Attention San Francisco Project Teams!
What an incredible year it has been! For many of you preparing for the June 30th Fiscal Year end, it’s a great time to reflect on some amazing construction project outcomes.
For those are working on City and County of San Francisco projects, the 6th Annual San Francisco Partnering Awards Application is online and available at (due August 18th). I hope you will gather your team and share your story about how you overcame any number of issues this year, from normal stuff like utility conflicts, logistics and coordination, to supply chain challenges. It is a great opportunity to hear from the incredibly diverse project teams who are overcoming challenging circumstances to deliver outstanding projects.
This year, we attempted to simplify and clarify both the application and the judging processes. To do this we made a few changes:
- We turned the first question, “How did you Partner this Project?” into a simple form to complete with yes/no questions.
- We expanded the Judge’s criteria, so it is clear how many examples of project issues resolved are needed.
- We maintained the Microsoft word format, so the application is easy to draft and submit online.
If you have questions or clarifications – feel free to contact me, or Julia Laue (Julia.laue@sfdpw.org) the San Francisco Public Works Principal Architect & Bureau Manager and SFCPSC Coordinator. And, remember to optimize your scores:
- Start with the end in mind: Think like a Project Manager and start with the end in mind. The deadline is August 18th. Establish a goal of completing the writing by August 11th (or earlier!) so the team has one full week to review and edit the draft. Divide and conquer, identify a team member to guide the process (either the project PM or Partnering Facilitator). Do a quick brainstorm for each section, split up the initial draft and set interim milestones. At the end the application needs one voice, so include time for copy editing so the application reads in a cohesive way.
- Focus on the issues: 50 of the 100 points in the application are related to resolving issues and demonstrating teamwork within the team and with the project stakeholders. Judges understand things you can measure and quantify, so when you describe an issue, also describe the dollar value and its potential risk. Yes, it feels awkward to prove how valuable a claim is that your team avoided, but the dollars and days are real and this story is what helps the judges understand your teamwork.
- Take the reader on a journey: Every project has a “why” and every team has an arc, similar to Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey. Share successes and failures and most of all, be transparent. Authenticity helps the judges understand the project and makes your team’s story more compelling.
- Show signs of celebration: The best teams celebrate together. They break bread, go for coffee and/or other beverages, and they cultivate a relationship. They work with the project stakeholders, the people and organizations who will inherit the project once it is completed. Share how your team did that. I love the philosophy that “it’s better to have a friend before you need one.” Top teams make the project stakeholders and end-users key contributors to the process. In your application, demonstrate that your team has built relationships with each other and with the project stakeholders beyond the physical work!
Good luck with your application! Call Julia or me if you need some support and I hope your team can join us for the San Francisco Collaborative Partnering Awards Ceremony on October 20th.
-Rob
Rob Reaugh is President of OrgMetrics LLC. He facilitates the City and County of San Francisco Collaborative Partnering Steering Committee and currently works with San Francisco International Airport, San Jose International Airport, BART, Caltrans, and others. He holds a Masters’ Degree in Alternative Dispute Resolution.
For more information please contact Rob Reaugh, RobReaugh@Orgmet.com / (925) 487-2404 (cell), or OrgMetrics, (925) 449-8300.
