the project delivery process. The lessons learned
report focuses more specifically on how things could be done differently in the future.

It might identify:

 Mistakes that could be avoided in the future.

 Successful strategies that might be adopted in the future.
 Procedures or resources that could be improved.

It may be prepared by an in-house team, by members of the consultant team or

by independent client advisers. If such services were not a requirement of
original appointments then new appointments or re-appointments may be necessary.

Ideally, the requirement for a lessons learned report should be included in tender
documentation so that members of the project team are contractually obliged to provide
the necessary information and input to the report. They may be required to
provide information as the project progresses (such as key performance indicators,
which might require information from sub-contractors) or to maintain up to date lessons
learned logs.
 It is important to agree:

 The purpose of the report (who is it for and how they will use it).
 The scope of the study required.
 The reporting procedures and timescale for the study.
 The stakeholders that will be involved.
 The techniques that will be used.
 The information that is available.

The report might include an assessment of the project, or simply focus on the lessons
that can be carried forward. Assessments may be both qualitative (based on research,
interviews and workshops) and quantitative (such as key performance
indicators or benchmarking assessments).

Qualitative assessments could include:

 Cost vs budget.
 Project progress relative to milestones.
 Number of complaints.
 Number of incidents / accidents.
 Number of working hours spent on different aspects of the works.
 Use of materials.
 Number of defects.
 Number of disputes.
 Amount of waste generated.
 Amount of recycling.
 The number of variations.

However, it is important that it does not simply become a time-consuming paper

exercise. Nor should it be a PR exercise - an opportunity to pat each other on the back
and claim every aspect of the project was successful. Only genuinely important aspects
of the project should be assessed, and only viable and worthwhile lessons proposed
for adoption.

The report might include:

 Executive summary.
 Background – including the wider context of other projects that the report will feed
into, and details of any abnormal characteristics or events.
 Detailed assessment of different stages or aspects of the project.
 Things that can be taken forward to other projects.
 Things that can be changed on the project being assessed.

Aspects of the project that might be assessed could include:

 The quality of briefing documents.

 The effectiveness of communications.
 The performance of the various members of the project team.
 Quality issues.
 Technical issues.
 Health and safety.
 Certification.
 Variations.
 Claims and disputes.
 Collaborative practices.

For each lesson, the report might describe:

 What went wrong / right.

 Why it went wrong / right.
 Seriousness, ie is it worth avoiding / replicating in the future.
 If so, how can this be done.

Homebuyer Report
A Homebuyer Report is a type of building survey.

Building surveys are a means of providing a detailed evaluation of

a property’s condition. They may also be prepared for individual homeowners,
home buyers, or for investors in property portfolios to help inform future investments.

HomeBuyer Reports were introduced in 2009, and follow a format specified by

the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). They are sometimes referred to as
a Homebuyer Survey.

They are one of three types of survey specified by the RICS, that can be undertaken
by RICS Chartered Surveyors:

 Condition Report. The lowest cost option, describing the condition of the property and
highlighting any urgent defects.
 HomeBuyer Report. The most common survey, providing more detail regarding
the condition of the property.
 Building Survey. The most comprehensive report, intended for larger or
older properties, or where major works are being planned, and providing an in-depth
analysis of condition and advice on defects.

Homebuyer Reports are intended for conventional, newer homes in

reasonable condition. They are not exhaustive studies, but should identify major or
urgent issues as well as areas that might be investigated further.

They can be useful for identifying problems or providing reassurance about the possible
purchase of a home, and can provide useful information for negotiations, which might
result in a reduction of price, or the vendor undertaking repairs.

There are two types available:

 HomeBuyer Report (survey). This includes all the features of

the RICS Condition Report and provides advice on defects repairs, and
ongoing maintenance.
 HomeBuyer Report (survey & valuation). This includes all the features of
the HomeBuyer Report (survey) and also provides a
market valuation and insurance rebuild costs.
 However, home surveys have been criticised for containing a number of exclusions,
such as areas that it was not possible to access, as well as caveats that mean they do
not always give the reassurance that was being sought.

Post project review of construction projects

A post project review may begin during the defects liability period, when the client first
occupies the development (now called the 'rectification period' in Joint Contracts
Tribunal (JCT) contracts).

A post project review is undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of

the project delivery process. To undertake a post project review, it is important to seek
the views of contractors, designers, suppliers and the client about how well
the project was managed.

This may include assessments of how well the delivery of the project performed
against key performance indicators such as:

 The quality of briefing documents.

 The effectiveness of communications.
 The performance of the entire project team.
 Quality issues.
 Health and safety issues.
 Certification.
 Variations.
 Claims and disputes.
 Collaborative practices.

An evaluation can then be made of what lessons can be learned from the approach
taken and a lessons learned report prepared.

A wider 'post occupancy evaluation' may comprise two studies:

 A post project review to evaluate the project delivery process.

 An assessment of performance in use, to assess the extent to
which business and design objectives have been satisfied, which may not begin until
6 to 12 months after occupation, as operations may not be properly established
before then.

See Post occupancy evaluation and Performance in use for more information.

NB When the development is first occupied by the client, it is important to visit

the site immediately to identify any issues that need to be addressed quickly. It can be
beneficial to establish a help-desk and rapid response team to resolve issues as they
arise (See articles on occupation and migration strategy).
 Preliminary business case for construction
project
The preliminary business case sets out a justification for the investment that would be
required by a potential development. It is used to decide whether the
potential project merits being investigated in more detail.

A preliminary business case should be prepared very early in the project, before any
decision has been made to proceed. It allows the client to explore high level options for
meeting the requirements set out in the statement of need. This may include an
assessment of comparable projects.

Experienced clients may have in-house expertise allowing them to prepare a preliminary
business case. However, some clients will not have the full range of skills required and
may wish to appoint independent client advisers to assist them.

A preliminary business case may include:

 Funding options.
 Legal agreements.
 Management structure.
 Objectives and mission statement.
 An assessment of constraints.
 Alternative solutions, such as refurbishment, or changing operational practices.
 A summary of options considered and discarded.
 Assessment of the main hurdles to surmount, show-stoppers, uncertainties and risks.
 Assessment of previous similar projects and lessons learned.
 Assumed procurement route.
 Assumed programme and phasing.
 A schedule of consultants that will be required.
 The market and competition.
 The budget, inclusions and exclusions and contingency allowance.
 A description of the business needs, benefits and keys to success and value.
 Public relations and external communications strategy.
 An assessment of any political consequences of the project.
 An assessment of the likely costs for the next stage.
 A proposal for the way forward.
 Relevant research, including assessment of similar facilities.

Production information report for design and

construction
The production information report is a work stage report produced by the consultant
team for the client at the end of the production information stage (see free work
plans on the Designing Buildings Wiki home page).

The production information report may include:

 The approximate quantities cost plan and cash flow projection.

 Packaging strategy (and costs associated with individual packages).
 An assessment of cost uncertainty and the reasons for this.
 Identification of provisional sums.
 A schedule of outstanding information (including any client contributions that will be
required for the contract documents).
 A schedule of outstanding consents (such as statutory approvals or planning
conditions).
 A description of proposed preliminaries and other items to bring to
the client's attention.
 Proposed warranties and bonds.
 The proposed form of contract, contract conditions and any proposed changes to
the contract.
 Proposed treatment of liquidated damages.
 A schedule of exclusions from the contract.
 Any insurance issues.
 Drawings and specifications describing
key components, assemblies and specialist items.
 A list of any
remaining components, assemblies, specialist items, samples or materials still
requiring approval by client.
 An assessment of the possible use of preliminary contracts.
 An assessment of the possibility of ordering long-lead items early.
 The proposed date of possession.
 Tender procedures and the tender period.
 An assessment of the need to appoint site inspectors.
 An assessment of the need to appoint party wall surveyor(s).

Project execution plan PEP

A project execution plan (PEP, sometimes referred to as a 'project management plan' -
see below) sets out the strategy for managing a project.

It describes who does what and how, defining the policies, procedures and priorities that
will be adopted. It may include strategies in relation to items outside of the scope of
the main contract, as the client's overall project might include multiple contracts for
the supply of goods and services, both from external organisations and from within
the client organisation itself, such as operation and maintenance contracts,
the supply of equipment, relocation, and so on.

Project execution plans are generally prepared by the client's project director if they
have sufficient experience, or on their behalf by a project manager. On a construction
management contract or a management contract they may then be taken on and
developed by the construction manager or management contractor.

They may, in the first instance, be based on information contained in

the project business case and the strategic brief, but might then be developed to
include:

 Project definition and a summary of the strategic brief or later the project brief.
 Drawings insofar as they are developed at this stage.
 Project programme.
 Cost plan, cost management and accounting procedures.
 Contracting and procurement strategy.
 Roles, responsibilities and authorities. This might be set out in a responsibility
matrix (or project roles table), supplemented by a contractual tree and then used to
develop a schedule of services for each appointment.
 Monitoring and reporting strategies.
 Potential consultations / stakeholder management.
 Communications strategy and standards.
 Technology strategy.
 Risk assessment and risk allocation.
 Strategy for obtaining planning permission and other permissions.
 Health and safety strategy.
 Sustainability strategy
 Quality assurance strategy.
 Soft landings strategy, including business change and staff training
requirements, commissioning, handover, migration, aftercare and post occupation
evaluation strategy.
 Operational strategy.
 Equipment requirements (inside or outside of the building contract).
 Unusual or long-lead items.

They are likely to be presented as a report, however, where possible, information and
requirements should be scheduled in a database or spreadsheet format that will be
easy to expand and will be easy to use to test whether proposals satisfy requirements
later in the project

The progress of the project should be assessed against the project execution
plan throughout the project and the project execution plan should be amended and
developed as necessary.

Project manager's report for building design and

construction
A fundamental aspect of the project management role is regular reporting of the current
status of the project to the client.

The project manager needs to ensure an adequate reporting structure and calendar is
in place with the consultants and contractors. Frequency and dates of project meetings
need to be co-ordinated with the reporting structure.

Reporting is required for a number of reasons:

 To keep client informed of project status.

 To confirm that the necessary management controls are being operated by the project
team.
 To provide a discipline and structure for the team.
 As a communication mechanism for keeping whole team up to date.
 To provide an auditable trail of actions and decisions.

Progress reporting should record the status of the project at a particular date against
what the position should have been; it should cover all aspects of the project, identify
problems and decisions taken or required, and predict the outcome of the project.
 The project manager needs to receive individual reports from
the consultants and contractor and summaries them in a report to the client. The
detailed reports should be appended as a record.

Typical contents of a project manager's report would be:

 Executive summary.
 Legal agreements.
 Design status.
 Planning / building regulations status.
 Procurement status.
 Construction status.
 Statutory consents and approvals.
 Project program and progress.
 Project financial report.
 Variation register update.
 Risk register update.
 Major decisions & approvals required

Options review report

An options review report might be prepared following an options appraisal exercise, to
help the client select their preferred option from a range of possibilities. A project
brief for the preferred option can then be prepared so that consultants can
be appointed to begin the design process.

The options review report might contain:

 A general description of the options.

 Diagrammatic sketch layouts.
 The overall consequences of each option for the client's operations.
 Assessment of compatibility with the strategic brief and business case.
 Assessment of the overall feasibility of each option.
 Potential for future-proofing.
 Planning permission issues (including the potential requirement for an environmental
impact assessment).
 Sustainability considerations.
 Impact on the local community and environment.
 Third party dependencies.
 Value management exercises.
 Whole-life costs with a rudimentary assessment of costs/sqm, configuration and
servicing.
 Time-frames, phasing and key milestones.
 Procurement route.
 Project risks.
 Recommendations.

Soil report
 Construction activities can have an adverse effect on soils and so its impacts need
careful consideration as part of the development process. Local authorities may require
a soil report as part of the planning application process.

A soil report is generally prepared by geotechnical engineers or civil engineers following

a soil survey. It should provide an indication as to whether the site is suitable for the
proposed construction, i.e. whether the soil and geological conditions will be able to
provide the required support and stability. Consideration of the allowable soil bearing
pressure and the possibilities of settlement is of particular importance.

The report may be incorporated into a Material Management Plan and Site Waste
Management Plan. It can also be used by structural engineers to inform the choice
of foundation design.

Some of the details that should be included in a soil report are:

 Classification of the various types of soil encountered and a description of the
characteristics.
 A discussion of the potential for re-use of soils on site.
 Recommendations for the handling and storage of soils on site.
 Maps showing the locations of soils on site.
 The geological history of the area.
 Details of the sampling (e.g. borehole location, depth, soils encountered at
each level).
 Groundwater conditions.
 Bearing capacity of the soil.
 Chemical composition of the soil.
 Seismic conditions prevalent in the area, if appropriate.
 Recommendations for foundation design.

Tender evaluation
A tender is a submission made by a prospective supplier in response to an invitation to
tender. It makes an offer for the supply of goods or services. An invitation to
tender might be issued for a range of contracts, including; equipment supply, the main
construction contract (perhaps including design by the contractor), demolition, enabling
works, etc.

An invitation to tender may follow the completion of a pre-qualification

questionnaire (PQQ) in response to an advert posted by the client and perhaps a pre-
tender interview. The purpose of a pre-qualification questionnaire and pre-tender
interview is to enable the client to produce a short list of suppliers that are likely to be
most appropriate for their particular project who will then be invited to tender. This helps
reduce inefficiency and wasted effort in the tender process.

In response to an invitation to tender, invited tenderers will submit a tender, which will
include their price for supplying the goods or services along with proposals for how
the clients requirements will be satisfied if these have been requested. Mid-tender
interviews may be held to allow for clarification of matters that might otherwise lead to
 an inaccurate tender being submitted. They can also give the client insights into
potential problems or opportunities in the project as it is described by the tender
documentation.

Typically, assessments might consider some of the following criteria:

 Price.
 Relevant experience.
 Understanding of the requirements.
 Past performance.
 Technical skills.
 Resource availability.
 Management skills and systems.
 Proposed methodology (this might include mobilisation plans, design proposals,
and non-compliant proposals if these have been allowed).
 Compliance with the requirements set out in the invitation to tender.

A two-stage tender process may also be adopted on a design and build project where
the employer's requirements are not sufficiently well developed for the contractor to be
able to calculate a realistic price. In this case,
the contractor will tender a fee for designing the building along with a schedule of
rates that can be used to establish the construction price for the second stage tender..

Tender report for construction contracts

A tender report is a brief history of the tendering process and an analysis of each tender
submission and any subsequent negotiations. It is generally prepared by the cost
consultant for submission to the client but should have observations and contributions
from the design team regarding the perceived value of each bid.

The report should conclude with a clear recommendation as to the best value for
money offer. If the tender process has any implications for the project, or changes the
position compared to the impression the client had been given pre-tender, then these
should be clearly set out.

The tender report provides an audit trail for the selection process and might include:

 The background to the contract.

 The scope of the contract.
 Pre-qualification criteria.
 The tender evaluation criteria.
 Reasons for rejection of unsuccessful tenders.
 Reasons for the recommendation.
 A summary of any post-tender negotiations.
 Comparison with the pre-tender estimate.
 Any implications for the project.