Having established the overarching goals and the contracting strategy, further deep-dive communication helps to flesh out the details. Good upfront program management starts to shape the year-to-year milestones, engineering requirements, cost estimating procedures, and short- and long-term staffing needs.
Planners and program managers should work together closely to define program parameters, explore options and evaluate alternatives. New transmission lines and greenfield projects can alter complexity as compared to brownfield or rebuild efforts. Comprehensive construction planning at an early stage results in more accurate project scope, timelines and cost estimates. All of these elements can influence how program partners agree to move forward for successful execution.
At this stage, utilities should focus on program planning that provides detailed estimates from the bottom up, including multiyear forecasts during construction. This data is vital and will be used to track efforts going forward. Financial planning should adhere to existing internal procedures, and it should be counted on to work within utility systems to tie in with the broader capital budgeting process. Skilled financial planning will support appropriate and expeditious accounting of assets and project closure in the long term.
Finally, it’s important to identify reporting obligations early in project planning so that the right data is captured, monitored and available. Regulatory requirements and financial goals will help define many components, but making sure all necessary data and information to communicate with stakeholders is outlined at the outset will save time and expense.