Services

DUE DILIGENCE

  • Listen to the owner to confirm their needs, visions, and expectations are achieved in relation to the project.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

  • Establish a management and communication structure and process within the Ownership project team including Tribal Leadership, key Tribal employees, key Gaming employees, and FSA.
  • Ensure a communication protocol is established and implemented with the design team and construction manager.
  • Establish and communicate a plan of action to enable the project team to properly and effectively navigate through the pre-construction and construction processes.
  • Identify all project-specific objectives and unique challenges.
  • Lead all regularly scheduled meetings as well as all design, budgeting, and construction-related meetings including providing all agendas, minutes, and action items.
  • Provide regular standardized reports to the Owner, which will include all pertinent information related to the progression of the project.
  • Collaborate with the Owner, casino representatives, and local utility authorities related to the development of all off‑site infrastructure improvements. Manage the procurement of contractors for all associated infrastructure work and provide oversight of associated construction.
  • Identification and management of all required permits related to the project scope.
  • Oversight of all coordination between the CM and the design team including, but not limited to RFI’s, meeting agendas and minutes, constructability reviews, phasing plans, long lead identification and management, value engineering, site logistics, and additional topics as needed to ensure the construction phase is properly planned.
  • Ensure the CM and design team collaborate in providing necessary samples and mock-ups to the Owner for your review and approval in a timely manner that allows for proper procurement time after receiving approval.
  • Ensure a thorough and detailed Project Commissioning Plan is identified early in the construction phase. Once established, Connect will continue to monitor the progression and preparation for achieving this commissioning plan as the project is nearing completion. Provide direct oversight of the commissioning process once the project reaches the appropriate completion status.
  • Ensure the CM has identified a thorough and detailed plan for all owner training requirements as well as Project Close‑Out documentation (warranties, O&M manuals, key turnover, attic stock turnover, etc.). This will include a detailed plan of action that will produce high quality videos of the owner training for future reference by the owner’s facility management department.
  • Oversee full and final completion of all items that will enable the project to be brought to a complete and timely close. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Financial reconciliations
  • Audit close-out
  • Punch list close-out
  • Commissioning close-out
  • Completion of all trainings and submission of close‑out documents
  • Establishment of a detailed warranty management process and protocol

FIELD SUPERVISION

  • Complete daily job walks, and inspections of the work being performed by the CM to ensure all quality standards are being achieved.
  • Provide consistent reporting back to the Owner related to all observations and occurrences in the field.
  • Ensure all aspects and areas of the project are photographed (and videoed when necessary) and recorded daily for future reference.
  • Ensure the CM is completing all necessary safety measures related to the project. Providing regular feedback to the CM and reporting to the Owner.
  • Ensure the CM is consistently and thoroughly managing all site logistics and site control measures as necessary to ensure safety for all workforce and general public in addition to ensuring the project is managed in as efficient of a manner as possible.
  • Collaborate with the design team in regard to all “Architectural Field Reports” and monitor the CM’s performance in resolving all items as identified and required.
  • Ensure the status of these items are taken into consideration when evaluating any requests from the CM to reduce retainage.
  • Establish and clarify all expectations as related to the final punch list process.

CONTRACT MANAGEMENT

  • Manage the Design Consultant on-boarding process (RFQ/P Process).
  • Manage the CM on-boarding process (RFQ/P and Preliminary GMP process).
  • Develop a complete Responsibility Matrix to be used to clarify scope to be completed by the CMAR versus items to be completed by the architect, civil engineer, owner, or various other vendors. A draft Responsibility Matrix can be found in Connect’s Work Product Examples.

BUDGET & COST CONTROL

  • Manage the Program Budget (Construction Budget + Soft Costs) including all regular updates and reporting to the Owner.
  • Develop and confirm the Construction Budget.
  • Provide guidance to the Owner and design team regarding any impacts or adjustments to the budget including providing options to overcome any impacts and maintain the budget as set forth. This can be achieved through a “Value Management” process in which Connect can lead the effort in identifying Cost Reduction Concepts for the owner’s review and consideration.
  • Collaboration with the Owner and appropriate staff in the development of the final Owner Soft Cost Budgets.
  • Provide detailed and thorough oversight and leadership in the GMP development process.
  • Provide cash flow analysis to the Owner and FSA as necessary to ensure an accurate expectation is set in regard to the approximate funds that will be required on a monthly basis throughout the project.
  • Provide consistent oversight and tracking of the overall program budget (including soft cost) in addition to the construction budget (CM’s GMP).
  • Provide regular reporting and analysis of all budget related items back to the Owner
  • Provide thorough and timely reviews of all monthly pay applications provided by the CM.
  • Provide thorough and timely reviews of all monthly invoices from the design team as well as all miscellaneous soft costs invoices as associated with the project.
  • Determine the plan for completing a full project audit at the completion of the project. If it is determined that a third-party audit firm will be utilized on the project, Connect will outsource appropriately

SCHEDULE CONTROL

  • Management of all design and preconstruction milestones and critical activities as needed to maintain the project schedule and budget.
  • Continued development of the detailed “Baseline Project Schedule” (BPS) for all sectors of the project. This will be achieved through continued work sessions with the design team, CM team, and additional members of the Owner as necessary to ensure the entire development of the project is encompassed in this BPS.
  • Development of a detailed site logistics and phasing plan to minimize any impact to the current gaming operations.
  • Provide consistent oversight and tracking of the “Baseline Project Schedule” and communicate all reporting and statuses to the Owner on a regular basis. This would include all activities related to the design team, CM, and additional activities solely related to the owner or owner’s vendors.
  • Monitor the CM’s progression related to critical long-lead materials and equipment as well as all general material procurement.

DESIGN COORDINATION

  • Oversight of, and coordination with, the project architect and their contracted consultants.
  • Oversight of, and coordination with, the project civil engineer.
  • Complete constructability reviews of all design as produced by the project architect and civil engineers.