Construction Input Assessment Tool for Industrial and Building Projects, Version 4.0

Front end planning (FEP) is the process of developing sufficient information for stakeholders to address risk and to commit resources to maximize the probability of success. When sound construction input is not sought during FEP, the projects fall short of their goals. This is mainly due to misalignment among the primary stakeholders (i.e., owners, designers, and constructors) and operating in their own domain. RT-241 was established to investigate the problem and determine ways in which construction input can be optimized during the front end stage of projects. RT-241 had five objectives for the research:

1. Develop a metric for measuring the level of construction expertise needed during FEP.
2. Identify and prioritize practices that optimize the involvement of construction resources.
3. Identify barriers/trade-offs (such as contract procurement issues) to integrating construction resources in FEP.
4. Develop a user-friendly decision tool to assist project teams in focusing on key construction items and activities during FEP.
5. Validate the decision tool.

The emphasis of this research, however, is to provide guidance on the timing and nature of the construction input to be provided in the FEP process, which is materially different from constructability. The research team has developed an Excel®-based decision aid, Construction Input Assessment Tool (CIAT). CIAT provides project stakeholders with a means of determining project items and activities that require construction input during front end planning. It also will assist in evaluating if adequate construction expertise is available or if outside sources are needed.