Professional Practice
Public Practice: Project Management
Public Practice Landscape Architecture: Project Management
Public agencies lead projects to address community needs and deliver public investments, including parks and recreation facilities, streets and sidewalks, transit, housing, schools, drinking water, and stormwater management. Starting with the initiation and planning of a project through its final completion and close out, project management is essential to meet project objectives and achieve desired outcomes. Successful project management includes:
- Ensuring projects meet community expectations and the agency’s quality standards
- Facilitating and motivating the project team to meet project goals and objectives
- Completing on time, within budget, and to meet the objectives of the project
- Managing change and minimizing project risks
Design review of an irrigation plan for a project. Image courtesy of Amie Wojtech, ASLA
Public practice landscape architects frequently serve in a lead role managing projects. They are often responsible for ‘the big picture’ on a project, synthesizing the components of a project and managing project-wide issues. As a project manager, they represent their agency when conducting project activities in the community, with elected officials, with design teams hired by the agency or with agency staff, and with construction contractors building projects. They are responsible for administering projects to protect public assets—both physical and fiscal. Activities typically include:
- Developing project work plans to plan work activities and processes for completing the project.
- Consulting with agency staff to determine project requirements, including gathering and preparing information regarding specifications, materials, project budgets, and schedule assumptions.
- Meeting with community groups, technical committees, public agencies, and elected officials to explain and describe project plans, generate support, and ensure public participation
- Conducting periodic on site observation of work in progress to ensure contract compliance with plans and specifications to meet standards for quality.
- Reviewing plans, drawings, specifications, and other project submittals for compliance with appropriate municipal codes, regulations, and policies.
- Monitoring project budgets and contract documents to achieve successful project completion and/or grant compliance.
- Preparing correspondence, reports, and maintaining records
- Directing, scheduling, coordinating and reviewing the work of assigned project staff and private consultants.
- Coordinating, acquiring, and administering required permits for projects.
- Preparing documentation needed for approval by various government and regulatory agencies.
- Preparing grant applications and conducting grant administration, management and reporting
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