Sample Subject Matter Itineraries

Below are two examples of itineraries that describe types of subject matter about a contractor’s operations. A host contractor may want to introduce these types of subject matter to the intern. The first itinerary is one week, and the second one is two weeks. Click here for the Sample Daily Activity Schedules.

SAMPLE SUBJECT MATTER ONE WEEK SCHEDULE

The host contractor may want to address the following three areas of a construction company’s operations during the intern’s itinerary/schedule: 1) Project Procurement, 2) On site Project Management, 3) Monitoring Progress and Management Controls. The following are merely suggestions for possible one week and two week internships. Host contractors should feel free to tailor the actual intern's subject matter itinerary based on the contractor's work schedule and the intern's interest and experience.

1) Project Procurement
	• Identifying Target Markets • Developing niche markets • Identifying markets where competitive advantage exists
Identifying Key Owners
	• Identifying and obtaining work from good owners • Identifying owners who are difficult • Determining where profit returns will justify risk
Initial plan review and prioritization of bid opportunities
	• How does a contractor determine which opportunities to pursue aggressively, which to load profit on and when not to bid at all • Initial review of plans to determine if advantage exists • Prioritizing/ranking of bid opportunities • Which do we want to bid? • Which do we have to bid? • Coordination of bid between project management and estimating, determination of resources (people available and how that influence bid)
Bid preparation/estimating
	• Sub advertising • Designing scope for each sub • Fulfilling MBE/DBE/WBE requirements • Sub prequalification/bonding • Determination of when not to use lowest bidder • Ethics-bid shopping
Post bid review
	• Formalizing commitment form subs • Identifying overlapping items in bids/missing items • Analyzing how competition bid-higher, lower and Why?
Consider having the intern participate in or sit in on:
	• Senior management discussions about what makes the contractor different where the following are addressed:
		1. How does the company differentiate itself from the competition? 2. What does the company have as strategic advantages as a result of resources, equipment, people, etc.? 3. How does the company take advantage of its strength? 4. What is its niche?
	• Management strategy meetings discussing current project opportunities where the following are addressed:
		1. What factors go into the contractor’s decision about what projects should be bid. 2. Solicitation of subs and MBE/DBE/WBE bids.
	• Walk through of formal prequalification process for subs, if there is one. • Observation of bid day to witness how hectic putting a bid together can be. • Post-bid evaluation by estimating to either determine how and why the competition won, or to verify the bid was a good one, and that nothing was missed prior to accepting the contract.
The whole project procurement process from developing strategy to post-bid evaluation could be covered in a couple of days, or it could be spread out over the course of the week so as to fit the bidding/estimating schedules.
2) On Site Project Management
Spend a couple of days in the field for in-depth perspective, whether it be on one project, or spread over multiple projects. Some of the key aspects that need to be covered are:
	• Chain of command-when to escalate problems • Scheduling-working with subs and suppliers to achieve timely project completion • Subcontractor progress meetings • Developing cost to complete figures • Monitoring budget vs. actual • Change order preparation • Documenting changes. Changed conditions, alternatives and cost for claims • Project close-out • Safety program
Past interns have found it helpful to visit a project that is just starting (to observe how the project manager gets all parties to buy into the plan for building the job), to visit a project that is further along, and to visit one in the closeout stage.
3) Monitoring Progress and Management Controls
Management involvement and continued monitoring of projects and people are essential to the long term success of any organization. Consider addressing:
	• How does senior management stay on top of operations w/o being involved in day-to-day construction operation? Is it necessary for senior management to get their hands dirty? • How are estimating and project management people evaluated? How are they developed? • What types of Incentive programs have worked best to motivate people? • How often does management visit projects and independently communicate with owner reps to determine owner satisfaction? When does management gets directly involved in a specific project? • What is their method of communication between departments? How do they avoid finger pointing or blame (it was a bad bid, project manager was no good, etc.) How does management develop a sense of teamwork and honest evaluation of performance? • What financial tools does management use to monitor performance? • Setting goals for all areas of the organization: How to motivate people to reach goals. • How teams are built within the company? • What is the culture of the organization? • Developing business plans
The process of learning about management control and evaluation of people and progress can be handled within the course of a single day.

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SAMPLE SUBJECT MATTER TWO WEEK SCHEDULE

A. In the Office–Week One
	1. Prospecting for Work–Philosophy of Contractor
		a. Bidding vs. Negotiating Philosophy b. Market Area or "Construction Territory" c. Sources of construction projects availability
		(1) Public Work
			(a) State & Local Government/Municipalities (b) Federal Government Projects
		(2) Private Work
	2. Deciding what to bid and what not to bid after having identified projects
		a. Owner acceptability b. Architect/Engineer acceptability c. Sources of funds/payment terms d. Fitting project into overall business plan in view of finances, resources (human & equipment) to prosecute work e. How does the contractor decide whether or not to seek a joint venture and if so, with whom
	3. The bid process
		a. Review of plans, specifications, and contract terms b. Preliminary project Investigation c. The job take-off d. Compiling, reviewing & analysis of sub-bids, material prices, etc. e. Contingencies, last minute price changes and revisions f. Bid escalation, last minute price changes and revisions g. Quality control, eliminating the risk of error h. Final assessment of the bid & delivery to owner
	4. After the bid is submitted
		a. If the lowest responsible bidder
		(1) Evaluation of pricing (2) Notification of subs & suppliers (3) Reducing proposals to contract & purchase ordersP RAM tee (4) Preparation for award & notice to proceed (5) Job Scheduling (6) Mobilization (7) Job site/Home Office organization and coordination
		b. In not low
		(1) Evaluation of estimate (2) Documentation of the evaluation for future reference (3) Review of cost records & data-a learning process
B. In the Field/Job Site–Week Two
	1. Who is in charge of total project?
		a. Supervisory chain of command b. Communications between construction forces on site c. Coordination of the work
		(1) Subs (2) Contractor forces
	2. Relations with owner/architect or owner’s representative 3. From the drawings to the work product 4. Adherence to plans & specifications 5. Job progress- timeliness on time and on budget 6. Daily documentation of job progress and things affecting schedule (super’s daily report) 7. End-of-work project progress review 8. Include intern in job site meetings with subs, owner/architect, etc. 9. Estimating the remaining cost to complete on the job 10. Relating budgeted cost to actual cost 11. Early identification of problems or potential problems 12. Safety program 13. Drug program
C. Address the Following Items In General
	1. The contractor’s views on what makes or breaks a project (what’s important and what’s not). 2. How the contractor uses actual information from a job in estimating future jobs of like kind. 3. The contractor’s view on project difficulties, how to recognize, avoid or handle them. 4. Discussion of cost accounting system-Does it meet the contractor’s needs and how the contractor relies on it.