Project Finance Flashcards
(103 cards)
What are the typical cost manager responsibilities on a construction project?
- Manage risk allowance expenditure
- Initiate action to avoid overspend
- Prepare pricing documents for tendering
- Evaluate and analyze tender bids
- Prepare interim valuations
- Value variations and compensation events
- Assess the contractor’s financial claims
- Negotiate and agree final accounts
- Issue financial reports or statements
- Provide initial cost advice on capital investment costs
- Produce cost estimates and cost plans
- Provide advice on whole life costs
- Produce cost reports, estimates and forecasts
- Prepare and maintain cash flow forecasts
If you are producing cost estimates and cost plans, which measurements rules represent industry best practice?
New Rules of Measurement (NRM)
Can you name the 3 documents in the NRM suite?
- NRM1 - Order of cost estimating and cost planning for capital building works
- NRM2 - Detailed measurement for building works
- NRM3 - Order of cost estimating and cost planning for building maintenance works
Can you provide a brief overview of each of the NRM documents?
NRM1 - Provides guidance on quantification of building works for the purpose of preparing cost estimates and cost plans. It is the “cornerstone” of good cost management of construction projects, enabling more effective and accurate cost advice to be given to clients and other project team members, as well as facilitating better cost control.
NRM2 - Is written mainly for the preparation of BOQs and quantified schedules of works, although the rules will be invaluable for designing and developing standard or bespoke schedules of rates.
NRM3 - Gives guidance on the quantification and description of maintenance works for the purpose of preparing initial order of cost estimates. The rules also aid in the procurement and cost control of maintenance works.
What is the structure of the NRM 1?
Part 1: General Introduction
Part 2: Measurement rules for order of cost estimate
Part 3: Measurement rules for cost planning
Part 4: Tabulated rules of measurement for elemental cost planning
- Appendices
What is the structure of the NRM 2?
Part 1: General introduction
Part 2: Rules for detailed measurement of building works
Part 3: Tabulated rules of measurement for building works
- Appendices
What is the structure of the NRM 3?
Part 1: General introduction
Part 2: New rules of measurement for building maintenance works
Part 3: Measurement rules for order of cost estimating (renewal and maintain)
Part 4: Measurement rules for cost planning and renewal (R) and maintain (M) works
Part 5: Calculation of annualized costs for renewal (R) and maintain (M) works
Part 6: Tabulated rules of measurement for elemental cost planning
- Appendices
Why is it important to measure the works according to industry standards and best practice?
- To provide consistency and greater accuracy of pricing
- To ensure that all parties price on the same basis and therefore reduce the risk of dispute
Is it mandatory for chartered surveyors to follow the procedures set out in the NRM?
Following NRM is not a mandatory requirement. However, when an allegation of professional negligence is made against a surveyor, the court is likely to take account of the contents of any relevant guidance notes published by the RICS in deciding whether the surveyor had acted with reasonable competence
How is risk dealt with under NRM?
NRM recommends that risk allowances are not a standard percentage, but a properly considered assessment of risk, considering completeness of the design and other uncertainties such as the extent of the site investigation undertaken
Can you tell me the 4 risk categories identified in NRM?
- Employer Change Risk
- Employer Other Risk
- Design Development Risk
- Construction Risk
How does NRM define the “cost limit” of the project?
Cost limit (or authorized budget or approved estimate) - means the maximum expenditure that the employer is prepared to make in relation to the completed building
Can you explain what the “base cost estimate” should include?
Base cost estimate - means an evolving estimate of known factors without any allowance for risk and uncertainty, or element of inflation. The base cost estimate is the sum of the works cost estimate, the project/design team fees estimate and the other development/project costs estimate
What are the GRIP stages of work?
- Output definition
- Project feasibility
- Option Selection
- Single Option Selection
- Detailed Design
- Construction, Test, Commission
- Scheme Handback
- Project Closeout
What is a Cost Plan?
- The cost plan is typically prepared by the cost consultant and provides an estimate of what the actual project cost is likely to be
- The cost plan identifies the client’s agreed cost limit and how the money is allocated to the different parts fo the project
Other than predicting the final project cost, what other benefits does the cost plan provide to the project and the project team?
- Designers are aware of the cost implications of their proposals which enables them to arrive at practical and balanced designs
- Provides information upon which the employer can make informed commercial decisions
What sources of cost information and data are available when preparing a new cost estimate or cost plan?
- Information produced by the BCIS (Building Cost Information Service), data is available on a wide range of building types
- Published pricing books such as SPON’s and BCIS (the information may need adjusting for inflation)
- Pricing documents and other information from previous projects
- Cost analysis and cost models produced in-house
- Speaking directly to contractors, subcontractors and suppliers for cost information
- Existing client information - benchmark data from previous projects
How do you take account of the project location and why?
A location factor is usually applied to recognize differences in construction prices. For example, a project in London is typically more expensive than a similar project in Nottingham
What are some of the key reasons why we have cost overrun on a project?
- Ambiguous client brief or changes in the later stages of the project
- Unrealistic cost estimates
- Project risk is realized or not properly managed
- Inadequate management control or processes
- Uncoordinated design
- Unknown external factors (for example global pandemics)
- Unsuitable tendering and/or procurement strategy selection
- Statutory authority influences such as onerous planning permission conditions
What is BWIC?
- BWIC stands for builder’s work in connection and is usually set as a percentage of the services cost
- BWIC refers to builder’s work that is necessary to allow other works to proceed (typically mechanical and electrical services but also other specialist installations)
Why is VAT usually excluded from the cost plan?
Employers my incur different levels of VAT (some might be exempt). Therefore, VAT is usually excluded to ensure the incorrect tax rate is not applied.
Can you tell me what you understand by the term benchmarking?
- Benchmarking is the use of historical data from projects of a similar nature
- Can be used as a comparison or check for cost planning purposes
- Benchmarking can highlight areas of design that are not value for money; or, if the price offered by the contractor is in line with market conditions
How would you undertake a benchmarking exercise for your client?
Produce a clear document which shows the various cost plan elements side-by-side with the benchmark project(s). This process will identify items which are considered abnormal, I would then endeavor to justify cost anomalies for flagged items
What are prime cost sums?
- A sum of money included in a unit rate to be expended on materials or goods from suppliers (e.g. supply only ceramic walls tiles at £36.00/m2)
- It is a supply only rate for materials or good where the precise quality is unknown
- Prime cost sums exclude all costs associated with fixing or installation, all ancillary and sundry materials and goods required for the fixing or installation of the materials or goods.