Owner’s Guide to Project Assurance and Oversight

Dr. George Jergeas, P.Eng.

Chair, iProjects Inc.

Dr. George Jergeas is a civil engineer with an M.Sc. and PhD in construction management from Loughborough University, UK with over 45 years of industry and academic experience. He served as a professor of project management at the University of Calgary from 1994–2020.

George has a strong passion for increasing the efficiency and competency of teams delivering major engineering and construction projects. His expertise includes project governance, assurance and readiness, risk management, project execution planning, contract strategies, partnering and collaborative relationships, claims and disputes with a focus on dispute resolution, and project management training and coaching. George’s partnering methodology has been successfully implemented on over 180 projects across North America.

George has delivered project management training, leadership coaching, and consulting services to professional associations and companies across North America, Asia, and Europe. George is also the author of three books, a chapter in a fourth book, and over 100 articles and publications.

His books are:

• "Risk Navigation Strategies for Major Capital Projects: Beyond the Myth of Predictability", Springer, 2011;
• "Benevolent Dictatorship for Major Capital Projects", LearnAcademy, 2017, Amazon.ca;
• "Project Risk and Opportunity Management, The Owner’s Perspective", Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2019; and
• "Evolving Toolbox for Complex Project Management", Taylor & Francis Group, November 2019 – The Legal Issues chapter.

The level of uncertainty and volatility associated with engineering and construction projects make a predictable outcome almost impossible to achieve, as these projects are complex and impacted by or impact others. These projects present great challenges to busy leaders, managers, and executives. The long history of staggering cost overruns and completion delays offers little assurance that cost and schedules estimates can be relied upon.

This one-day seminar introduces and defines assurance and oversight processes specifically developed for owners’ organizations, such as municipalities, ministries, and other organizations responsible for delivering major capital projects. Assurance and oversight are essential components of project management. Both assurance and oversight are integral to minimizing risks, controlling costs, and achieving the project's objectives. 
 

Seminar Description

The instructor will discuss a process that is systematic, independent, and proactive for evaluating various aspects of a construction project. Assurance and oversight involve a series of activities and processes that are conducted throughout the project's lifecycle to identify potential issues and risks early on, allowing for timely corrective actions. Assurance and oversight provide an unbiased review and periodic assessment of the project's performance.

Learning Objectives

The main objective of this seminar is to enhance owners’ confidence that their projects are being executed effectively, efficiently, and in accordance with the defined standards and requirements.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Improve their understanding of the assurance and oversight methodology
• Tailor the instructor’s materials to the specific needs of their projects. Participants may wish to develop the first draft of their assurance and oversight document or even a project playbook
• Understand their leadership role in supporting the project team and managing project predictability

Agenda

• Introduction
  • How projects are delivered
  • Characteristics of capital projects
• Assurance and Oversight
• Assurance and Oversight Questions
  • Fundamental Questions - Ten high-level questions
  • Issue Related Questions - Risks, budget and schedule estimates, selecting engineering firms and construction contractors, budget and schedule estimates, First Nations and stakeholder engagement, collaborative approach, project governance, and empowerment and claims management
  • Phase Related Questions prior to each gate: 
    • Identifying followed by Gate 1
    • Initiating followed by Gate 2
    • Planning and Design followed by Gate 3
    • Executing 
      • Procurement followed by Gate 4a.
      • Construction followed by Gate 4b.
      • Testing and Commissioning followed by Gate 4c.
      • Turn Over to Operations followed by Gate 4d. 
    • Closing followed by Gate 5
  • Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Regular monitoring of project health and performance
  • Project Document Review: Evaluation of the quality of the project documents and processes
  • Construction Readiness: Assessment of construction readiness and management practices