Front End Planning of Renovation and Revamp Projects - Instructor's Guide
Front end planning (FEP) is arguably the single most important process in the capital project life cycle. It is focused on creating a strong, early link between the business or mission need, project strategy, scope, cost, and schedule and maintaining that link unbroken throughout the project life. Research conducted by the CII indicates that effective front end planning can set the stage for:
- better cost performance, including more predictable estimates and reduced project cost
- reduced project schedules
- fewer project changes
- better operational performance
- a reduced chance of project disasters
Data from the CII membership show that approximately 30 percent of expenditures on capital projects are focused on Renovation and Revamp (R&R) work. Unique characteristics of R&R projects include:
- Safety and security issues of work force interfacing with existing operations
- Unforeseen site conditions more prominent
- Scope definition, estimating the amount of work more difficult
- Scheduling intensity, higher in many cases
- Greater need to interface with operations/tenants, maintenance, and construction personnel
- Additional schedule constraints occur due to operational interfaces
- Different funding sources, including both local capital and non-capital funds.
This education module provides the venue for teaching the unique nature of front end planning of renovation and revamp projects, including discussion of two tools developed to help in this process—Shutdown Turnaround Alignment Review (STAR) and Project Condition Investigation (PCI) cards—and provides an opportunity to use these tools in hypothetical situations.
