Project Intake Workflow

Summary

A capital project is defined as any activity to acquire, develop, improve and/or maintain a capital asset for the university.

The Project Intake will help you define the goals and scope of your projects, large or small, and establish a budget within your department. The Project Intake will also help determine the best strategy to get your project completed on time and on budget, including working with outside vendors and contractors.

Workflow

Step 1: Project Initiation
Fill out all pertinent information on Project Intake Form. Provide as much detail as possible, and include any attachments that can be used for assessment of the project such as drawings, specifications, desired outcomes, requirements, or project charters.

Step 2: Vice President Assessment
Once a project has been created, the information input in the intake form will be forwarded to the project sponsor / pertinent vice president. The vice president will assess the information provided, evaluate the resources required to execute the project, and determine if the project aligns with the Momentum Plan. Your VP may schedule meetings with the requester(s) on an as-needed basis if more information or discussion is required.

If your project is declined, you will receive a notification for you to follow up with your division VP.

If your project has VP approval, you will be notified and your project will move to the next steps. Please note that a VP approval is strictly an approval to proceed to the next steps which are outlined below, and does not necessarily guarantee execution of the project.

Step 3: PMO Assessment
You will be contacted by the Project Management Office (PMO) to schedule an initial meeting to review the project. Initial review of the project will include a high level overview of scope, requirements, desired outcomes, and budget of the project. This meeting will be used to assist the PMO in understanding the project request, and will serve as the foundation for development of the project charter (Step 4).

Step 4: Project Charter
The Project Management Office shall work with the stakeholders / requestors to develop and review a project charter. The project charter shall document all requirements, high level schedule, resources, budget, assumptions and constraints, and business case.
The project charter serve as the formal project reference, and shall be used to make the final decision on proceeding to the execution phase of the project.

Step 4A: Project Design
If required, a designer will work closely stakeholders to design the project and produce drawings to ensure that all project requirements are satisfied. Once a design is complete and drawings are approved by all stakeholders (including the PMO and Facilities), they will be reviewed for code compliance. The designs will be used as part of the estimation process.

Step 4B: Project Estimate
Based on the scope of work and project design, the PMO will estimate the cost of the project in-house OR bring in an estimator, depending on the complexity of the project. Estimates will encompass all work required for the project including demolition, construction, IT installation / equipment, fire alarm work, furniture purchasing, moves, etc, Estimates may vary from the final price due to field conditions and/or changes to the original scope of the project. Note that all required change orders will added to the project. Any projects totaling over $250,000 will require approval by the Board of Trustees.

If insufficient funding is available or the project is cost prohibitive, scope and / or timeline will have to be altered.

Step 4C: Project Timeline
The PMO will investigate the project to ensure it can be completed within the required timeline, and prepare a high level project schedule. The PMO will ensure the project can be completed within restrictions (i.e. a classroom renovation can only start after a semester ends, and must be 100% completed before the start of a new semester). The time frame for projects varies greatly depending on the scope and complexity of the project, as well as resources available (see 4E).

Step 4D: Risk Assessment
Risk analysis involves examining how project outcomes and objectives might change due to the impact of the risk event. Once the risks are identified, they are analyzed to identify the qualitative and quantitative impact of the risk on the project so that appropriate steps can be taken to mitigate them. Risk analysis will be conducted to ensure the project can stay within scope, cost, and schedule.

Step 4E: Resource Assessment
Execution of the project can require multiple AU resources, including facilities / trades, PMO, purchasing, contracts, IT, and others. In order to successfully execute a project, the PMO will evaluate the resource availability to add the requested project to the active project deck.

Step 5: PMO Approval
Once the charter has been completed and reviewed by all stakeholders, senior leadership will decide if the project shall move forward. You will be alerted as to the decision on moving the project forward. If the project is approved, the PMO will contact you regarding the execution of the project.