Project Management and Contract Administration
Managing scope, time, cost, and risk
Project management questions ask you to control four variables - scope, schedule, cost, and risk - while administering a contract fairly. Know the project delivery methods: design-bid-build (linear, adversarial but clear), design-build (single point of responsibility, faster, less owner control), and construction management (agent or at-risk). Understand how each shifts risk and changes the architect's role.
Core administrative duties
- Bidding and award: addenda, bid opening, evaluation, and the difference between a bid and a proposal.
- Submittals and shop drawings: the contractor's means of demonstrating conformance; the architect reviews for design intent, not for construction detail.
- Requests for information (RFIs) and change orders: a change order modifies scope, price, or time and requires proper authority; a construction change directive orders work before agreement on price.
- Payment applications: review for percentage complete, retainage, and lien waivers.
- Schedule control: critical path, float, and the difference between delay and excusable delay.
- Closeout: punch lists, warranties, as-builts, and final payment.
Traps
The most common trap is confusing the architect's authority with the owner's. The architect may recommend and certify but generally cannot bind the owner to a change without authority. Another trap is submittal review: approving a submittal does not relieve the contractor of responsibility for errors. Watch for questions that treat a verbal directive as binding, or that confuse substantial completion (owner can use the work) with final completion (all obligations met).
Worked rule of thumb
Use the "authority, documentation, notice" triad: before acting, confirm you have contractual authority, document the action in writing, and give the required notice within the contractual time limit. Most contract-administration questions resolve to one of these three failures.