Case History - Federal Building
VARO Oakland
Suggestions for Field Managers
The task for field management staff in planning and implementing a
relocation of a regional office is enormous and will consume far more than the
expected amount of time, energy and other resources. Various aspects of this
task will eventually fall on all station personnel but initially the serious impact will
effect the managers and supervisors of all divisions and the Director's Office to
the point where accomplishment of regular duties and responsibilities will be
impaired. The station Director must be prepared to commit adequate resources
to the relocation project to ensure success and minimize the inevitable
forthcoming distress.
The Director should assign a senior manager the role and responsibilities of
project coordination and oversight. This manager should assemble a team of
subordinates with well-defined roles and clear authority to act on the Director's
behalf. Clear communications must be established between team members and
all levels of station management.
Communication Issues
No other factor will be as important in determining the success of the
relocation project. Relationships must be established and nurtured throughout
the project with emphasis on reaching the highest levels of management in each
organization. Problem resolution will often depend on who you (Regional Office
management and project staff) know and how much you are respected. The
Director and Project Coordinator should quickly learn the identities of all major
participants in the project outside VA (e.g., GSA, other colocating federal
agencies, contractors for design, architecture and engineering of the facility,
general contractor, major sub-contractors, coordinating project managers--all
whose cooperation will affect meeting VA's objectives) and cultivate a mutual
understanding of each other's objectives. Lines of authority and responsibility
must be defined and understood by all.
Development of effective
communications and relations with these parties can make the difference
between a successful or disastrous project.
VBA Design Guide
Page 5-1
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