Serving People through Facility Maintenance

by Andrew Pust

Projects are a part of every organization. Some organizations or departments exist to do projects. The focus of this article is capital improvement projects undertaken by ministries in order to improve or expand their ability to accomplish their mission. Within a ministry people will have differing views of projects. Some love working on a project. They get excited about working on a new task, thrive on the pressure of a deadline, and enjoy seeing progress happen quickly. Others find projects frustrating. They don’t like change, and they don’t understand why so much time and energy is being used on a project when they can’t keep up with the normal stuff. To them, projects appear to exist in a parallel universe and are driven by a special set of rules that sometimes seem to be inconsistent with the normal operation of the organization. Addressing the following areas will help a project be successful.

Communicate. People have an amazing ability to be supportive and helpful and can change their mind if they are informed. Most opposition comes from those who feel that their opinions don’t matter. The opportunity to hear the why of the project and to ask questions before the project begins is a huge morale booster, especially if the project affects them in any way. Keeping those around us informed of progress, as well as difficulties along the way, will help to debunk the parallel universe theory.

Know the project’s purpose. This is the why that our colleagues want to know and that we must understand before a decision to begin can even be made. It is this purpose that is measured against other possible projects and makes it possible to decide which proposed project should be done and when it should be started. A project whose purpose does not further an organization’s mission is a distraction from what should be done. A project committee that meets three or four times a year to consider the current state of the facility, projects, timetables, proposed projects, and allocation of resources can be a helpful source of direction. The larger a ministry grows, the more important it is to put guidelines in place governing how project proposals become working projects. It becomes increasingly important that accurate communication take place throughout the entire organization. We must learn to think out loud. We cannot be thin-skinned and withhold our ideas or opinions because we are afraid that they will get shot down. Those with decision-making responsibilities must have accurate information if they are to make wise decisions.

Assign a project manager. The project manager is responsible to understand the purpose; to communicate progress, problems, and needs; and to make sure the project is completed correctly. He must be able to learn new skills if needed, teach those who are less skilled and less knowledgeable, inspect what is expected, communicate openly to all parties involved, focus on specifics without losing sight of the whole project, and remain objective when presented with changes.

Estimate needed resources. A project budget must contain real cost estimates. Even if you are fairly certain that a portion of the labor or materials can be purchased at a reduced rate, always set the budget as if the discount doesn’t exist. That way, if volunteers don’t materialize or a friendly vendor is unable to help as he would like, the ability to finish the project won’t be compromised. It is helpful to include a cost overrun buffer of 10% to 15% of the entire budget. Also, don’t forget to include sales tax in your budget figures. Divide the project into phases, giving smaller goals to reach and providing checkpoints to compare projected and actual spending. Finally, budget about 1% of the project’s overall budget for tool purchases. This will give your labor force the tools to work efficiently and will replace tools that are worn out by the project.

Consider personnel needs. The length of a project is directly tied to the number of people available to work. If you are staffing your project inhouse, set target dates based on the manpower that is actually available and not on what is potentially available. Remember that your colleagues have responsibilities that the ministry is depending on for day-to-day operation. Nothing will frustrate them more than pressuring them to work on a project at the expense of their own responsibilities. Volunteers can be a great way to balloon the labor force without blowing the budget.

Set deadlines. Without realistic deadlines it is impossible for any planning to take place for putting the completed project into use. Your co-workers and supporters will have difficulty staying motivated about a project without target deadlines for specific phases and an overall finish date. Those doing the project have no goal to meet, and those who would use the finished project don’t know when it will be completed. Contractors and sub-contractors often have many jobs going simultaneously; if they perceive that there is no drive to get to the finish, they will work on other jobs first. Communicate the project schedule to all parties involved and regularly inspect for progress as well as quality.

Establish priorities. Only on rare occasions and for limited amounts of time should a project be given precedence over the normal processes and procedures of daily operation. Regardless of how exciting the project is or even how crucial it may be to complete the next stage, the project must remain a project. To act otherwise is to impact the ability of the entire ministry to fulfill its mission.