Development of an Introductory Course in Design Phase Management for Constructors

Abstract

Collaborative construction delivery methods such as Design-Build (DB), Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), and Construction Management at Risk (CMR) have a need for a person that manages the design phase of a project made up of many different stakeholders. A course was recently developed for a construction-based Design and Construction Integration (DCI) program that focuses on the unique role of managing the construction project during the design phase. The course covers a number of issues including: 1) effectively building and managing a team that is made up of owners, architects, engineers, contractors, and sub-contractors that have diverse educational and experiential backgrounds, 2) building team expertise by bringing in key subcontractors and specialty designers under various contract methods, 3) risk management of the different types of delivery methods are explored along with the legal issues associated with the delivery methods, and finally 4) managing the design phase costs and how stakeholders are compensated during the design phase to ensure a quality designed project that will be on budget and has a feasible construction schedule. The course introduces many of these topics with the underlying concepts of lean design and construction best practices. This paper details the development of the course, class activities associated with the course, and lessons learned from implementing the course in a DCI program.