Getting on the Same Page — Project Snapshot

• Tell us in one paragraph: what is this project, why now, and who signed off to move it forward?
• Which of these best describes your project trigger? Options: Board-approved capital project > $10M, Multi-phase campus program, Owner wants direct trade contracts, Regulatory/clinical compliance need, Other
• Who is the primary decision sponsor (title and name) and what outcome do they care about most?
• Who else at the executive or board level needs to be kept informed about decisions? Options: Board (full), Finance/CFO, Chief Operating Officer, Legal/Risk, Clinical leadership, Other
• What would you say keeps you up at night about this project—cost surprises, schedule slippage, governance, or something else? Options: Cost surprises, Schedule slippage, Loss of control over trades, Design-to-construction handoff failures, Change order escalation, Other
• How do you want us to use this discovery: high-level alignment, detailed commercial prep, or to brief your board? Options: High-level alignment, Detailed commercial prep, Board briefing material, All of the above, Unsure

Who Holds the Keys? — Decision Roles and Authority

• If a major scope decision had to be made tomorrow, who would actually sign off—and who would push back?
• Which titles have final approval authority over budget increases, schedule changes, and trade selection? Options: Board, VP Facilities/CPO, Capital Projects Director, Finance/CFO, Project Architect, Legal
• Are there different decision rules for preconstruction versus construction (e.g., who approves change orders vs design choices)? Options: Yes—different rules, No—same rules, Partly—depends on amount/type, Unsure
• Describe one recent internal decision that dragged on longer than expected—what caused the delay and who was most affected?
• How comfortable are your primary stakeholders with delegating on-site authority to a superintendent? Options: Very comfortable, Somewhat comfortable, Hesitant, Not comfortable
• Who should be included in an escalation ladder for disputes, and in what order should we engage them?

Where’s the Money Guardrail? — Budget Expectations and Tolerances

• If your board demanded an open-book cost review today, what part of your current budget would you be most worried they’d question?
• What is the current approved budget (line item or total) and is that a firm cap or a guideline? Options: Firm cap, Guideline with contingency, Not formally approved, Other
• What contingency level do you expect to carry through design and into construction (percent of budget)? Options: <5%, 5–10%, 10–15%, >15%, Unsure
• What estimate-to-bid variance would you accept before pausing the project or seeking a board review? Options: <=3%, 3–7%, 7–12%, >12%, Depends on cause
• How do you currently validate preconstruction estimates—internal audits, third-party peer review, architect checks, or nothing? Options: Internal audit, Third-party peer review, Architect validation, Owner review only, No formal validation
• Tell a story about a past budget surprise—what happened, who owned it, and what was the emotional impact on leadership?

Timeline — Realistic Deadlines or Wishful Thinking?

• If someone said ‘we must occupy by X date’—how confident are you that date reflects reality and not optimism? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Skeptical, It’s aspirational only
• What are the non-negotiable milestones (e.g., funding availability, accreditation, semester start, clinical go-live)?
• Where in the timeline do you anticipate the most friction—design completion, permitting, trade procurement, or construction handoffs? Options: Design completion, Permitting, Trade procurement, Construction handoff, Other
• How much float do you have between design completion and breaking ground (weeks)? Options: 0–4 weeks, 4–12 weeks, 12–24 weeks, >24 weeks, Not sure
• Describe the consequences if the milestone slips—who bears cost risk, and what are political or operational impacts?
• Would you be willing to adjust scope to protect a hard milestone? If so, who must agree to that trade-off? Options: Yes—executive sponsor, Yes—board approval, Maybe—project steering committee, No

How Will We Know We’re Winning? — Reporting, Metrics & Transparency

• If transparency were a person in your organization, would they be celebrated, tolerated, or avoided? Options: Celebrated, Tolerated, Avoided, Mixed
• Which reporting cadence do you prefer for cost and schedule (and which recipients should always receive it)? Options: Weekly to PM/Owner team, Bi-weekly to exec sponsor, Monthly to board/finance, On-demand for major items, Other
• What level of detail feels useful—line-item trade contracts and subcontractor quotes, or high-level aggregates? Options: Line-item + quotes, Trade-level summaries, Project-level aggregates, Dashboard + drilldowns
• Do you have existing systems (ERP, PMIS, spreadsheet) we must integrate with for reporting? Name them.
• Who is authorized to receive full open-book financials versus summary reporting? Options: Board only, Exec sponsor + CFO, Project team, Legal/Risk, All of the above (role-based)
• How have reporting failures affected trust on past projects—give one concrete example.

Hidden Relationships & Procurement Preferences — Who’s Already in the Room?

• When you say you want to ‘prequalify and contract trades directly,’ what does that process really look like today in practice?
• Which trades do you typically want to direct-contract or prequalify (select all that apply)? Options: MEP, Concrete, Specialty medical equipment, Security/Life safety, Site/civil, Other
• Do you currently have incumbent trade relationships or preferred vendors that must be considered? Options: Yes—formal list, Yes—informal relationships, No preferred vendors, Unsure
• How important is giving existing vendors an opportunity versus running a clean, competitive procurement? Options: Very important, Somewhat important, Neutral, Prefer fully competitive
• Describe one situation where an incumbent trade created procurement friction—what happened and what was the outcome?
• What prequalification criteria matter most to you (safety record, financials, references, bonding, healthcare experience)? Options: Safety record, Financial stability, References, Bonding capacity, Healthcare experience, Other

Conflict, Failures, and Change Orders — What Broke Before?

• Think of the last project where change orders derailed trust—what early signals were missed that we should watch for now?
• Which change-order drivers have historically caused the most cost escalation on your projects? Options: Design gaps, Scope creep from stakeholders, Market escalation, Owner-directed changes, Trade omissions
• Who traditionally negotiates and approves change orders and are they empowered to say no? Options: Owner rep/VP Facilities, Finance, Project Architect, Legal, Project Steering Committee
• How do past procurement failures feel to your team—embarrassment, budget strain, political risk, or something else?
• What dispute resolution path do you prefer—collaborative mediation, formal claims process, or board-led escalation? Options: Collaborative mediation, Formal claims process, Board-led escalation, Hybrid
• What’s an acceptable timeline for resolving a disputed change order before work must pause? Options: 48–72 hours, 1–2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, Depends on amount

What Would True Alignment Feel Like? — Visioning the Ideal State

• Imagine it’s 6 months after construction starts and everything has gone well—what do your stakeholders say about the CM role?
• Which of these outcomes would be a sign of success for this project? Options: Estimate within 3% of bids, No major change-order disputes, Superintendent with clear authority, On-time occupancy, Transparent cost reporting
• How would you describe the ideal balance between owner control and CM authority on-site? Options: Owner retains high control, Shared decision-making with CM authority, CM has operational authority, owner strategic control, Undecided
• What behavior changes would indicate to you that the organization has truly solved its procurement and governance problems?
• If you could lock in one governance rule to prevent future dysfunction, what would it be?

First Moves — Closing the Gap Between Today and That Ideal

• What’s the single most important action we can take in the next 30 days to reduce board-level risk perceptions?
• Which stakeholders should be part of an immediate alignment workshop (select all that apply)? Options: Board rep, VP Facilities/CPO, CFO/Finance, Project Architect, Legal, Clinical leadership
• Who will own stakeholder alignment from your side (name and title) and who will be our counterpart for decisions?
• What decisions must be resolved before we begin formal preconstruction (budget cap, procurement approach, superintendent authority)? Options: Budget cap, Procurement approach, Superintendent authority, Reporting cadence, All of the above
• How soon can you commit to a 60–90 minute alignment session with the core decision-makers? Options: Within 1 week, 1–2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, Longer than a month
• What would make you hesitate to proceed with a CM-as-agent approach right now? Options: Board resistance, Unclear budget, Political risk, Existing GC contracts, None/ready to proceed

Opening: Give Us the Short Version of Your Program

• In one paragraph, how would you summarize the program or project(s) you need construction management for?
• What’s the total approved capital budget (or board-approved range) for this project or multi-year program? Options: <$10M, $10M–$25M, $25M–$50M, $50M–$100M, >$100M, Not yet finalized
• Who is the single executive ultimately accountable to the board for delivery (title and name if comfortable)?
• How far along is design today (Schematic, Design Development, 50% CDs, 90% CDs, Bid-ready)? Options: Schematic, Design Development, 50% CDs, 90% CDs, Bid-ready, Other
• What timeline pressure points matter most (funding windows, occupancy dates, regulatory deadlines)?
• Which outcome would feel like a clear success at handoff (strict budget hold, on-time occupancy, minimal change orders, predictable procurement)? Options: Strict budget hold, On-time occupancy, Minimal change orders, Predictable procurement, Strong trade relationships, Other

What Keeps You Awake at Night About Past Projects?

• Tell us about the most recent project failure or surprise that still affects how you run projects today—what happened?
• How much did that failure cost (dollars, schedule weeks, or percentage over budget)? Options: <$100k, $100k–$500k, $500k–$1M, $1M–$5M, >$5M, Prefer not to say
• Who in your organization bore the brunt of the fallout—operational teams, finance, the board, design team—or multiple stakeholders? Options: Facilities/Operations, Finance/Capital, Board/Trustees, Design/Architect, General Counsel, Multiple/all
• Looking back, which single decision or assumption most directly led to that outcome?
• How did that experience change your procurement or oversight preferences for subsequent projects?
• What emotional impact did that failure have on your team’s willingness to take risks or try new delivery models? Options: Made team risk-averse, Raised healthy skepticism, No lasting emotional impact, Created openness to new models, Other

Procurement: The Rules You Live By (And the Ones You Break)

• When procurement needs to move fast, what process do you default to—and why does that feel safe? Options: Competitive sealed bid, Negotiated contract, Sole-source with justification, Prequalified, staged procurements, Owner direct-contract to trades
• Which formal procurement rules or policies are non-negotiable for your organization (e.g., public bid thresholds, minority/inclusion goals, procurement committee approvals)?
• Have you ever waived a standard procurement rule to hit a timeline or manage a risk? What was the trade-off?
• Who signs off on exceptions—Board, CFO, General Counsel, VP of Facilities, Procurement Office, or someone else? Options: Board, CFO, General Counsel, VP of Facilities, Procurement Office, Other
• What procurement method has historically produced the fewest surprises for you (most accurate pricing and least change order friction)? Options: Competitive bid with full documents, Two-stage tendering, Negotiated GMP, Open-book CM-as-agent, Direct owner procurement of trades, Not sure
• If you could change one internal procurement habit immediately, what would it be?

Trade Relationships: Who’s an Asset—Who’s a Risk

• Which trade contractors do you routinely prefer or direct onto your projects, and why do you trust them?
• Which trade relationships have caused recurring headaches (schedule slippage, poor documentation, frequent change orders)?
• How do you currently prequalify trades (financials, past performance, references, safety record, insurance limits)? Options: Financial review, Reference checks, Safety record review, Insurance/certificates, Past project audits, Formal prequalification questionnaire, Other
• Do any trades have long-standing informal arrangements with your organization that we should know about (preferred suppliers, legacy vendors, incumbent teams)? Please name them and describe the arrangement.
• How do you feel when a trusted incumbent underperforms—do you replace them quickly, attempt remediation, or accept the slippage? Options: Replace quickly, Attempt remediation first, Tolerate with oversight, Depends on trade/value
• Are there political or campus relationships (e.g., alumni, local firms, union preferences) that constrain how we can bid or award work? Options: Yes—political constraints, Yes—union/local constraints, No constraints, Unsure

Change Orders: Where They Start and Who Pays

• When change orders have escalated on your projects, what was the most common origin—owner change, design error, asbestos/differing site condition, trade pricing, or estimating gap? Options: Owner-directed change, Design omission/error, Differing site conditions, Trade scope gaps/pricing, Estimating error, Market escalation
• Describe the single largest change order event you’ve experienced—what caused it and how was fault assigned?
• What approval gates exist today for change orders (monetary thresholds, committee review, engineering sign-off)? Options: PM approval up to limit, VP approval required, Board approval over threshold, Procurement/Legal review, No formal gates
• How well-documented are your historical change orders (RFI logs, original scope comparisons, back-up pricing)? Options: Comprehensive, Mostly documented, Patchy, Minimal or none
• How long does it typically take from a proposed change to final approval and payment? Options: <2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 1–2 months, >2 months, Highly variable
• What process would you like to see that would materially reduce the frequency and size of change orders?

Risk Signals: The Small Things That Turn Into Big Problems

• Which early-warning signs have you consistently missed before they became costly (e.g., repeated RFIs, trade substitution requests, rapidly rising allowances)? Options: Rising RFIs, Trade substitution frequency, Escalating allowance spend, Schedule lagging at milestones, Contractor cash-flow distress, Quality rework
• What specific numeric thresholds should trigger an immediate escalation (e.g., >5% schedule slip, >3% estimate variance, change orders >$X)?
• How do you prefer risk to be reported and visualized—dashboards, weekly narrative, red/amber/green heatmaps, or working sessions? Options: Dashboard metrics, Weekly narrative, RAG heatmap, Monthly deep-dive, Ad-hoc working sessions
• Who must be notified when a risk threshold is hit (titles, not just names)?
• Are there organizational blind spots (procurement, legal, campus politics) that have prevented earlier intervention in the past? Options: Procurement, Legal, Board politics, Campus stakeholders, Finance/controlling, No blind spots
• If we were monitoring five signals for you, which three should be top priority?

Decision-Making When It’s Messy: Who’s Authorized to Act?

• If a major scope or budget surprise appears mid-construction, who has final authority to approve a remediation plan? Options: VP Facilities, CFO, Program Board, Owner’s Rep, Procurement Director, Other
• What are your hard limits on emergency spending or time-critical fixes before higher approval is required? Options: <$25k, $25k–$100k, $100k–$250k, >$250k, No set limit
• How comfortable are you with empowering a superintendent or CM team to stop trade work if quality or safety standards slip? Options: Very comfortable, Somewhat comfortable, Reluctant, Not at all comfortable
• When disputes over change orders occur, what resolution path do you prefer—mediation, independent third-party pricing, formal claims, or direct negotiation? Options: Mediation, Independent third-party pricing, Formal legal claims, Direct negotiation
• Who on your side will be the day-to-day contact for escalation during preconstruction and construction (title, decision boundaries)?
• What would make you say, within the first 90 days, that the CM relationship is trustworthy and effective?

Rewriting the Script: Your Ideal Controls and Transparency

• Imagine a project where bids consistently match preconstruction estimates—what changed in process, culture, or governance?
• How important is open-book cost visibility on a scale from 1–5 for your board and finance team? Options: 1 - Not important, 2, 3, 4, 5 - Mission-critical
• Which transparency features would be most persuasive to your leadership—real-time cost dashboard, access to trade subcontract pricing, weekly estimate reconciliations, or documented negotiation notes? Options: Real-time dashboard, Trade subcontract pricing access, Weekly estimate reconciliations, Documented negotiation notes, All of the above
• Would you be willing to adopt tighter preconstruction checkpoints (e.g., estimate accuracy gates, mandatory constructability reviews) to reduce bid-day sticker shock? Options: Yes—fully, Yes—with conditions, Unsure, No
• What governance change would most restore your confidence after prior failures (clear approval gates, independent audit of estimates, delegated superintendent authority, or something else)?
• If we proposed a public, auditable change-order log accessible to your leadership, how likely would that be to resolve trust issues? Options: Very likely, Somewhat likely, Not likely, Would create political issues

Show Me the Receipts: Documents and Data That Tell the True Story

• Which of the following documents can you provide from prior projects to help us model risk and failure modes? Options: Change order logs, RFI logs, Bid tabulations, Original preconstruction estimate vs bid comparisons, Procurement policies, Trade prequalification lists, Safety/QA reports
• Do you have a historical change-order register (CSV or spreadsheet) we can analyze? If yes, what date range does it cover? Options: Yes—last 1–2 years, Yes—last 3–5 years, Yes—>5 years, No
• Can you share your standard contract templates and where liability for differing site conditions sits today? Options: Owner contracts place liability on owner, Risk shared with CM, Contractor assumes risk, Varies by trade/project, Not sure
• Are there red-lines in your procurement or contracting docs that we should know will never be accepted by your legal/board? Options: Yes—list available, Some non-negotiables, No hard red-lines, Unsure
• Please attach or list three past project names and contacts (architect, PM, superintendent) we can reference for how procurement and change orders were handled.

Final Check: Tolerances, Timing, and What We Should Promise

• What estimate-to-bid variance would you consider acceptable at the end of preconstruction (choose a single tolerance)? Options: ±1%, ±2–3%, ±4–5%, ±6–10%, >±10%
• How long a preconstruction engagement do you think is realistic given your timeline—3 months, 6 months, more—and why? Options: <3 months, 3 months, 4–6 months, 6–12 months, >12 months
• What contractual or reporting commitment from a CM would make you feel comfortable shifting to an open-book, owner-controlled procurement model? Options: Estimate accuracy guarantee, Regular reconciliation reports, Named superintendent authority, Audit rights to trade bids, Escrow or holdback mechanisms
• If we identify high-risk areas early, what level of intervention would you authorize us to take without escalating every time (e.g., negotiate with trades up to $X, pause work, bring in third-party pricing)? Options: Allow negotiation up to a set $, Require notification but not approval, Require sign-off for any intervention, Other
• Finally, what would you like us to do in the first 30 days to demonstrate we understand your risks and can start reducing them?

Quick Project Snapshot — who’s in the room?

• Project name or campus area this Pre-Deployment Readiness check applies to:
• What is the board-approved construction budget (select the range): Options: Under $10M, $10M–$25M, $25M–$50M, $50M–$100M, Over $100M, Not yet board-approved
• Who is the primary commercial decision-maker for this project (who signs off on contracts and major approvals)? Options: VP of Facilities/Capital Projects, Director of Capital Projects, Chief Financial Officer, Board/Board Committee, Owner's Program Manager, Other
• Is this a single project or part of a multi-phase campus program? Options: Single project, Multi-phase campus program (consistent delivery across phases), Series of stand-alone projects over time, Unsure / TBD
• Target ground-breaking or mobilization date (MM/YYYY or description):
• Which internal teams will be actively involved in deployment decisions? (select all that apply) Options: Board/Board Committee, Owner's PMO/Program Office, Design/Architect Team, Facilities Operations, Procurement/Purchasing, Finance, Legal, Campus Operations/Users, Other

If we broke ground tomorrow, what would stop it?

• If you had to name the single most likely reason we couldn't start tomorrow, what would it be?
• Which of the following outstanding items are currently uncompleted and most likely to delay mobilization? (select all that apply) Options: Permits not approved, Issued-for-construction (IFC) drawings incomplete, Bid packages not finalized, Trade prequalification incomplete, Long‑lead procurement not started, Financing or funding conditions pending, Owner/board sign-offs missing, Other
• For the items you selected, do each of them have a named owner and committed deadline? Options: Yes—owners and deadlines assigned, Some do, some don’t, No—owners or deadlines not assigned, Unsure
• How many identified long‑lead items exist and what are their typical lead times (list items and weeks)?
• How confident are you that all regulatory and permitting approvals will be cleared by the target mobilization date? Options: Very confident, Confident, Somewhat confident, Not confident

Is the design ready to be handed off without surprises?

• Which unresolved design decisions are most likely to create scope gaps, RFIs, or change orders once construction starts?
• What percentage of construction documents are currently coordinated and issued for construction? Options: 30–60%, 60–90%, Under 30%, 90–99%, 100% IFC
• How many open RFIs, ASIs, or pending coordination items remain (approximate count)? Options: 0, 1–10, 11–25, 26–50, More than 50, Unknown
• Which technical or discipline areas show the highest constructability risk (e.g., MEP coordination, structural interfaces, site logistics)?
• Who from the design team will remain engaged during the early construction phase and what is their expected level of availability?

Who are the trades we must already have lined up?

• If your top three trades failed to mobilize when scheduled, how would that affect the critical path and program outcomes?
• Do you have an approved or prequalified trade list for this project? Options: Yes—complete prequalified list, Partial list—critical trades only, No—prequalification not started, Owner intends to direct specific trades
• Which trades do you insist on retaining owner control over versus those you are comfortable having the CM procure? (select all that apply) Options: Site demo/abatement, Concrete/Foundation, Structural steel, MEP systems, Fire Protection, Low-voltage/IT, Finish trades (doors/frames/finishes), Specialty suppliers, All trades to be owner-directed, Other
• Are there incumbent trade relationships or preferred suppliers that must be included or given opportunity to bid? Options: Yes—must include incumbents, Preferred but not mandatory, No incumbents to consider, Unsure
• Are procurement windows/calendar dates fixed for certain trades or long‑lead items? Please list key dates or constraints.

Who on site can actually make the hard calls?

• When a superintendent needs to stop work to protect cost, quality, or schedule, who currently has the authority you expect them to exercise?
• What specific authorities should the superintendent have? (select the permissions you expect on day one) Options: Stop work for safety/quality issues, Direct trade crews for sequencing, Approve minor change orders up to $5,000, Approve change orders up to $25,000, Approve change orders up to $100,000, No change‑order approval authority—owner approval required, Authorize schedule adjustments
• Who are the escalation contacts for cost, schedule, and quality issues (name + role) that the superintendent should be able to reach immediately?
• What onboarding, authority training, or site governance alignment do you expect before mobilization (check all that apply)? Options: Site authority matrix and sign-off, Superintendent meet-and-greet with owner/ops, Decision escalation chart, On-site authority badge/access, Training on owner-specific procedures, Other
• Which performance metrics will you use to evaluate the superintendent in the first 90 days? (select all that apply) Options: Schedule adherence, Change order dollars controlled, Safety performance, Quality/inspection pass rate, Trade coordination effectiveness, Owner satisfaction

Can we trust the numbers the preconstruction team provided?

• If the preconstruction estimate were to be off by 10% on bid day, whose credibility within your organization would be most impacted and why?
• Historically on comparable projects, what has your estimate-to-bid variance been? Options: Within ±3%, 3%–7%, 7%–15%, 15%–25%, Over 25%, Don't know / not tracked
• What estimate-to-bid variance threshold would you require to feel comfortable proceeding to mobilization? Options: ≤3%, ≤5%, ≤10%, ≤15%, No strict threshold—context matters
• How are contingencies budgeted, controlled, and released today (who approves draws against contingency)?
• What cost-reporting cadence and level of transparency do you require (select all that apply)? Options: Weekly detailed cost reports, Monthly executive summaries, Real-time dashboard access, Open-book access to subcontractor pricing, Ad-hoc deep-dives on request

How will we handle surprises without burning trust?

• Where does your current change-order process most favor speed over cost control, and how has that affected projects in the past?
• Which change-order approval model do you prefer for this project? Options: Owner approval on every CO, Owner approval above a threshold, CM can approve up to a threshold with owner notification, Architect recommends; owner approves, Other
• What is your target turnaround time for approving a routine change order (from submission to decision)? Options: 24–48 hours, 3–7 days, 2–3 weeks, More than 3 weeks
• What documentation and back-up do you require with every proposed change order? (select all that apply) Options: Scope narrative, Trade pricing backup, Schedule impact statement, Alternatives considered and cost comparison, Architect recommendation, Owner sign-off or approval
• If a change-order dispute goes beyond normal review, how should it be escalated or resolved? Options: Immediate executive review within 48 hours, Designated dispute panel/mediator, Use the contractual dispute clause, Other—please describe

30/60/90-Day Readiness Roadmap — what’s the shortest path to mobilization?

• If we compressed the timeline, what three deliverables would you insist were absolutely complete before we mobilize?
• Which of the following should be prioritized in the next 30 days? (select all that apply) Options: Finalize approved trade list, Issue-for-Construction documents, Prequalify and invite trades to bid, Secure permits, Place orders for long‑lead items, Hire/confirm superintendent, Owner sign-off on commercial structure
• Who will be accountable (name and role) for each top priority you selected?
• Which risks must be mitigated in the next 60 days and who owns each risk?
• When should we schedule a joint readiness review and who must attend to make the call to mobilize? (choose timing and list required attendees) Options: Within 2 weeks, Within 30 days, Within 60 days, After 60 days

Ready to Pull the Trigger? A Quick Grounding

• What single milestone do you view as the official 'go' for breaking ground on this project? Options: Design 90% complete, Permits approved, All critical trade contracts executed, Financing secured, Other
• Who is the final decision-maker for mobilization, and which other roles must sign off before we can physically mobilize?
• What hard budget guardrail number must we not exceed at bid award? Options: Under $10M, $10M–$25M, $25M–$50M, Over $50M, Unsure / TBD
• Which board or executive reporting elements do you expect immediately after mobilization? Options: Monthly cost vs estimate, Risk register updates, Change order log, Milestone schedule, Cash flow projections, Other
• How confident are you today that the project meets your trigger conditions to mobilize? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Not confident, Unsure

What If the Numbers Surprise You?

• If bids land materially above our estimates, who do you expect to be accountable—and how would that outcome affect your trust in the delivery team?
• On projects like this, what estimate-to-bid variance have you typically seen? Please give a percent and a brief example.
• At what estimate-to-bid variance would you require an immediate pause and reassessment? Options: Within 1%, 1–3%, 3–5%, 5–10%, Greater than 10%
• Which root causes do you believe are most likely to drive a negative variance on this project? Options: Market escalation, Scope ambiguity, Low bid competition, Estimating assumptions, Owner-directed scope changes, Other
• If variance exceeds your threshold, which remedies would you prefer we pursue first? Options: Targeted value engineering, Re-bid select packages, Increase contingency, Reduce scope, Owner funds overage, Other

Who's Actually Empowered on Site?

• Who will be the person on site the trades listen to first when a field decision is required—and do they have documented authority to close issues on the spot?
• Has the proposed superintendent been formally introduced to your team and issued a written delegation of authority? Options: Yes—introduced and authorized, Introduced, authorization pending, Not introduced yet, No formal authorization planned
• What monetary or contractual limits (if any) will the superintendent have for approving work, issuing change orders, or directing trades? Options: Full authority within budget, Limited authority with dollar cap, Operational decisions only (no contract changes), Must escalate all contract/significant decisions, Other
• Describe the superintendent’s relevant experience and any red flags you want us to validate (recent projects, scope types, campus/phased experience).
• How long would you consider reasonable for on-site resolution of routine field conflicts before escalation is expected? Options: Same day, 48 hours, Up to 1 week, Longer than 1 week

Where Are the Contracts Still Fragile?

• Which trade contracts feel most at risk of late execution, incomplete terms, or inadequate protections—and why does that worry you?
• List any critical trades that are still un-awarded or that lack signed agreements.
• Which contract terms are non-negotiable for you (select all that must be in every subcontract)? Options: Open-book pricing, Liquidated damages, No-backcharge clause, Defined retention terms, Performance bonds, Minimum insurance limits, Other
• Are any subcontract awards contingent on external approvals, long-lead materials, or supplier prequalification windows? Options: Permits/approvals, Long-lead material delivery, Supplier prequalification, No dependencies, Unsure
• What is the current status of subcontractor bonds, insurance certificates (COIs), and signed indemnities? Options: All in hand, Most in hand, Few in hand, None in hand

How Will Change Orders Be Managed When Pressure Builds?

• When changes happen under schedule pressure, how will you be confident costs were controlled fairly rather than simply achieved quickly?
• Do you require open-book backup (subcontractor invoices, time tickets) for change-order pricing approvals? Options: Always, Often, Sometimes, Rarely, Never
• What is an acceptable turnaround time for initial change-order pricing for emergency versus non-emergency requests? Options: <24 hours (emergency) / <72 hours (non-emergency), <24 / 1 week, <48 / <72 hours, 1 week / longer
• Which approval workflow do you prefer for change orders above a threshold? Options: Superintendent + PM approval, Owner approval required above threshold, Architect and owner co-approval, Third-party cost auditor required, Other
• Have you experienced major disputes over change orders before? Please describe one recent example and how it was resolved.
• What dollar or percentage threshold should automatically trigger executive-level review for any change? Options: Under $10k, $10k–$50k, $50k–$100k, Over $100k, Percentage of contract (specify)

If We Could Lock the Risk Door, What Would That Look Like?

• Imagine a pre-deploy validation checklist that would make you sleep through the night—what three items on that list would be non-negotiable?
• Which weekly metrics would give you the most confidence during deployment (choose up to four)? Options: Estimate-to-bid variance, Committed cost percentage, Trades onboarded, Change order backlog, Schedule float/critical path, Safety incidents
• What specific acceptance criteria will you require at pre-deploy signoff (for example: <3% variance, 100% critical trades signed)? Please be specific.
• Who must sign the readiness checklist (list roles/titles) before we mobilize? Options: VP Facilities, Capital Projects Director, Owner Representative, Architect, Finance Officer, Other
• How often in the final 30 days before mobilization would you like formal go/no-go readiness reviews? Options: Weekly, Bi-weekly, One final review, Daily in final week, Other

Next Steps: Who Signs What and When?

• If we agree today on a validation path, what is the fastest realistic timeline to ground—and what internal or external obstacles are most likely to slow that down?
• Which items do you want the Host (our CM firm) to own and close before you sign off (select all that apply)? Options: Execute trade contracts, Obtain COIs and bonds, Superintendent onboarding and orientation, Finalize change-order workflow, Lock procurement windows, Other
• What internal approvals, board reports, or external permits are still pending, and what are their scheduled decision dates?
• Who should be invited to weekly readiness meetings and what single dashboard view would make you comfortable signing off? Options: VP Facilities, Project Manager, Superintendent, Procurement Lead, Architect, Finance Officer, Other
• Are there any external vetoes (funding hold, regulatory review, partner sign-off) that could stop mobilization even if our checklist is complete? Options: Funding hold, Regulatory review, Partner sign-off pending, No external vetoes, Unsure
• If conditions deteriorate after mobilization, what minimally acceptable contingency approach would you want predefined (stop work, pause non-critical trades, continue with mitigations, etc.)? Options: Stop work and reassess, Pause non-critical trades, Continue with reduced scope, Owner funds any overage, Other