There is an art to conducting contract negotiations and emerging with a reasonable plan. Clearly establishing and agreeing upon project scope is nearly as important for successful outcomes as risk management.

Ideally, scoping conversations should be a collaboration between the owner and the consultant. The owner understands operational needs and brings the vision to the table. The consultant may be able to recommend ways to achieve the objectives, based on experience and diverse insights, that the client may not have considered. A true partnership can unlock efficiencies and minimize costly revisions later in the project life cycle.

The work begins with the owner’s vision: the overall goal, the necessary deadline, any specific requirements. This end state is the pinnacle being built toward.

Consultants take that target and develop the road map of milestones and deliverables that will stack up to attain the ultimate goal. Pairing this with collaborative communication, a good partner will understand the end state and break it into bite-sized pieces for effective execution.

This process of defining scope and segmenting the approach is critical because every project is different. Even among similar projects that must meet matching codes and regulations, there will be nuances or local functional requirements that make each effort unique. Differing authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) or third-party review requirements can also introduce variation.

Open, collaborative communications help everyone understand where the project is going from the outset.

Before embarking on a detailed fee proposal for the full scope of services — especially when the full road map is not yet delineated — it is crucial to conduct a comprehensive programming and conceptual design study. By participating in a charrette, a planning meeting in which all stakeholders come together to capture the vision, values and ideas, and developing a conceptual design report, stakeholders and representatives from multiple disciplines can reach a clearly defined agreement on the scope, budget and schedule at the earliest stages of the project.

Once the owner provides the end goal — such as an airline wanting a new hangar in place by a specific date because of airport leasing needs — the team is able to work backward, building in time for construction, which is preceded by time for permitting, design and so forth. Clear understanding of the scope of what the project will need is likely to dictate permit requirements, equipment orders and more.

After running through the owner’s list of needs, the team can develop a preliminary layout and ask how well it matches what was envisioned. The consultant can use that initial layout to engage in discussions: more of one feature, less of another, perhaps a different configuration. Talking through those variables early on lets the team work through the implications of each for the scope, as well as trickle-down effects into schedule and cost.

Having a multidisciplinary team — potentially including environmental, water and transportation professionals — in the charrette provides extra insights into the implications, resulting in a stronger final plan built on more exacting estimates.

Of course, things can change once a project is underway. New problems or delays could arise, deadlines could shift, additional needs could be identified that have to be incorporated. Having robust scope discussions upfront can help mitigate some of those challenges.

When the full project team has been involved in the scope conversations from the beginning, people will be better positioned to help prioritize the remaining segments of the project, informed with a big-picture understanding. Repackaging the project elements and prioritizing long-lead materials can help salvage the schedule on the path to meeting the overall goal.

Some degree of change is not unusual, but the more aligned the owner and consultant are from the earliest stages of the project, the better chance they have to limit scope changes later on.

Amid complications spurred by inflationary and supply chain pressures, a strong project team makes itself accountable. A clear understanding of what equipment and materials are called for in the project scope will help the team establish design elements and place orders earlier.

Proactive measures help the partners manage escalation on construction costs, especially when programming projects out two or three years in advance. Identifying equipment needs early and estimating labor needs accurately while establishing prices will minimize unpleasant surprises for project owners.

Employing design-build project delivery also can help mitigate supply chain issues, enabling flexibility and streamlining project sequencing to meet the project scope and schedule while minimizing cost implications.

When the owner and consultant work together closely, all parties can share insights and expectations. A trusting relationship that clearly defines the end state and uncovers questions and options early on will result in happier outcomes for everyone involved.

Scope and schedule shifts — driven by the complex interplay of a wide range of factors — can induce heartburn and financial distress. The more thoroughly the elements of scoping (and the resulting schedule) are fleshed out upfront, the better the odds of a smooth landing at project’s end.