Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Role Of Owners Rep In Construction Projects

By Deana Norton


Developers and project owners cannot be at a site throughout. They hire an owners rep to watch over their interest through the life the project. The role of the representative is to make sure that the interests of the developer or owner are taken care of. This will ensure that your project is completed successfully through coordination and regular monitoring. There are other duties carried out by the representatives towards the successful completion of any project.

Any representative must understand the jurisdiction responsible for the area where a project is situated. This ensures that all regulations required of projects in that area are met. It takes knowledge and experience to successfully administer a project. The representative watches over a site on behalf of the owner or developer. He ensures that daily activities are carried out as envisaged.

The representative is tasked with obtaining licenses and permits that will allow commencement of the project. To obtain these permits, he must know the local procedures and the offices where these permits and licenses are obtained. Such knowledge is important for planning purposes. Reliability requires knowledge of local policies and regulations to minimize the chances of rejection or delays due to conditions that are yet to be met.

It is paramount for representatives to be part of proposal evaluation committees. This is based on the fact that the rep will watch over the project through its life. Crucial among the important evaluation responsibilities is monitoring expenditure. He will ensure that budgetary limits are not exceeded. The cost of materials is kept within limits and labor matters are handled effectively. He also ensures that post construction services are delivered according to expectations.

Representatives also perform due-diligence on behalf of project owners. This may involve verification of address, financial statements and other claims made during tendering. In other instances, the representative may be required to visit a site where the said contractor has completed a project in order to get a clear idea of the claims made in tender documents. Such background checks are meant to determine the credibility and reliability of all parties who will be welcome to undertake a project.

Representatives are tasked with monitoring the daily progress of any project. Monitoring entails evaluating the performance of service providers and contractors to ensure that they deliver based on contractual agreements. To deliver in this capacity, a representative must have full knowledge of standards set at the beginning of the project. Representatives ensure that these standards are adhered to at every stage in the construction process.

Regulators set conditions to be adhered to at all construction sites. It is the responsibility of owner reps to ensure that these conditions are met. The conditions regard the safety of personnel and equipment at the site. In case officials from any regulatory or inspection department visit a project, it is the rep to show them around and provide any answers that may be demanded.

Owner reps are responsible for relationship management for any project. They act as the link between developers, owners, suppliers and contractors. They are charged with organizing meetings whenever the need arises to ensure that everything runs smoothly. An experienced civil engineer or a graduate of building economics would fit the role perfectly.




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