subject: Do It Yourself Project Management [print this page] I am about to embark on a huge renovation project of my old farm house. It requires a new roof and slates. The main gable end of the north facing wall needs to be dismantled about ten courses down and rebuilt. The windows need to be replaced as do the doors. I have to be careful as the barn is as near to a listed building without the paperwork as you can get. There are some conservationists in my village, who are aware of my plans and watch intently on what I am doing. I do not mind as I intend to keep the external aesthetics as near as I can to how it looks now.
I have employed a wide variety of tradesman, all have been chosen for their individual expertise in their chosen filed. If I had employed one contractor they would have managed the project themselves. I intend to coordinate the work on my own. I will be the project manager of the entire refurbishment.
I need to prioritize the jobs list, I have to ensure work does not overlap, and I leave time in between contractors finishing and starting the next stage. The last thing I want is to undo work because I got the work schedule work the wrong way round. As the project manager I will be in control of the entire work site, I have employed a worker whose sole aim is to keep the site clean. I have skips for specific rubbish. The first is for all the hard core, bricks and mortar, the second is for steel and all metals, the third is for wood and various bio degradable products. I have a small skip for the glass and one final large bin for the normal household rubbish. I intend to run a very tight ship.
I have a set budget for all this work. If I project manage it myself the money I save will pay my salary whilst I take time away from work. I am aware of hidden problems like the weather, suppliers, wrong sized windows etc. I will keep all the information on my laptop, I intend to converse with individual suppliers on a daily basis, just so we all know what stage the project is at. If a certain contractor finishes earlier than expected, I can bring in the next one early thus saving time and money.
Project management is not for everyone, I like the challenge and I certainly like the fact I will pay the bills on site upon completion of each stage. Every contractor knows I will not make the payment until I am fully satisfied with the work and quality. I have written in a small contract they all sign before starting, it informs them a third party arbitrator will be called if there is any disagreement, and payment will be withheld until I am satisfied.
I think it is important for a project manager to be clear of their expectations from the offset. Remember as the project manager you are also in charge of health and safety issues for all the workforce and visitors to the site.
