Scenario

You are a senior construction manager for a medium-sized contractor. Your client is an astute commercial provider of privately funded residential care homes who owns six existing Edwardian properties in the suburbs of a major city centre in England, accommodating twelve long-term residents within each of these assets. This client has appointed you as the Design and Build Contractor to provide a flagship asset; your company is party to a framework agreement with this client, and this will potentially be the first of a series of new assets to be provided in this locality. The new build property will accommodate forty long-term residents over four upper floors with identical floor plates; bedrooms will all be ensuite, with baths and WCs provided by pods, manufactured offsite. At ground floor level there will be communal lounges and dining areas. A number of small consulting rooms, offices, a reception, catering and staff amenities will also be provided at ground level; building services plant will be located externally and to a flat roof. External landscaping will be basic, with a small garden to the rear, and a small number of parking spaces and cycle racking to the front of the property. Construction comprises a steel frame and brick infill with full height glazing and Juliet balconies to each of the bedrooms; there are internal lifts and fire escape provisions, and all fixtures and fittings will be appropriate to the needs of less able persons. The construction programme of works is 72 weeks, inclusive of internal fit out, and 40% of planned works are presently complete and on target. However, your client is presently re-considering the scheduled completion date for this new property and has asked you to address the possibility of reducing the programme by approximately eight weeks.

Task (1,000 WORDS)

Your construction director has asked you to prepare a report, for internal consideration, addressing the following key challenges as part of the potential rescheduling of works. Your report should focus upon the following:

b. A critical evaluation of planning and programming techniques which may be utilised to manage this pending change and to best use the remaining time available.