PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
The knowledge you need
Holden Management Services have a very straight forward agenda - to work with and for our client. We are not sponsored by a manufacturer, nor have allegiance to any particular supplier or contractor. Quite simply, we are employed by YOU to advise YOU and protect the interest of YOU. Therefore, our services reflect our commitment and professionalism as YOUR Project Manager
The project manager will need to work with anyone involved in the build. This will include building control officers, conservation officers and any other environmental representatives. They will also need to interact constantly with the design team to deal with any design issues or alterations which may occur.
The management of a construction project needs a particular set of skills. The project manager will need to carry out their duties appropriately and with enthusiasm. They must be able to motivate and yet maintain discipline. They need a variety of technical skills to be able to solve any problems when they occur and to keep the whole project rolling forward.
Holden Management Services could carry out the whole process, and for larger projects, that is recommended. Alternatively a bespoke scheme could be designed to suit client’s particular needs, so that the right support would be there, just when it’s needed most. Effective management of the construction process from inception to completion is at the heart of the traditional skills and services that we can provide.
Services Include:
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Design involvement with Architects and Engineers
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Specification Creation
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SAP calcs
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Sustainability issues (Code for Sustainable Homes)
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Renewable Technology requirements
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Schedule of Works for Trades
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Site Management at numerous levels
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CDM (Health and Safety)
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Incoming Main Services enquiries
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Materials investigation and procurement
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Tradesmen vetting and tendering
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CIS/VAT advice
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Quality Control of materials and labour.
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Air Permeability and Sound test
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Building Control liaising (local authority or private)
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Building Guarantee liaising
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Valuation creation on behalf of client
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Liaise with client funding surveyor
CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION
The know-how you need
In the construction industry, the contract administrator is the individual responsible for administering the construction standard contracts between client and Builder, to ensure that the correct contractual procedures and good administrative practices are followed.
The contract administrator may be the project architect, but could also be the lead consultant or Project Manager, who would have a more detailed understanding and involvement with the project as a whole.
Contract administrators are appointed by the client, but when certifying or giving an assessment or decision, they should act honestly and reasonably and their decisions are open to challenge via the dispute resolution procedure unless the contract makes their decisions final and conclusive.
The contract administrator's role will generally include:
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Inviting and processing tenders.
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Preparing contract documents for execution.
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Administrating change control procedures.
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Seeking instructions from the client in relation to the contract.
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Issuing instructions such as variations, or relating to prime cost sums or making good defects.
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Considering claims.
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Chairing construction progress meetings.
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Preparing and issuing construction progress reports.
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Co-ordinating and instructing site inspectors.
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Agreeing commissioning and testing procedures.
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Agreeing defects reporting procedures.
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Ensuring that project documentation is issued to the client.
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Issuing certificates of practical completion and interim certificates.
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Collating and issuing schedules of defects.
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Issuing the certificate of making good defects.
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Issuing the final certificate.
So you can see where the roles of Project Manager and Contract administrator dovetail.
Vince Holden would undertake the contract administrator role, managing the contract between the employer and building contractor to ensure the effective and correct administration of the contract terms. In turn giving you the peace of mind that your contractual rights are protected, your goals are achieved as planned and the delivery of your project properly managed.
Who is going to do this? Who is directing the day to day operations and how? If the owner is doing it themselves, do they have the necessary technical experience? Do they have the required managerial skills and programming know-how? Do they have the ability to act quickly and calmly when problems occur and panic abounds? That’s a lot of questions and they all need answering if the project is to be a success. It’s good being prepared in advance, but to maintain a healthy project is going to require the use of all of the above skills in the continuous reassessment of progress.
The site manager should knit the contractors labour with the flow of materials. This keeps the whole thing moving forward. The manager should also be able to motivate the labour force and develop a team spirit to make best use of everyone’s talents and expertise. The manager must also be able to mediate between the various personalities in the team to ensure that friction is kept to a minimum. Managing a site is not about ordering people about and shouting, no matter how stressful the job may become. A cool calm head needs to be maintained at all times. This however does not mean ignoring problems in the hope that they will go away. An attribute often underestimated, is the ability to communicate with operatives at “site level”. Many years in the industry, as tradesman and manager, has provided Holden Management Services with the tools to comfortably interconnect, therefore gaining the respect of the man on site and streamlining the production.
SITE MANAGEMENT
The know-how you need
PROJECT PROGRAMMING
The know-how you need
At Holden Management Services, we believe that a sound, agreed programme of works is essential for the successful progression of any size of project. A well cast programme will identify and negate most of the common problems stumbled over in less organised projects.
As well as providing the client with essential dates (which may relate back to contractual agreement) like start & end dates, stages of completion and disruptive stages, it also provides essential information for the ordering of items which traditionally take time to procure, the ability to arrange attendance dates with other trades in advance, dates that they must achieve in order for the project to maintain momentum and so on. All of the above are also instumental in forming the cashflow forecast, which of course is the ingredient that knits the whole process together.
LISTED BUILDINGS
The know-how you need
When a building is listed, it becomes recognized for special architectural or historical interest or both, and its details become part of a public record. The building is then immediately protected by law, and any changes to it must first receive listed building consent. Owners have the most important role in looking after historic buildings and, in most cases, take great care of their property and preserve its character and atmosphere. We and your architect can guide you through the consent process that you will need to follow to satisfy your Local Authority and preserve your buildings character.
The protection of the building applies to many more aspects than you would think - consent would be required for all of the following examples:
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Demolition of all or part of the building
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Alterations which will affect the character - inside or out
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Installation of dormer windows, rooflights, aerials, satellite dishes or burglar alarms
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Changing roofing materials
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Making new doorways
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Removal of or alterations to existing fireplaces, panelling and staircases
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Changing windows or doors
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Moving or removing internal walls
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Painting over brickwork or the removal of external surfaces
After evaluating your scheme, the architect will then work closely with the Local Authority to gauge in the first instance whether the work is acceptable in principle. If so, we could then assist the architect to produce the application with detailed drawings and photographs to ensure that what you intend to do is completely clear. The length of the consent period is similar to statutory consent - about 8 weeks.
Some important points to remember are:
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Carrying out unauthorised work to a listed building is a criminal act, punishable by a fine of £20k per offence - the local council can also make you put the building back as it was
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VAT does not apply to the cost of alterations / permitted development to listed buildings, although it does apply to repairs and ordinary maintenance. We can assist with the relevant information & forms
PROJECTS
Past & Present
New Build House in
Warsash
Works involved the construction of a high end 6 bedroom 9000ft2 detached house, garages etc including leisure area of swimming pool, sauna and steam room.
Masonry construction achieving very high levels of energy performance, with renewable technologies.
Employed by Self-Build clients for Total Project Management including design input.