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Category: Projects £7-10m Name: Robert McGregor MCIOB Company: Laing O'Rourke Project: Westcotes Health Centre, Leicester Contract: LIFT-specific D&B |
In a long-term relationship with the client and the design team, the true measure of a construction manager is how they deal with the difficult issues. On this public-private partnership project, Bob McGregor's non-confrontational but direct and fair approach worked wonders.
While protecting Laing O'Rourke's position at all times, Bob was prepared to countenance financial and programme risk if it improved project delivery. So when the client announced a week before work began on creating a service facility on the first floor of the centre that it wanted GP accommodation there instead, Bob didn't take refuge in the contract at the untimely and unhelpful move.
What Bob did was to work with the client and the designers to reach a practical and pragmatic solution that didn't delay the programme or expose the project to unacceptable costs. In fact, the change of use ended up as cost-neutral – as it had to given that the whole point of Local Initiative Finance Trust (LIFT) schemes is to deliver on a fixed time and cost basis – through his identification of savings that could be made elsewhere.
Bob dealt in the same can-do way with other major challenges, such as the client's failure to arrange service disconnection before demolition and its complete redesign of the centre's dental facility. He added manpower when he had to, and reprogrammed where possible, encouraging his team to use the Project Flow software tool, which highlights any short-term programme trends that will affect the critical path or extend durations.
Before starting, he invited the centre's many prospective tenants to two open days to explain the project and the building layout. He then used their feedback, refined by weekly operational policy meetings, to get the design and installation right first time, which limited the number of variations and post-contract rework. His proactive approach greatly eased the potentially difficult interface with tenants and stakeholders.
Despite the excessive design changes foisted on Bob through operational and healthcare policy changes during the contract, he handed over this scheme on time and on budget. He was inspirational to his team and led by example, delivering a complex building to an enthusiastic reception from its users.
