Four tips from construction management experts to be better prepared
As the COVID-19 pandemic has spread across countries and industries, the commercial construction industry has found varied methods to adapt to changes in workforce, funding and supply chains. Yet those facing changes to their budgets and schedules still bear responsibility in ensuring possible recovery during what may be considered a force majeure event; acts of God, fires, floods and other natural disasters that are not within the control of the contractor. Project and construction managers need to not only adapt to the impacts of the current climate, but reconsider plans in order to help mitigate ongoing damages and delays.
Construction management thought leader, Jim Gallagher, Principal of Resolution Management Consultants, explains, “During this kind of emergency, each project team will need to make decisions about how to proceed based on whether they’re able to adhere to social distancing recommendations, get the equipment and supplies they need as scheduled, and maintain the funding they expected to receive to move forward. But it is incumbent on the contractor to properly document and capture these costs and time impacts to allow for recovery, should contracts permit.”