Coordination and Project Management

Effective project management involves planning, coordinating, and managing resources to ensure that a project successfully achieves its target goals within the given constraints.

Great street designs cannot be realized without effective coordination and project management. Identify all relevant project stakeholders and define project roles early. Maintain clear communication and coordination from start to finish, and ensure appropriate agencies and technical experts provide consistent input at all stages of project design and development.

Coordinate among the various stakeholders, designers, and project executors to clarify the project scope, schedule, budget, and desired outcomes.

Pre-Project Planning and Coordination

Ensure that adequate planning and coordination takes place before a project begins, so everyone is working toward the same identified objectives.

• Identify clear schedule, budget, scope, and quality objectives for the project.
• Clarify any constraints on the existing site.
• Engage all parties from the very beginning, showcase the benefits of the project, and set up an ongoing transparent system of communication.
• Establish clear roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders.
• Coordinate project plans to align with local policies, guidelines, and codes.
• Identify potential impediments early in the process and allow for unexpected costs and delays.
• Establish a timeline for routine follow-ups, site visits, and updates to ensure that the project is implemented as planned and that challenges are addressed as soon as they occur.
• Coordinate with adjacent ongoing work in order to achieve greater impacts and reduce future reconstruction or repair.

Interagency Coordination

Coordinating the many agencies that are involved in shaping streets can be challenging, but it is critical to the success of a project.

• Coordinate projects, schedules, and budgets with planning, transportation, health, design and construction, parks, enforcement, utilities, and other departments as necessary.
• Define a coordinating entity dedicated to organizing taskforce teams.
• Hold regular meetings and facilitate interagency communication.
• Coordinate with regional and national governments and seek better integration into the process of large-scale plans.

Public-Private Coordination

Project managers should facilitate coordination between all public agencies involved in the project as well as between the public and private sector parties.

• Ensure that the client is regularly informed about the development and progress of the project.
• Inform all contractors of the objectives and schedules.
• Engage local constituents who are interested in the project.

Coordination with Utility Companies

• Coordinate with utility companies and maintenance stakeholders to help them understand how their work supports the long-term success of the project.
• Clearly communicate project goals and ensure guidelines are created for returning the street to its existing or improved condition.

Communicate Information

• Provide clear design documents, visual guidance, and diagrams with easy-to-follow instructions to ensure quality construction.
• Keep community members informed throughout the process to build and maintain support.
• Communicate progress using multiple mediums, such as online, update signs, weekly flyers, or in-person meetings and announcements.
• Consider hiring a dedicated staff person to keep people informed on a regular basis.