Traditional Procurement & Roles

In UK construction the 'Traditional Procurement' method is generally considered the best way to provide quality of design and construction, while also controlling cost and programme. The term 'Traditional' refers to the long and established history of this form of procurement, as a tried and tested method for the design and construction of good quality buildings.

Under Traditional Procurement the following key roles must all be allocated to team members with the necessary skills and experience, regardless of scope, scale or budget of the project. Depending on the scale of the project and the skills of the various members of the team, multiple roles may be taken on by a single consultant (i.e. some Architects will also provide the roles of Project Manager, Design Coordinator, & Contract Administrator).

Client

The Client is an integral and active member of the project team, and the role is key to the success of the project. Some Clients have the skills, knowledge, and availability to have a wide-ranging involvement in their projects, while others prefer to focus on just the key Client functions and to delegate other involvement to their professional project team.

The roles required of your team and the structure of your project can be adjusted to suit your level of involvement. Together with the Architect, the Client will agree the scope of work and the design approach for the project. The Client must provide clear instructions to the team, for both the initial brief and subsequent decisions throughout the project. They must also follow and review all key information provided to them for review or comment.

Project Manager

The Project Manager (PM) is a key role in any project, coordinating the relationship between members of the team, and overseeing the key parameters of scope, programme & budget. They will also maintain and circulate registers of risks and variations, so that these can be clearly understood and accounted for by all parties.

The PM will assist you in understanding the roles and responsibilities of your team. Their role is not to manage the responsibilities of other parties (Client, Architect, Contractor, etc), but to establish and manage a framework in which each of these parties can work effectively and efficiently together.

The Project Manager will typically assist  you in appointing your team, chair and minute progress meetings, review and comment on cost and programme information from the Quantity Surveyor and Contractor.

For larger projects the Project Manager role is often provided by a dedicated consultant, but some Architects provide Project Management alongside their design roles, which can help to reduce consultant costs and improve coordination and efficiency between the two disciplines. Sometimes other consultants such as Quantity Surveyors or Engineers can take on this role.

Architect

The Architect’s core role is to respond to your brief, your requirements, and the context in which your project is located, and to use this information to inform a process of creative and rigorous design for your home. Every design is unique, tailored to the opportunities and constraints of its site, the objectives and requirements of the brief, and the interests and aspirations of the Client and users.

The Architect will liaise with the Client and with other Consultants to develop the design. The design role will include many aspects including aesthetics, functionality, technical design, regulatory requirements and buildability. Planning the process of your project is as essential to the successful creation of your home as good design and construction, and some architects can advise on this aspect.

Contractor

The main building Contractor is responsible for the construction and delivery of the specified package of works. The Contractor’s role includes managing their timelines and programme within the agreed project timescales, controlling their costs and cashflow for  the works within the contract sum, and managing the building process including their own staff and trades as well as their sub-contractors, suppliers, and specialists.

The Contractor is also responsible for health & safety, security, and general order and running of the construction site. The Contractor’s responsibilities are very wide-ranging, but your building contract will make allowances for various factors of the construction process beyond their control. A good Contractor will work constructively with you and your Architect to aid a smooth and efficient project.

Design Coordinator

The Design Coordinator is important for projects of any size or complexity and is generally provided by the Architect or another senior member of the design team. Their role is to coordinate the work of the respective consultants, surveyors and specialists who make up the design team.

They do not employ or sub-contract other members of the design team, but oversee coordination between them to guide the process of design and specification. The role is sometimes known by similar titles such as Lead Designer or Lead Consultant, but the precise responsibilities may vary from one project and team to another.

While there is often overlap between the parties undertaking these roles, the Design Coordinator is not to be confused with that of Principal Designer, which is a separate statutory position under CDM and Building Regulations.

Contract Administrator

The Contract Administrator (CA) sets up and administers the building contract between the Client and Contractor. This role requires fair and impartial oversight of the contractual relationship between the two parties.

Amongst other tasks, the CA assists the Client to select a suitable building contract, prepares contract documents for execution, issues instructions to the Contractor, reviews the Contractor’s requests for payment, considers applications for additional costs or time, issues certificates for payments to the Contractor and oversees the handover process and settling the final account.

The Contract Administrator can also advise both the Client and Contractor on their contractual duties, responsibilities and rights. The role of Contract Administrator is often performed by the Architect as an additional service when they are involved throughout the whole project. For larger projects the role may be carried out by a separate Quantity Surveyor or Project Manager.

The above diagram shows the key team members and their relationships within a typical project structure:

Each team member is responsible for managing their own element of the process, (i.e. the Architect for architectural design and specification, the Contractor for construction and running the building site).

Roles contained within the box of another show the employment relationship (i.e. the Client employs each Consultant and the Contractor, and the Contractor in turn employs their sub-contractors and suppliers).

Team members arranged vertically coordinate with those below (i.e. the Design Coordinator works with the individual consultants to agree their sequencing, workflows & timeframes).

Team members arranged in a horizontal direction communicate with each other as required to assist with their own work (i.e. Architect and Structural Engineer will liaise to resolve their respective design elements).