21ARC76 PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE II

MODULE – I
Supervision & Contract Administration:

Site visits, site meeting. Co-Ordination with Various agencies, site book, site instructions, clerk of works
and site office. Bill checking, Quality auditing, handover procedure and final certification. Disputes in
contract and architect’s role in resolving such disputes. Case studies from practice highlighting disputes
in contract and methods adopted to solve such disputes.

Site visits

1. There are several elements that are important for a project to be

successful; one such element is site visit/site meetings.
2. Construction site visits are an essential part of any construction project.
They help ensure that the project is going on as per planned & on track i.e
as per stipulated schedule, budget or agreed quality parameters.
3. During Site visits Architects/project managers or other stakeholders will
review the progress of project, check for any issues or concerns, and
provide a valuable opportunity for team members to collaborate and share
ideas.
4. Feedbacks are received from concern stakeholders thereby issues get
resolved before it turns into major problem or escalation.
5. It provides a platform to ensure that final product meets the client
expectations.
6. For example: during site visit, the team may discover that sub contractor is
falling behind the schedule due to required manpower/material not
available at site. By identifying such issues at an early stage, the Architect
may take action or mitigation plan to get the sub contractor back on track &
prevent delays occurring later on.
7. Architect issues Instructions in the form of a document to contractors or his
representatives with stamp & sign
8. For site visits to be effective, following points have to be addressed:
o Ensure all teams are aware of site visits schedule- i.e its frequency.
may be every week or bi-weekly, fortnightly or even monthly- left to
Architects judgment
 o Share agenda of meeting beforehand
o Architect/Clerk of works to carry necessary drawings, notepads,
measuring tape, camera etc
o Give adequate time to team members to collaborate & share ideas
o Follow up & make sure to address the issues/concerns identified
during site visit in a timely manner
o Communicate all stakeholders the outcome of each site visit with
action plans & deadlines to follow for smoother works at site
9. Importance of Site Visits:
 Ensure safety, technical specifications compliance & scope/quality
control on the project
 Identify & resolve any issues that may arise
 To complete project within scope, budget & time
 Smoother completion of works at site from start to finish
 Reduces the risks of accidents or injuries
10.Proper planning, organization & communication are key for site visits to be
successful & effective

Site meeting:

1. Site meetings are an important part of the

successful management of construction projects.

2. Regular site meetings between the different stakeholders on

a project can help facilitate better communication

3. lack of proper communication leads to inadequate management eventually

resulting in Project failures

4. Meetings should be regular and formerly scheduled, perhaps on a weekly

or monthly basis depending on the parties involved, although
the size and complexity of the project may necessitate a more
regular schedule.
5. They are used as a means of reporting progress, enabling discussion of any
problems or issues, and allowing the proposal of solutions. They provide
a good opportunity for two-way discussions of any issues that have arisen
or that are anticipated.

6. Holding meetings on site enables the stakeholders to see progress for

themselves (rather than relying on a report for another party), and to look
at problem areas, discuss quality issues, assess mock-ups, and so on.

7. Construction progress meetings are a specific sort of site meeting during

which the contract administrator (Architect/Project
Manager) receives progress reports from the contractor and consultant
team, cost reports from the cost consultant and other more
specific information such as sub-contractor reports, progress photos, and
so on.

8. Meeting minutes should be prepared, with a requirement that any

disagreement with the items recorded in the minutes is raised within a pre-
defined period (perhaps one week). Progress meetings may also result in
the preparation of a construction progress report for the client.

9. On construction management projects, the construction manager holds

regular construction progress meetings with trade contractors to discuss on
and off-site progress against the programme and to co-ordinate the release
of information

10.Other meetings held on site might include safety briefings and toolbox
talks which are held to ensure that workers properly consider health and
safety issues on site.

11.Importance of Site Meetings:

 Effective Communication and Collaboration

 Real-Time Issue Identification and Resolution

  Ensuring Compliance and Safety

 Progress Monitoring and Quality Control

 Building Stronger Relationships and Trust

 Efficient Resource Allocation

 Timely Decision-Making and Adaptability

Co-Ordination with Various agencies

 Project is a temporary endeavor with definite start & end. It consists of various construction
activities that are interdependent/interrelated to each other and it needs to be completed in order
to complete the project. Construction industry is also labor intrinsic with huge number of labors
coming together to achieve the project objectives.

 Various agencies are involved like Architects, Consultants (Project Management, Cost Consultant
or MEP- Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing Consultants, Fire & Safety Consultants etc),
Engineers, Contractors, Sub- Contractors, Suppliers, sub suppliers etc. Coordination among all
these agencies is one of the most important parameter for a project to be successful.

 Coordination (or co-ordination) refers to the process of organising

people, systems, activities and so on so that they work together.

 Coordination is generally considered to improve efficiency and effectiveness,

whilst fragmentation can cause inefficiencies and even clashes.

 Coordination is a particular issue in the constructionindustry, where teams of people may

come together to work on a complex design and construction involving many
interrelated elements, and when the project is finished, they may disperse and might
not work together again. Ensuring that this team works effectively together requires careful
coordination, integration and collaboration – not something that the industry is always
successful at achieving.

 Also sometimes, In the construction industry, co-ordination often refers to design

coordination, that is, the integration of designs prepared by different members of the project
team to create a single, unified set of information that can be constructed without clashes
between components. Effective design coordination can help to
 reduce costs, delays and disruption that can be caused by problems on site and the need
for remedial or abortive works and redesign.

Disputes in contract and architect’s role in resolving such disputes

In the world of construction, the role of the architect has assumed a remarkably powerful
position yet that role often results in the architect being the focus of disputes and
resentment as he or she tries to balance the conflicting needs of the builders, the engineers
and the “client,” that is, the owner of the building.

The architect is quite often the ultimate decision maker on a project, the person who is
supposed to coordinate the aesthetic and practical needs of the owner with the practicalities
and design criteria of the engineer, the builders and the local authorities. All within budget
and all delivered on time.

Yet, legally, the role of the architect is not only more routine, but is actually restricted to
being the agent of the owner, acting to initiate and facilitate the project from initial planning
to completion.

As the owner's agent, the architect is typically responsible for the technical design, as
defined in the contract with the owner.

The specifics of the architect's responsibilities should be clearly expressed in the contract
and the key to a successful business or construction relationship is a well drafted written
contract created with the professional input of both legal consultant and accountants.
Indeed, in some jurisdictions it is legally required to have a written contract between the
architect and the owners.

A full understanding of the actual tasks normally assumed by the architect and what they
mean is essential.
By engaging an independent design professional or the architect, the owner/client intends
to secure a reasonable design within known parameters. At the same time, the owner will
shift responsibility for the design onto the architect, and should clearly and completely
convey all project objectives and necessities. The owner should avoid participation in the
actual design work if the owner wishes to ensure that the design liability remains with the
design professionals.
As far as the contractor is concerned, these are contractual matters strictly between the
owner and designers. The typical response of a contractor to a flaw in the construction is
that the Plans and Drawings indicated that the construction should have been completed in
that manner and so long as the contractor follows the plans and specifications, the
contractor is normally free from liability. (Quite a few contracts with contractors impose upon
contractors the duty to report errors in plans and specifications that they encounter but even
assuming the contractor executes such a clause, enforcement is difficult and the negligence
would still be parceled out among the various parties…including the owner if the owner was
responsible for the errors.)
The ideal contract is carefully prepared with the particular project and personalities in mind.
Realistically, the usual project uses the standard form AIA (American Institute of
Architects contract A201) or equivalent form Council of Architecture (CoA) in India,
despite the fact that it is usually heavily weighted in favor of the architect.
Most truly experienced Architects/Owners/developers, after one or two experiences with
that form contract, create either addendums to the contract or create their own version.
A contract dispute is a conflict or disagreement between parties. They occur when there are
differing views or claims regarding the terms, obligations, or rights outlined in the document.
They can arise over unclear terms, breaches of contract, or failure to fulfill obligations.

The following are the typical project obligations or roles/responsibilities of the architect:
1. Production and coordination of all plans and specifications including all change
orders.
2. Technical accuracy of all documents and often reviews of contracts with subs.
3. Specific design (not design criteria).
4. Workability of the design.
5. Code compliance.
6. Interpretation of the documents.
7. Submittal review and approval.
8. Prompt and timely response.
9. Evaluation of the work, often as part of release of payment provisions.
10. Diligence, skill and good judgment usually with a criteria of “equal to the
professional level of competence in the area.”