Holdfast Training Services Trial Blog

Well hello everybody – I’ve finally found some internet! Hope you are all having a good time. Well done us all on APMP – I wonder how that bloke did – you know the one.  Also, we all got 61% for our final design exercise.

The work bit first…

My phase 2 attachment is at the redevelopment of the Joondalup Medical Campus, which comprises the refurbishment and extension of an existing hospital and the construction of a second, private, hospital and teaching facility, including the modernisation of all services. On site interdependent projects have been let to and formed by John Holland Group, into a programme of projects – The APM would be proud. The procurement strategy selected by the client, Ramsey Health Care, is a combination of a management contract and construction management (some sub-contracts are directly let by the client), with the addition of a target price agreement. The details of the head contract are a little opaque; the Programme Manager is keen on keeping the financial stuff to himself. In any event the project is, at least overall, ahead of schedule and showing a healthy gain share for all concerned.

My role, initially, is to be the Services Coordinator for the project that will deliver the refurbishment of the existing hospital.

The nomenclature used by the Organisation differs from the standard APM model, in that the post that the APM would call the Programme Manager is referred to as Project Manager, whilst the posts that the APM would label the Project Managers are known as the Site Managers.

Attached is a briefing slide giving an overview of the programme; my project/role is concerned with elements 4, 5, 6, and 7. Because these elements are to be delivered during the period of my attachment, I will have exposure to procurement, demolition, installation and commissioning of a wide range of services.

Specifically, I’ve been given responsibility for a smaller project within element 5 – the refurbishment of a day procedures surgical unit, to be delivered by the end of August – all very exciting but I’m having to learn pretty rapido. Mostly, I’m reviewing tender submissions in the office, whilst acting as a middle man between the clients design consultants (from whom I have to get permission for almost every change), the clinicians (who want it finished yesterday but won’t let me turn the water off for half an hour) and the sub-contractors (Who ‘just wan’a smash it in mate; what’s the blady howld ap?’) on site. The work is being let piecemeal so there is much frustration, for the sub-contractors as well as for us, in getting the approvals required to put hammer to wall.

The hospital is still running as we build, and taking over the new facilities as they are completed. This poses some unusual challenges – I had to scrub in the other day so I could poke about in a live theatre looking for an elusive set of medical gas isolation valves. The mantra is very much hospital first, building site second. My little project is linked by a door (now chained shut) to a post op recovery suite. One of the others is in the space between the theatres and the recovery suite – the bricks and sticks men are being very good at not swearing to loudly.

Mark was right to tell us that we would have a technical edge on most of the others on site – much use of Darcy’s equation to explain why ‘that duct isn’t going to be big enough’. I’ve not had to invoke rule number 1 yet, but rule number 2 is becoming my go to option, since one of the things I have to do is review the detailed technical designs produced by the sub-contractors, and then persuade the client’s consultants to give us authority to proceed. In some ways there is tremendous freedom to make engineering decisions but on the other hand much is tediously bureaucratic.

Away from work, there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth with finding somewhere to live. The place they have put me in is frankly…, well it’s not nice. Burnt out cars, no hot water, red back spiders, and a curiously persistent shopping trolley in the last few days alone. I will be moving soon!

Mine are a little bigger than this one :-).

On the other hand, I managed to do some awesome scuba over the Easter WE; I came face to face (well almost… ok, it was about 20m away) with a juvenile (2m) Tiger Shark. Was very cool in any event.

That’s all for now folks.  See you here again soon.