Projects General Info: Guidance On The Preparation of A Client Brief

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Guidance on the preparation of a Client Brief
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1. Project Briefing
Estates & Facilities Management
Developing a firm brief for construction projects, no matter
University of Surrey
what the size or complexity, is a key element for success. The
Guildford
brief brings together, through an iterative process, all the
Surrey
requirements and limitations for the project and will provide
GU2 7XH
an essential yardstick for performance throughout

construction and post-completion. It is the client departments
Tel: +44 (0)1483 68 9230
responsibility to provide the Strategic Brief as only they will
Fax: +44 (0)1483 68 9513
know what their requirements are and the value of the
EMail:efmenquiries@surrey.ac.u
academic drivers for the project. This brief must accompany

the enquiry form under the Universitys Estates Project
Registration and Management Procedures.
It is recognised, however, that for the best results an early

involvement from the Estates & Facilities Management is
preferable and it is suggested that advice is sought at the
inception stage from the Senior Project Manager. This brief
will then be taken on by the Project Manager and the

appropriate consultant teams to ensure that it meets the
further requirements of cost certainty, statutory and
regulatory compliance and meets the minimum specifications
set by the University. The brief must comply with the
Academic Plan for the department and the University.
The initial project brief will be made available to all involved

in the project, so that consultants and others can understand
the key drivers for a project. The development of the detailed
brief will very often be done in conjunction with the project
team and overlap with outline design. Whilst the process
shown below appears to be linear, it is important to ensure
that reference is made to the earlier stages before
progressing to the latter stages. Whilst the level of detail will
be variable, there are certain areas which must have been
considered at every stage:
Mission and contextual background (How will this project

help meet the strategic aims and objectives of the
Department/School/University)?
Key objectives (What are the particular key objectives that
this project must achieve)?
Funding (What are the financial limitations for the project,
and is there a business case for the capital and long term
costs associated with it; Are there any external funding
requirements)?
Expectations of the client (are their proposals realistic, and
is there a benchmark in existence to measure them against)?
Limitations
a. Restrictions (Other users, space, neighbours etc.).
b. Risks (Asbestos, planning issues, funding initiatives etc.).
c. Cost (Sources, cash flow etc.)
d. Programme (Staff migration, exams etc.).

e. Quality (University specifications, statutory requirements
etc.).
Lifespan of the development.
Scope for flexibility.
Key Performance Indicators (including the prioritisation of
the requirements highlighted in the brief).
Thorough explanation of the process being undertaken
within the facility and identification of any Health & Safety
issues that the design team might consider.
2. Defining the Clients Needs
Time spent early in a project ensuring that the correct level of

resource is made available and that all options are properly
evaluated will ensure greater certainty in budget costs and
programme predictions and thus result in the project being
delivered for less than if such forethought is lacking. An
essential element of developing the initial brief is ensuring
that it is formally "owned" within the client department and
that the owner (Project Client, once appointed) has the
authority to make appropriate decisions covering all aspects
of the brief.
The main task for the Project Client/Project Sponsor is to

work with Estates & Facilities Management to provide a clear
statement of need in the format of a strategic brief which can
then provide the basis of the more detailed brief. Brevity and
clarity are the main requirements at this stage of a project;
however, it should be comprehensive enough to generate
development of the headings already set out
above.
Once the initial brief has been developed, it needs to be

ratified via the completion of a UPS form (2, 3, 4 or 5,
depending on the procurement method), which is generated
by the PMS, to ensure that all assumptions on space
utilisation, funding and programme are reasonable.
3. Taking the project forward
The brief is only a valuable tool when it has been exposed to

scrutiny and analysis, and this is the next stage of the
process. Once agreed, there should be sufficient information,
understanding and authority to develop the detailed brief for
the project.
The purpose of the detailed brief is to review the information

already acquired, incorporating any changes to the
requirements and limitations identified during the analysis
process. This process will be co-ordinated by the Project
Manager with the assistance of appropriate members of the
design team. It is important for the coherence of the project
that the input of the Project Client is not lost at this stage.
The department representative, as part of the project team,
will maintain an active interest in the projects progress. The
Project Manager will consult on a regular basis to ensure the
mission and objectives are not lost in the detail.
Once the detailed brief has been agreed, it will need to be

signed off to allow it to be used as the template for the
production of the outline design, which in turn provides the
basis of the final detailed design. In many projects there is an
overlap, but no project should move from outline design
without both it and the detailed brief being signed off, along
with the cost plan and programme. It is worth noting that the
ability to make effective and efficient changes to the project
reduces at each stage, thus the importance of investing time

and effort in the strategic and detailed brief stages
cannot be understated.
The University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH | Tel: +44 (0)1483 300800 | Fax: +44 (0)1483 300803 | Contact
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E&FM Fault Reporting > E&FM Projects > Projects general info

Projects general info

Return to EFM Projects

Estates & Facilities Management

Developing a firm brief for construction projects, no matter

what the size or complexity, is a key element for success. The

brief brings together, through an iterative process, all the

requirements and limitations for the project and will provide

an essential yardstick for performance throughout

Tel: +44 (0)1483 68 9230

responsibility to provide the Strategic Brief as only they will

Fax: +44 (0)1483 68 9513

know what their requirements are and the value of the

academic drivers for the project. This brief must accompany

It is recognised, however, that for the best results an early

will then be taken on by the Project Manager and the

The initial project brief will be made available to all involved

Mission and contextual background (How will this project

d. Programme (Staff migration, exams etc.).

2. Defining the Clients Needs

Time spent early in a project ensuring that the correct level of

The main task for the Project Client/Project Sponsor is to

Once the initial brief has been developed, it needs to be

3. Taking the project forward

The brief is only a valuable tool when it has been exposed to

The purpose of the detailed brief is to review the information

Once the detailed brief has been agreed, it will need to be

reduces at each stage, thus the importance of investing time

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