Managing construction, delivery and operation of new buildings is a growing challenge to the federal government, and federal agencies are increasingly turning to independent professional construction and program managers to help meet this demand.
That was the message brought by Bruce D'Agostino, executive director of the Construction Management Association of America(CMAA), to the recent meeting of the Project and Acquisition Management Committee of the Federal Facilities Council in Washington.
D'Agostino addressed the group, which consists of high level federal executives with contracting and facilities acquisition responsibilities, at their meeting in mid-March at the National Academy of Sciences.
He noted that although the federal government builds, buys, rents or otherwise operates billions of dollars worth of commercial and industrial properties, specialized expertise in these fields is often not available. "The federal role in managing major construction projects and facilities is expanding steadily, but the workforce and skills available for these tasks are not expanding," he said.
"There's a growing interest in outsourcing as a strategy for managing major projects and programs," D'Agostino added. 'We've particularly seen growing interest in services connected with the building commissioning process, the delivery, acceptance, occupancy and ongoing management of a new facility."
In addition to helping federal managers find qualified construction and program managers, CMAA is developing new programs to help these managers expand their own skills. The CMAA-affiliated Construction Manager Certification Institute has created a special five-day Professional Development Program for Federal Employees. "Substantial groups of federal employees from GSA, the Army Corps of Engineers, and other agencies are now enrolling in the course," D'Agostino said. "The program is custom-designed to address the special concerns of federal government executives."
The new professional development course covers Construction Management functions during pre-design, design, procurement, construction and post-construction project stages.
The five-day program concludes with an opportunity to take the CMCI certification exam, resulting in professional CM certification. "Obtaining certification tells your employers and peers that you are a professional, and it indicates you have demonstrated the knowledge, experience and judgment necessary for sound, professional construction management," D'Agostino said.
Construction management is a professional service that applies effective management techniques to the planning, design, and construction of a project from inception to completion for the purpose of controlling time, cost and quality. This professional discipline can be applied in combination with any project delivery method.
