Let's Talk Owners!

BY: CAROL HOLLAND, CCM, PE, LEED AP

The National Capital Region Chapter of CMAA is fortunate to count among our membership some 450 individuals representing Owners. We know that Owners are an immeasurable asset to a chapter, because they can provide us the critical framework for understanding the work they have and the challenges they face. That understanding allows the CCM practitioners to provide construction management services adapted to those challenges, sensitive to the owner’s unique culture. It’s one of the primary reasons why our community is a great networking for solutions and information sharing! So I wanted to break down for you who are Owners are, what we’re hearing from them, and our plan to fully investigate their challenges during this program year.

Our owner organizations include larger agencies including the Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs as well as regional agencies, like D.C. Water and Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Many of our surrounding county and city governments also participate. We have over 20 different Federal Owners including the aforementioned, and the Architect of the Capitol and the State Department. Roughly thirty-seven percent of our chapter membership is comprised by Owners.

I’ve had the opportunity to talk to many of these owners, and they have identified many consistently challenging issues in our industry. For example, owners are struggling with the challenge of risk management and realization, which is impacting them at the funding, procurement, design and construction stages. There are some things that we can do as construction managers, especially when we are brought in early in the process to assist during the procurement, design and construction stages. Innovative delivery methods can shorten acquisition to in service timelines. Frequently, CMs and PMs have the opportunity to influence the governance of the project, speeding up decision making through the design and construction phases. CMs also add value in our traditional role managing cost, schedule, quality and safety during the construction phase.

But maybe your Execution rate is not in your top three challenges as an Owner. We are interested in understanding your concerns- What keeps you up at night? This month, our Owner’s Committee is kicking off our Owner’s series, which begins with our Annual Owner’s Survey. Our Owner’s Committee led by Dennis Milsten (Department of Veteran’s Affairs Director of Construction) and Jeff Licklider (Washington D.C. Department of General Services) and facilitated by Kyu Jung of Procon Consulting will meet through the winter and will unveil their challenges in an Owner’s Forum in the spring. In the summer, our CM community will present solutions that match these challenges. In this way, our community will help each other, promote the delivery of better facilities, and promote the mission of CMAA.

This is important work, and I strongly encourage you all to engage.