Participants and Organizational Structures in Construction Projects
Participants of Construction Projects
Introduction to the System of Means
The system of means (medios) refers to the interrelationships between participants in a construction project, encompassing various aspects such as:
- Power (political, legal, administrative, communicational)
- Human (institutions)
- Technical
- Economic (financial, accounting)
Client
Form
Individual / firm / institute
Role
- Defining the project’s aim
- Ensuring financial backing
- Selecting other participants (in accordance with legal commitments, if applicable)
Tasks and Duties
- Securing financial background and project liquidity
- Managing the construction site
- Procuring building rights (obtaining building consent)
- Establishing contracts with architects, consultants, contractors, etc.
- Sharing rights and risks
- Obtaining permission for use
Project Manager or PM Team
Form
Individual / firm
Role
Providing professional support to the project according to their contract, potentially in the following areas:
- Quality surveying
- Consultation
- Communication between project participants
- Construction project preparation
- Selection of other project participants (organizing architectural competitions, tenders, etc.)
- Etc.
Tasks and Duties
Dependent on the specific contract.
Designer Architects
Form
Individual / firm
Role
- Preparing necessary drawings and documentation as per the contract, including:
- Outline planning consent
- Planning consent/building permit
- Construction plan
- Fulfillment plan
- Architectural supervision during construction
Tasks and Duties
- Providing professional assistance to the client in obtaining building permits
- Preparing documentation according to national/international standards and legal regulations
- Coordinating the work of co-operative designers and professionals
Contractor(s)
Form
Firm
Role
Constructing the building according to the contract.
Tasks and Duties
- Participating in the tendering process
- Contracting with the client and subcontractors
- Reporting the construction start-up to the relevant authority
- Constructing the building in accordance with national/international standards and legal regulations
- Maintaining continuous cooperation and communication with the design team during construction
- Ensuring safety standards and legal compliance on the construction site
- Providing a written statement of building completeness (for handover initiation)
- Obtaining a statement from the competent technical executive (site engineer) for permission for use
Quality Surveyor
Form
Individual, (firm)
Role
- Ensuring professionalism by controlling plans and construction work
- Proposing plan alterations to the client if technically or financially beneficial
- Participating in the handover process
Tasks and Duties
- Controlling plans for compliance with standards and legal regulations
- Controlling building assignment
- Ensuring the execution of prescribed tests (e.g., soil mechanics)
- Controlling quality as per established standards
- Maintaining continuous control of the construction logbook
- Noting all failures (deficiencies and faults) in the construction logbook
- Controlling hidden structures and the volume of completed work before covering
- Controlling the conformity of used materials (CE, etc.)
- Controlling the volume of completed work
- Informing the client about the compliance of completed work with the contract
Forms of Organizations
Typical organizational structures in construction projects include:
- Linear organization
- Organization with a management team
- Functional organization
- Divisional organization
- Matrix organization
Relation Patterns in Construction Projects
Common relation patterns between participants in construction projects:
- Traditional relation pattern: The client contracts the architect, contractor, and quality surveyor directly.
- Relation pattern for “turn-key” projects: The client contracts a single contractor responsible for the entire project (who may subcontract), and a separate quality surveyor to oversee the contractor’s work.
- Relation patterns with a management: Various models exist, such as:
- The client contracts the architect, contractor, and a construction manager (CM) who oversees the project and may have a quality surveyor on their team.
- The client contracts the architect and CM, who then contract the contractor and quality surveyor.
- The client contracts a dedicated project management office responsible for the entire project, including contracting the architect, contractor, and quality surveyor.