Opening the Conversation: Your Role and Priorities

• Tell me about your current role and the types of campus or healthcare projects you manage.
• How many projects over $10M are active or planned on your campus in the next three years? Options: 0, 1, 2-3, 4-6, 7 or more
• When did the board or executive committee approve the project or program that is driving this effort? Options: Within 30 days, Within 90 days, Within 6 months, Longer than 6 months, Not yet approved
• Which key stakeholders will consistently sign off on budget, schedule, and trade selection across design and construction? Options: VP of Facilities / Operations, Capital Projects Director, CFO / Finance, Campus Planning or Architect, Board Representative, Other
• Describe a recent project where a lump-sum general contractor created mistrust about pricing or change orders, and what you learned from it.
• Is the project board-approved and funded for preconstruction now? Options: Yes, fully funded, Partially funded, gap remains, Funding contingent on approvals, Not funded

Where Estimates and Reality Diverge

• If your next major bid arrived 20% over preconstruction estimates, how would that change your program or timeline?
• Walk me through the preconstruction estimating process you currently run with the architect, including timing and who signs off on assumptions.
• Who within your organization owns escalation assumptions, market indexing, and contingency sizing for estimates? Options: VP Facilities, Capital Projects Director, Project Controls Manager, Finance Representative, External consultant
• How often do your preconstruction estimates match final bid results within plus or minus 5%? Options: Almost always, Often, Sometimes, Rarely, Never
• What single forecasting failure would make you stop the project immediately?

What Keeps You Up at Night About Delivery

• Your team likely sees change orders as inevitable, what is the largest recurring source of change orders on your projects right now? Options: Design incompleteness, Unforeseen site conditions, Trade scope gaps, Owner-directed changes, Regulatory changes, Other
• Estimate the annual budget impact of change orders and concealed margins on projects of this size, expressed as a percent of final contract value. Options: Under 2%, 2-5%, 5-10%, 10-15%, Over 15%
• Who tends to be held accountable internally when schedule slips or cost surprises happen, and how does that affect future procurement decisions?
• How long does it typically take your team to negotiate and resolve a disputed trade change order from discovery to resolution? Options: Under 2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 1-2 months, Over 2 months
• Is there a non-negotiable contract, policy, or governance requirement that would preclude adopting an owner-controlled construction management model? Options: Yes, procurement rules prevent it, Yes, insurance or bonding rules prevent it, No absolute blocker, possible exceptions, Unsure

Operational Readiness: Practical Gateways and Constraints

• If permits, site access, or insurance are not secured within your target window, can construction still start on time? Options: Yes, with mitigation plan, Only with phased work, No, start would be delayed, Unsure
• Which specific permits, approvals, or campus agreements must be in place before you can accept a construction start date? Options: Building permit, Utility tie-in agreements, Campus access permits, Traffic or lane closure approvals, Other
• To whom on your team would we coordinate system access and data exports for cost and schedule reporting?
• How many full time staff and dedicated site personnel can your organization commit to support owner-side procurement and oversight during peak construction? Options: 0-1, 2-3, 4-6, 7 or more
• Are there procurement rules, bonding, or insurance policies that require legal exceptions to allow direct owner contracting of trades? Options: Yes, formal exceptions required, Possible with written approvals, No, rules already permit it, Unsure
• Could the absence of an authorized signer for trade contracts within two weeks block your ability to adopt owner-contracted trades? Options: Yes, it would block, No, we can assign authority quickly, Depends on procurement office timeline

The Other Paths You're Considering

• You're likely comparing multiple delivery options, which alternative are you leaning toward right now and why? Options: Stay with incumbent GC, Switch to CM-at-risk, Owner-controlled CM, In-house execution, Undecided
• List the internal models or teams stakeholders have proposed to keep delivery inside your organization.
• To keep the incumbent GC, name the one change in performance or transparency that would make you choose to stay with them.
• Are you still evaluating any of the following options: owner-controlled CM, CM-at-risk, traditional GC, or in-house delivery? Options: Actively evaluating owner-controlled CM, Actively evaluating CM-at-risk, Actively evaluating traditional GC, Considering in-house, Not actively evaluating alternatives
• What evidence would convince you to cancel the external search and rely on internal resources instead? Options: Demonstrated internal estimating accuracy, Named internal contract signatory and process, Sufficient internal staff capacity, Cost comparison shows lower risk, Other

Decision Criteria That Will Move This Forward

• Accuracy in preconstruction estimates is often the tipping point, which three measures would you require to accept an owner-controlled CM model? Options: Estimate accuracy metric, Transparent subcontractor bids, Named superintendent and PM, Trade procurement plan, Insurance and bonds, Other
• Rank the following decision criteria by importance: cost transparency, trade selection control, schedule governance, local trade relationships, warranty ownership. Options: 1 - Most important, 2, 3, 4, 5 - Least important
• Name the single governance or commercial term that would make you walk away from this model.
• How quickly could your procurement and legal teams approve a non-lump-sum contracting structure once commercial terms are agreed? Options: Under 2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 1-2 months, Longer than 2 months
• Would you require performance bonds for trades managed by an owner-controlled CM, and if so to what percentage of contract value? Options: No bonds required, 10%, 25%, 50%, Unsure
• Would you proceed if trade contracting control and full cost transparency were delivered but schedule certainty decreased slightly? Options: Yes, Maybe with mitigations, No, schedule is non-negotiable

If We Could Prove It Quickly, What Happens Next?

• Assuming a single pilot building can validate preconstruction accuracy, how quickly could your leadership sign off to proceed to broader program coverage? Options: Immediately, Within 30 days, Within 60 days, Longer than 60 days
• List the roles that must be present for final commercial sign-off and give the order in which they would be engaged.
• Provide the timeline you expect for preconstruction milestones from kickoff to final estimate. Options: 4-6 weeks, 8-12 weeks, 3-6 months, Longer than 6 months
• How firm is your budget envelope and what escalation contingency percentage, if any, have you reserved? Options: Firm with 0-3% contingency, Firm with 4-7% contingency, Flexible with 8-12% contingency, No formal contingency set
• Select the next-step that would move this forward fastest, executive workshop, pilot agreement, or draft contract review. Options: Executive workshop, Pilot agreement, Draft contract review, Request for more information
• Could you commit to an exclusive negotiation period and a commercial decision within 30 days if the pilot meets your acceptance criteria? Options: Yes, Maybe with conditions, No

• Solution Experience: Owner-Directed Construction Management

• Confirm the current state and its cost to your team
• You confirm the demonstrated estimating workflow would have prevented the bid-day discrepancies you described in Discovery.
• Provide two recent project scenarios with the preconstruction estimate and final bid results for accuracy analysis.
• You confirm the procurement workflow gives you the direct contract control and margin transparency you require.
• Proof: Run one project scenario, estimating to bid-day
• Run an estimate-to-bid accuracy analysis on the provided projects and deliver a comparison report before the follow-up session.
• Proof: Show the trade procurement workflow and contract control
• You agree that the illustrated schedule governance and change-order path would reduce the rework, delays, and political friction you reported.
• Draft a proposed decision-rights and change-order governance summary for review.
• Proof: Demonstrate schedule governance and change-order control
• Identify the buying committee members and the decision timeline to prepare the Mutual Commit package.
• You agree on the remaining evidence needed to move toward Mutual Commit.
• Validate fit with your needs

• Solution Experience: Owner-Directed Construction Management
• Solution Experience Deck
• Solution Brief — Owner-Directed Construction Management

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Deliver Detailed Preconstruction Cost Estimate
• Provide Ongoing Design-Phase Cost Updates
• Perform Constructability Review and Design Coordination
• Deliver Value-Engineering Alternatives with Cost Impacts
• Develop Trade Bid Packages and Procurement Documents
• Prequalify Specialty Trade Contractors and Issue RFQs
• Administer Open-Book Trade Contracts and Cost Ledger
• Provide On-Site Superintendent and Daily Site Supervision
• Process Change Orders with Detailed Cost Breakdowns
• Review and Certify Trade Pay Applications
• Coordinate Submittals, Shop Drawings, and Approvals
• Manage Inspections, Punchlists, and Closeout Deliverables
• Deliver Final As-Built Drawings and Turnover Package
• Prepare Capital-Project Contracting and Incentive Package

Deliver Detailed Preconstruction Cost Estimate

• Do you have a target accuracy threshold for the preconstruction estimate (for example +/- 3 percent of bid results)? Options: Yes, +/- 3 percent, Yes, +/- 5 percent, No target set
• Which set of drawings/specifications should the estimate be based on (select highest available): Options: Schematic Design drawings, Design Development drawings, 50 percent Construction Documents, 100 percent Construction Documents
• Who on your team will validate scope assumptions in the estimate (for example design lead, cost controller, owner rep)?
• How would you like cost breakdowns presented for bid comparison (by CSI Division, trade package, line-item unit rates)? Options: CSI Division, Trade package, Line-item with unit rates, All of the above

Provide Ongoing Design-Phase Cost Updates

• When do you expect recurring cost updates during design (weekly, biweekly, milestone triggers tied to 30%/60%/90% design)? Options: Weekly, Biweekly, At design milestones (30/60/90), Ad hoc as needed
• Confirm which file formats you require for cost reports and overlays (for example spreadsheet CSV, PDF, or annotated CAD/PDF cost-overlay). Options: Spreadsheet CSV, PDF summary, Annotated drawing PDF, Combination
• List the escalation assumptions you expect tracked (labor rate indices, material escalation % per year, contingency percentage).
• Provide the owner-controlled budget envelope we should use as the baseline for tracking design-phase variance.

Perform Constructability Review and Design Coordination

• Describe which design deliverables you want constructability reviews tied to (for example structural framing plans, MEP coordination sets, façade shop drawings).
• Estimate how many formal constructability workshops you expect during design (for example 1 workshop per design milestone). Options: 1, 2, 3 or more, Undecided
• Select the coordination artifacts you require after each review (annotated drawings, RFI log recommendations, clash list with priority tags). Options: Annotated drawings, RFI recommendations, Clash list with priorities, All of the above
• Who on your project team will maintain the design issue log we update with constructability findings (name or role)?

Deliver Value-Engineering Alternatives with Cost Impacts

• When presenting value-engineering alternatives, which cost metric matters most for decision making (first cost, life-cycle cost, maintenance cost/year)? Options: First cost, Life-cycle cost, Maintenance cost per year, Combined metrics
• Identify which design elements are highest priority for value engineering (for example MEP systems, façade assemblies, structural framing).
• Specify the format you prefer for VE comparisons (side-by-side cost table with performance tradeoffs, or ranked recommendation memo). Options: Side-by-side cost table, Ranked recommendation memo, Both
• Indicate any performance thresholds that VE options must meet (for example minimum HVAC COP, acoustic STC rating, fire-rating hours).

Develop Trade Bid Packages and Procurement Documents

• By when do you need trade bid packages issued relative to the construction documents milestone (for example at 90 percent CDs)? Options: At 90 percent CDs, At 100 percent CDs, Phased issuance by package, Undecided
• Are there standard contract forms you require included in procurement documents (for example AIA-style subcontract amendment, owner rights language)? Options: Yes, specific contract form, No standard form required
• Confirm the acceptance criteria for an 'issue-ready' procurement package and name the evidence you expect (for example complete specs, permit set, and bidder Q&A log).
• Provide any pre-bid constraints to include in bid instructions (for example MBE/WBE goals, local hire requirements, required performance bonds).

Prequalify Specialty Trade Contractors and Issue RFQs

• Select the prequalification criteria you require for specialty trades (safety record, references for similar scope, capacity, bonding limit). Options: Safety record, Relevant references, Capacity and staffing, Bonding/insurance limits
• Who should receive RFQs and how will you prioritize local versus national bidders?
• Provide the minimum insurance and bonding thresholds vendors must meet (for example commercial general liability limit, performance bond percentage).
• Indicate whether you require on-site demonstrations, mock-ups, or sample submissions as part of prequalification for specialty trades. Options: Mock-ups required, Samples required, No on-site mock-ups required

Administer Open-Book Trade Contracts and Cost Ledger

• Do you want an open-book cost ledger that tracks committed amounts, change orders, and actuals by trade package? Options: Yes, No
• Which ledger reporting cadence do you prefer (weekly, biweekly, monthly)? Options: Weekly, Biweekly, Monthly
• Identify the level of detail you expect in the ledger (cost code level, line-item with unit rates, aggregated trade totals). Options: Cost code level, Line-item with unit rates, Aggregated trade totals
• Specify who on your team will be authorized to access the open-book ledger and receive audit copies (role or names).

Provide On-Site Superintendent and Daily Site Supervision

• Describe the superintendent authority you require on site for trade coordination and punchlist enforcement (for example authority to stop work for nonconformance).
• How many on-site supervision hours per week do you expect for the project size and phasing (for example single superintendent 40 hours, multiple superintendents)? Options: Single superintendent 40 hours, Multiple superintendents, Supplemental field engineers
• Where should daily supervision reports be filed and what key fields must they contain (for example workforce counts, critical-path activities, safety incidents)?
• Provide the required qualifications or certifications for the proposed superintendent (for example years of experience on healthcare projects, OSHA 30).

Process Change Orders with Detailed Cost Breakdowns

• Are unit-rate backed change orders acceptable or do you require time-and-materials with daily logs and receipts? Options: Unit-rate backed, Time-and-materials with logs, Fixed-price change orders only
• Identify the level of supporting detail you need on each change order (labor hours by trade, material receipts, subcontractor markup percent).
• Specify change order turnaround time targets for review and approval at the owner level (for example 5 business days). Options: 3 business days, 5 business days, 10 business days
• Indicate whether you require a negotiated ceiling for cumulative change orders as a percentage of contract value. Options: Yes, specify ceiling, No ceiling required, Discuss during mutual commit

Review and Certify Trade Pay Applications

• Select the pay application format you will accept for certification (for example AIA G702/G703, certified invoice bundle, platform-submitted pay app). Options: AIA G702/G703, Certified invoice bundle, Platform pay app
• Who will be the authorized signer from your team for monthly pay certifications (name or role)?
• Describe the documentation you require attached to pay applications (lien waivers, material receipts, daily logs).
• Indicate your preferred holdback or retainage percentage and any conditions for its release. Options: Standard retainage applies, Custom retainage percentage, No retainage

Coordinate Submittals, Shop Drawings, and Approvals

• Provide the submittal schedule target you expect (for example submittal register aligned to critical-path milestones).
• Are electronic submittal logs required in a specific format or system (for example PDF register, platform-based tracking)? Options: PDF register, Platform-based tracking, No preference
• Identify any long-lead items that require early shop drawing approval (for example custom millwork, HVAC equipment, curtainwall).
• Where do you require coordination signoffs to appear (on the submittal cover sheet, in RFI response, or in the submittal log)? Options: Cover sheet, RFI response, Submittal log

Manage Inspections, Punchlists, and Closeout Deliverables

• State the mandatory closeout deliverables you require before turnover (for example certificate of occupancy, third-party commissioning report, warranties).
• Choose the punchlist workflow you prefer (owner-driven punchlist with contractor remedy, or joint field verification with tracked rectifications). Options: Owner-driven, Joint field verification, Hybrid
• Identify any regulatory inspections that must be scheduled by specific dates (for example fire marshal, health department, accessibility inspections).
• Provide the criteria you will use to accept punchlist completion (for example zero safety items, all critical items closed, verification photos uploaded).

Deliver Final As-Built Drawings and Turnover Package

• Attach the preferred file formats for as-built deliverables (for example Revit model, AutoCAD drawings, PDF marked-up set). Options: Revit model, AutoCAD DWG, PDF marked-up set, All required formats
• Identify whether room-data sheets, equipment cut-sheets, and O&M manuals must be compiled into the turnover package. Options: Room-data sheets required, Equipment cut-sheets required, O&M manuals required, All required
• Specify warranty periods and the format for recorded warranties in the turnover package (for example consolidated warranty register by system).
• Indicate the acceptance evidence you require for turnover (for example signed turnover checklist, final inspection sign-offs, approved as-builts).

Prepare Capital-Project Contracting and Incentive Package

• Confirm the project qualification acceptance evidence: board-approved resolution and a budget line item equal to or greater than ten million dollars. Options: Board resolution and budget >= $10,000,000 provided, Not yet available
• Are incentive structures required in trade contracts (for example early-completion bonuses, liquidated delay damages)? Options: Yes, include incentives, No incentives
• For which contracting model do you want documentation prepared (for example owner-contracted trades with CM administration, or CM-administered subcontracts)? Options: Owner-contracted trades, CM-administered subcontracts, Hybrid
• Include an explicit out-of-scope list for this engagement detailing what we will not deliver (for example we will not self-perform trade work, perform owner internal approvals, or fund trade payments). Options: I acknowledge the proposed out-of-scope list and will specify exceptions, I need to review and propose changes

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW) — Preconstruction & Construction
• Commercial Term Sheet
• Governance & Decision Rights Agreement
• Transparency & Open-Book Reporting Addendum
• Trade Procurement & Contracting Protocol
• Change Order & Variation Agreement
• Insurance, Bonds & Indemnity Schedule
• Preconstruction Acceptance & Transition Checklist

• Occupancy Handover Health Check
• First Post-Occupancy Measurement
• 90-Day Post-Occupancy Realization Review
• Quarterly Post-Occupancy Performance Review

• Schedule the next quarterly review and confirm data owners for each metric.
• Assign data owner to collect occupancy signals for the first measurement meeting.
• Schedule the First Post-Occupancy Measurement meeting with required data deliverables.
• Restate success criteria and where targets live
• Document which Project Discovery success criteria are met and which require remediation, with clear owners and deadlines.
• Agree a prioritized remediation plan that closes remaining punchlist and warranty items within defined timeboxes.
• Capture at least five specific lessons learned to improve preconstruction estimating, procurement, or supervision on future phases.
• Publish the 90-day outcomes report mapping each metric to Project Discovery targets and status.
• Create a prioritized remediation backlog with named owners and firm due dates for each outstanding item.
• Establish the shared warranty and enhancement request channel and distribute onboarding guidance to ops teams.
• Warranty performance dashboard
• Keep open warranty issues trending toward zero and resolution time within the SLA recorded in Project Discovery.
• Monitor and control cumulative change order value so it remains aligned with targets recorded in Project Discovery.
• Agree owners and a delivery window for the top-priority enhancement requests impacting operations.
• Agree a quarterly target and owners to reduce open warranty issues and publish the target to stakeholders.
• Publish the quarterly performance dashboard containing the named metrics and distribute to the stakeholder distribution list.
• Cost variance presentation
• Confirm whether final construction cost variance versus the preconstruction estimate (%) is within the targets recorded in Project Discovery.
• Confirm whether the schedule milestone adherence rate (%) meets the targets recorded in Project Discovery or requires recovery planning.
• Agree named owners and firm dates for corrective actions addressing any variance beyond tolerance.
• Produce and circulate a root-cause memo for any cost or schedule variance greater than the agreed tolerance.
• Update the shared punchlist and warranty tracker with owners, priority, and resolution dates.
• Publish a revised milestone forecast and recovery plan with critical-path responsibilities.
• Reconfirm success criteria and owners
• All success criteria from Project Discovery are restated and have an assigned owner.
• Open punchlist and warranty items are documented with owners and target resolution dates.
• Immediate high-priority remediation actions are agreed and scheduled within the next 30 days.
• Publish the handover deficiency log with owners and target dates for each item.
• Outcomes versus targets
• Cost trend and change order review
• Schedule performance review
• Handover document and deliverable review
• Change orders and cost follow-up
• Warranty and punchlist trend
• Enhancement request backlog and prioritization
• Early operational signals
• Risk register and emerging issues
• Lessons learned capture
• Root-cause analysis for variances
• Open punchlist and warranty items
• Agree immediate remediation actions
• Finalize remediation and shared warranty channel
• Action review and next steps
• Agree corrective actions and dates