Project Management Approach

IntES’s approach is to assemble a project team with resources from our Vietnam office. IntES will provide and report to the client with requesting information for appraisal of IntES’s performance of the work, including but not limited to, copies of calculations, construction documents in preparation, purchasing and contracting documents, estimates, schedules, progress measurements, cost reports, etc. Project Management Approach

IntES will administer work performed by the suppliers, works contractors and professional services, monitor for quality, cost, schedule, progress, and safety and ensure that the project plan is implemented effectively.

1. Project Delivery Tools

As part of the IntES project delivery methodology, our project manager will have proven execution tools, strategies, and processes at his disposal to tailor fit the needs of the client. Some of these proven tools and processes are discussed below.

2. Project Kick-off Meeting

After the client has issued an award and the initial date to IntES our core team will meet with the client. IntES recommends that all parties meet in project office for the project kick-off meeting. The primary purpose of this kick-off meeting is as follows:

  • Align the project team around the key goals and objectives of the project;
  • Gain a better understanding of the project status and the starting point of design and permitting activities;
  • Transfer as much pertinent technical information from the client to IntES engineers as is available;
  • Begin the development of a team between the client and IntES personnel;
  • Confirm roles, responsibilities, actions required and project schedule throughout the design, to include status meetings, formal design reviews, monthly project status reports, preparation of project information needs list, and other important project management items.

The clients’ participation during this meeting is more than welcome; we assume that the client will present the project objectives, strategy and the main goals to IntES core project team.

After the kick-off meeting, IntES core team will organize an evaluation meeting about the project objectives, strategy and the main goals of the client.

The IntES project manager will work closely with the the clients civil consultant and project manager in advance to coordinate the attendees, the agenda and the information required from all parties to efficiently initiate the design effort.

The biggest key to a successful kick-off meeting is the planning and preparation that precedes it. Another key is for the client to anticipate the staff involvement necessary to participate in the design review process for this project. Clients champion(s) should be identified for each technical discipline associated with this project. The same player may be the champion for multiple disciplines and in some cases the involvement may be fairly limited or intermittent. However, it is very important that the client is prepared to have staff committed to support the design process.

Minutes will be published and distributed by the IntES Project Manager within three (03) working days of the conclusion of the project kick-off meeting.

3. Project Plan Project Management Approach

In the initial phase of the project, the IntES project manager will develop a project execution plan. The execution plan must communicate to the client / IntES team the essential information and methodology that needs to be employed to achieve the objectives of the project. An important part of this effort is the preparation of a detailed project procedures manual, which will accomplish the following:

  • Distribute pertinent information to the appropriate members of the project team and establish communication channels for the successful flow of information throughout the life of the project;
  • Establish the appropriate project organization and assign key personnel in order to perform the necessary work efforts. Roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships must be clearly defined;
  • Provide the necessary resources as well as continuity of all key project personnel throughout the life of the project;
  • Establish the appropriate project controls system necessary to ensure successful budget and schedule performance on the project;
  • Implement IntES’s established procedures for monitoring and controlling the quality of the deliverables prepared on the project. This includes incorporation of applicable client and IntES technical standards into the engineering and design effort.

The project execution plan will be prepared for the entire project. Planning will always be focused on meeting the project goals and objectives for quality, cost, and schedule, and managing critical risk elements.

4. Project Status Meetings Project Management Approach

Every second week at the same day and time, key members of the project team will participate face to face, or teleconference to share project status information. This would include the status or completion of previous project commitments, initiation or resolution of information needs (to be tracked by and subsequently published by the IntES project manager on a standard electronic format).

The IntES project manager will facilitate this session and strive to keep the duration to one (1) hour. Minutes will be published by the IntES project manager or his designee within three (3) working days of the completion of each meeting.

5. Design Reviews

IntES will starts with study/review the initial data of the project, organize a kick-off meeting and evaluation meeting to get familiar with the project objectives, strategy and the main goals of the client, as described above.

IntES anticipates holding one design review of each engineering phase at our HCMC office or the clients office (if required). These will occur approximately two third through each phase of design, i.e. preliminary design, detail design for approval phase… During each of these, the IntES representative for each technical discipline will present design documents in the current state of completion.

IntES will use a documented adjudication process whereby requested changes are identified on a log with a responsible IntES engineer assigned to address the change. As changes are made, they will be indicated on the log by nature, date and responsible party. This log will be maintained throughout all design stages.

6. Reporting

Another key ingredient to the project’s success, and an important part of the communication process, is the documentation of important agreements and decisions that are made during the course of the project. This holds true regardless of whether the discussions take place during meetings, in telephone conversations, or in other settings. Bi-weekly status reports will be issued. This will be informal.

In addition, monthly progress reports will be issued by the IntES project manager to communicate progress, as well as to reinforce to the client / IntES team members the outstanding issues that need to be resolved. The contents of the project monthly status report will in general provide a discussion of the scope, budget, and schedule performance as well as identify current or critical issue, resource allocations, action items reports, changes (approved and pending), and the appropriate forecasts.

7. Project Controls Project Management Approach

An effective project controls system is essential to successful budget and schedule performance.

At IntES, project controls is risk management behaviour as opposed to maintaining records of past activities. The role of the project controls group is identification of the critical and/or problem issues ahead of time and formulating a proactive plan for solution before they impact others.

In summary, it will be critical to:

  • Develop and implement an integrated master project schedule;
  • Implement project controls procedures including cost trending and earned value progressing;
  • Strict control of scope by employing change order discipline.

The scope of work for the IntES project will be subjected to value engineering reviews. As appropriate, consistent with the timeline for the project, IntES will continue to identify value engineering measures that can be applied during the early design stages to ensure the success of the overall project. We will also place heavy focus on periodic reviews of the design to make certain that constructability, operability, and maintainability issues have been considered. Early application of these reviews will enable timely and cost effective changes early in the project and minimize the potential of costly rework in the field.

8. Constructability Reviews

Constructability is considered by IntES to be a continuous process throughout the project. We also place heavy focus on periodic reviews of the design to make certain that constructability, operability, and maintainability issues have been considered.

IntES plans to conduct formal constructability, and maintainability reviews during the engineering design effort. Key personnel from the client (engineering, operations, and maintenance) and IntES (engineering, procurement and construction) will participate in these reviews in order to gain maximum benefit. Suggestions for enhancement of constructability or maintainability will be tabulated and their disposition noted. Where appropriate, they will be incorporated into the project design.

During the construction phase, contractors will be included in the constructability review process. Our experience has found that they often can suggest alternate approaches or enhancements that can improve schedule and reduce costs.

In order to maximize its effectiveness, the constructability program will be based on a forward looking, integrated planning philosophy rather than a backward looking ”review” of completed design. This requires that all project personnel act as a team to contribute to the constructability effort by contributing new ideas and sharing past experiences.

9. Master Project Schedule

A master project schedule will be developed during the basic design stage to identify key client milestones, major activities, and the critical path for the project. The activities will include design, permitting & procurement support and construction activities.

The schedule will be a living document that evolves throughout the life of the project. Bi-weekly updates will be performed on the schedule, and formally issued on a monthly basis as part of the monthly project report.

IntES plans to use Microsoft Projects to develop and maintain the master project schedule.

Please contact our team for a tailored approach;

from a client centric perspective.