Inside Knowledge May ‘16

Plan A Consultants Ltd. Registered in England No. 967002.

www. PlanAConsultants.comLinkedIn | Twitter

Plan A Consultants was founded by Gerard Daws and Nick Willars and specialises in Design Management. We work within Design Teams to manage the design process and ensure the design is developed and delivered efficiently to meet all project stakeholder requirements.

gerarddaws@planaconsultants.comnickwillars@planaconsultants.com

Plan A Consultants are passionate about Design Management. Over the past twenty years, we have worked with some of the world’s most creative designers. The purpose of ‘Inside Knowledge’ is to share our experience and knowledge of Design Management, provide guidance to those interested in the subject, and to inspire debate and discussion amongst peers.

Every couple of months, our thoughts on different topics and themes related to Design Management will be shared in Inside Knowledge. We welcome feedback and your thoughts on the content contained within each release.

(44) 020 7258 6163info@planaconsultants.comwww.PlanAConsultants.com

Plan A Consultants Ltd. Registered in England No. 967002. Plan A Consultants Ltd. Registered in England No. 967002.

What makes a valuable Design Programme?

by Nick Willars and Gerard Daws

the correct level of attention despite the obvious benefits both to the Lead Designer and the project. It is too often seen as a non-essential chore and a deliverable that can be ticked off once issued to the Project Manager. The Design Programme then rarely sees the light of day once submitted. They can likewise be produced in isolation without any input from the other consultants which nearly always results in mismatches in terms of interpretations and expectations.

A Design Programme is an absolute necessity for any Lead Designer to ensure that they are able to successfully define, co-ordinate and manage the delivery of the design. However, we believe that this management tool is not currently being used in way that maximises the benefits. We map out in this article why Design Programmes are important, why we believe they are not being used effectively and finally some tips to facilitate their preparation.

Before going any further, it is worth clarifying that there are different kinds of programmes for different purposes. It is important to differentiate between a Master Programme, and a Design Programme.

Generally produced by a Project Manager or Client representative, a Master Programme covers the complete project lifecycle (including construction) and is typically more strategic to reflect the high level decisions required.

A Design Programme conversely relates to only the activities within the design periods generally prepared on a stage by stage basis. As outlined in the RIBA plan of work 2013 Guide to Project Leadership, it is the Lead Designer’s responsibility to prepare a Design Programme that supports and coordinates with the Master Programme. It will need to provide a greater level of detail to explain how the design team is to progress the design.

Why is a Design Programme an important Design Management tool? Ultimately, it provides benefits to the project, Client and Design Team:

1. It gives confidence to Client/ Project Manager that there is a ‘plan’ and the Design Team is organized.2. Improvement in efficiency through mapping out when decisions and sign-offs need to be made and sign-offs.3. It can help to justify whether insufficient time has been included in a Master Programme.4. Aids resource planning.5. Enhances a ‘single team’ ethos across the Design Team through a document that everyone has bought into.6. Assists in accurate progress reporting and as a tool to support any claims, prolongations etc.

Given the benefits, it is bewildering to us as Design Managers that the Design Programme is not given

So what are the necessary steps when putting a Design Programme together? Check out some of the points below:

1. The format of the Design Programme should reflect the design stage. From experience, we use a ‘Route Map’ style format for the early design stages. This is to reflect the more strategic approach during RIBA stages 2 and 3. A common mistake is using a Gantt chart in the early stages which is inappropriate to what is an iterative process that needs to remain flexible so as not to compromise the creative nature of design. Typically the more traditional gantt chart is utilised during stage 4. The process is less about design and more about production and is therefore more linear with a greater level of predictability and exchange content. 2. Make sure that you obtain appropriate input from all of the relevant design team members. All too often, the Design Programme is produced in isolation and does not reflect a ‘team’ mentality which goes against the role of the Lead Designer. We lead Design Programme workshops where design disciplines can interactively map out what they need and when with a focus on objectives, tasks, decisions and sign-offs

(44) 020 7258 6163info@planaconsultants.comwww.PlanAConsultants.com

Plan of Work style programme showing design progression.

Prog:

Date :

Ref :

STRATEGIC CONCEPTUAL

DESIGN PROGRAMMEEARLS COURT MASTERPLAN

DESIGN MANAGEMENT

TITLE : PROJECT :

Sheet 1 of 1

0 (FOR REVIEW)

28/02/2012

20120228 pro 001 CD Programme Overview for TFP

05

1111

12

2222

19

3333

26

4444

30

----5555

06

----4444

13

----3333

27

----1111

20

----2222

02

5555

16

7777

23

8888

09

6666

04

14141414

11

15151515

18

16161616

25

17171717

30

9999

07

10101010

14

11111111

21

12121212

28

13131313

06 13 20 2702

18181818

09

19191919

23

21212121

30

22222222

16

20202020

Conceptual Design (4 weeks)

Commence Preliminary Design

31 Jan 11

Instruction to

proceed 05 March 12

TFP/KPF Issue 02

06 Apr 12

Com

men

cem

ent (

17 w

eeks

)

FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST

PM : Drawn :NW NW

BW05/07

Mobilise

Consultant Issue 01

(Sketch) 21 Apr 12

Co-ord

Undercroft Studies

KPF Deliverables

BriefReview

Costcheck AREAS

Rev :/001

Costcheck

1

Development and Co-ordination (12 weeks)

Production 3 weeks)

1 TFP/KPF Issue 01 02 Apr 12

Client

Review

LEGEND• Workshop Review• Document Review• TFP Activities• KPF Activities• Design Report• Capco• SMEP• Sub-Consultants• Cost

30 June 2012

objectives

1. Be in a position to allow the

resolution of the Reserved Matters to

commence

2. To improve cost certainty

(especially to deck level) more

accurately

3. To more accurately identify and

quantify risks and opportunities

4. To improve certainty of Phase 1

value

5. To capture design development

since the Planning Application

6. To develop the key Phase 1

elements so that the overall design

can be validated.

7. To be able to commence (detailed)

Pre-application consultations.

8. To allow a delivery strategy and

structure to be developed

9. To facilitate funding and confidence

in delivery

10. To work out optimum phasing and

sequencing.

11. To facilitate the preparation of

Marketing material

WV02-06KPF Parcel Design

Challenge Density and Massing.

Develop Architectural language

Outline Design

report

Capco Review

TFP Parcel Design

TFP/KPF Interim Issue 26 Mar 12

Inte

rim

Str

ate

gy v

alid

atio

n

Design Report

MobiliseBrief

Review

Test Strategies

Deck Studies

Structure, Services

cores, parking, Energy Centre

Existing constraints & Surveys Review LUL/TfL liaisonExisting Site Team KPF

Master-PlanTeam TFP

Undercroft Team KPF

Ground Plane Team TFP

Management Team

InterimReport

2

Develop ProjectExecution Plan

Capco

Review

Surveys Procurement Complete surveys

Undercroft designdevelopment

Massing Studies/options

Deck design development

TFP/KPF Interim

cost Issue 04 May 12

Consultant Co-ord

Refine Strategies(5 weeks)

Open Space Review

Town Planning Support(8 weeks)

KPF Parceldevelopment

TFP Parceldevelopment

Consultant Co-ord

Capco

Review

TFP Deliverables

2

Cost Plan Capco

Review

Design team

Meetings

Review Master PlanInterfaces and Implications

Existing Elements integration

3

Deliverables

Undercroft /Parcel integration

Ground Plane/ Parcel integration

TFP/KPF Issue 03

29 Jun 12

Consultant Delievables

Consultant Issue 02

29 Jun 12

Ground Plane/ Undercroft integration

Access, landscape, services

penetrations, Security

Capacity, Density, Open space,

places, Ground floor uses

Railways, Existing Deck, 3rd

party consultations

Risk/Opp Risk/ Opp mitigation

VE & Report

WV02-06

BW05

BW07

Revise Strategies

TFP Town Planning Support, S106 ReviewConditions

Planning Conditions Resolution

3rd PartyEngagement strategy

PreferredMassing development

Plan A Consultants Ltd. Registered in England No. 967002.

A plan of work style programme illustrating information exchange milestones aligned with meeting strategy.

required rather than deliverables. Likewise, factor in enough time to prepare the document so that all relevant consultants can check drafts prior to final submittal to the Client/ Project Manager. Don’t forget though that the Lead Designer (usually the Architect) should have the final say – it is contractually his responsibility to define the process by which the design will be progressed.3. The first step in mapping out an actual design stage is to identify and agree the overarching objectives of the stage. We say this because despite the RIBA attempting to tie down activities and outputs aligned with every work-stage, there is still overlap in design stages and a lack of clear definition. Clients tend to have their own objectives that don’t necessarily follow the same pattern from project to project – so make sure there is only one interpretation of this.

4. We have found from experience it pays to break each design stage down into interim milestones so that there are clearly defined periods for draft submissions and an opportunity for the Client to review work in progress. This is also important if you want to identify a progressive sign-off process with the Client/Project Manager. Likewise, it pays to include for regular cost reviews to avoid surprises at the completion of the design stage.5. Behind each interim milestone you should include a set of clear objectives which should in turn act as a navigation tool to steer you to the end of the workstage knowing that each step helps you to get there – thus making it easier to understand progress relative to time. Behind each interim milestone objective you should agree with all consultants what deliverables are required to meet those objectives, including their dependencies and ultimately what design activities they’re intended to inform. 6. At this stage of the design process, simply meeting the objectives at each milestone should satisfy over-zealous project managers that you are in fact on track – more often than not using deliverables alone will end in tears as most architects will produce 2/3 of their deliverables during the last third of a design stage working period.

7. What content should be included in a Design Programme? Long parallel bars in a gantt chart labelled ‘1:100 dwgs, 1:200 dwgs etc’ don’t really help anyone. It is our experience that unnecessary over-population of a programme contributes to them being either misunderstood, superceded the day after they’re issued or completely ignored. The RIBA 2013 Guide to Project Leadership provides an overview of key elements that a design programme must contain:

a. Start and completion of each stage.b. Client stage approval and sign-off period.c. Client and consultant review periods.d. Stakeholder Engagemente. Interim Information Exchanges by discipline.f. Interim Information Exchanges objectives.g. Consultant inputs/responsesh. Design team and Client design review meetings.i. Cost management process.j. Visualisation/models deadlinesk. Statutory approvals process and key meetings.l. Stage report production and review process.

A Design Programme is therefore an essential tool, not a burden or a chore. Make sure as Lead Designer, you own the Design Programme. It’s generally a contractual obligation but more importantly, it’s your process. The key is to appropriately match the style of the programme with the right level of information, appropriate to each design stage.

A Gantt Chart Programme setting out a high level task path through a design phase.

(44) 020 7258 6163info@planaconsultants.comwww.PlanAConsultants.com