Best Practices for Project Management, Design, and Construction of ...

project and its potential impact. A draft EIR (DEIR) is prepared and published with a comment
period deemed long enough by the local jurisdiction to ensure all concerned persons and
organizations have a chance to comment. Comments and their responses are published in a final
EIR (FEIR), the findings of which must be approved by the local jurisdiction along with any
modifications to urban plans and a development agreement (if required). Because this is a
discretionary land use issue, there is no guarantee that a proposed project will be approved to
proceed to construction. Once approved, the local jurisdiction issues a Notice of Determination
(NOD) which serves as the proof of entitlement to be provided to OSHPD and other permitting
entities. The NOD is required by the local building department to release local permits as well.
Other Permitting Entities
Many locations in California have multiple layers of government which may have permitting
authority. Most common are local air quality management districts that issue asbestos abatement
and emergency generator permits. The local planning department or your legal counsel should
assist you in determining which additional government bodies have influence over your project.
California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
Prior to commencement of operation of your new or remodeled facility, CDPH will survey the
facility and its operational practice and readiness following field acceptance by OSHPD field staff.
While this is fundamentally a step undertaken at project closeout, it is essential that the hospital
have a plan in place during the project planning phase to ensure that the survey will be
successful. Any service that the hospital intends to offer in a new or innovative way should be
reviewed with the local CDPH office prior to design to reduce the likelihood of rejection following
completion of construction.
Best Practice 6: Determine your project scope and phasing
Use your staff and consultants to fully define all of the project’s characteristics. Understand the
type of approval required and the documentation needed for review. This is a more detailed
function than Best Practice 1 and is a necessary precursor to Best Practice 7. Adding, deleting, or
changing services to be included in the project will add cost and time.
Best Practice 6a: Select the project approach and organization that is appropriate for the
nature of the project and the hospital’s preferred construction contracting method
Owners should keep control of the construction process throughout the length of the project. The
manner in which the work is contracted should reflect the nature of the work and business
approach of the owner. There are three fundamental contracting modes, with ample variation
between them. Select the one that’s right for you.
Design-Bid-Build
Considered the traditional model of construction contracting, the design-bid-build model relies on
designers who develop plans that are intended to guide the work of the contractor. The
“design-intent” documents are less than complete, leaving many design decisions up to the
bidding contractor to give them as much flexibility to determine means and methods and
ultimately the bid price. Long thought to be the method that assures lowest cost, many owners
(OSHPD Best Practices) Page 92 DRAFT FINAL, Sept. 2011