Project Management and Contract Administration

Contract Administration

The Project Management and Contract Administration (PM&CA) Offices are responsible for preparing, administering and managing Contracts and contractual formalities, related to the Facilities Construction and Renovation Projects, signed in between the Lebanese American University and external parties i.e. consultants, managers, technical advisors, vendors and contractors. The mission of PM&CA in this context is to secure the proper and safe implementation of the related Contracts and thereto requirements and obligations. PM&CA not only strives to safeguard the Universities interests in this regard but also to secure equity and fairness, to all concerned parties, in implementing and executing the different Contract terms and obligations. The basic responsibilities of PM&CA in this respect are as follows:

• Inviting and processing tenders
• Preparing contract documents for execution
• Administrating change control procedures
• Seeking instructions from the client in relation to the contract
• Issuing instructions such as variations, or relating to prime cost sums or making good defects
• Considering claims
• Chairing construction progress meetings
• Preparing and issuing construction progress reports
• Coordinating and instructing site inspectors
• Agreeing commissioning and testing procedures
• Agreeing defects reporting procedures
• Ensuring that project documentation is issued to the client
• Issuing certificates of practical completion and interim certificates
• Collating and issuing schedules of defects
• Issuing the certificate of making good defects
• Issuing the final certificate

Project Management

To respond to its space and educational programs needs the Lebanese American University adopted a Capital Projects (Construction and Renovations) Program and allocated a Capital Budget Plan for this purpose. The mission of the Project Management and Contract Administration division is managing the implementation of the portfolio of projects set in the Capital Project Plan to achieve the set goals of LAU. On each Project level, and in order to drive every Project through all its phases; conception and initiation, launching and execution, performance and control, and closeout; PM & CA strives to carry-out a variety of communications, controls, and tasks:

• Communicate between the technical and business stakeholders
• Drive and control the project
• Help to establish the project schedule
• Track and control the project schedule
• Risk Management
• Measure and document progress
• Monitor and control costs
• Control requirements and oversee change impact analyses
• Allocate, coordinate, and monitor resources
• Report on status and issues to senior management
• Oversee quality assurance efforts
• Keep the project team focused on the project
• Shield the project team from distractions

Real Estate Management

The Lebanese American University is an American Not-for-Profit Organization Chartered in the State of New York. LAU owns properties, physical Facilities and land in Lebanon and the United States. The Duties of the Real Estate Management Section is to:

• Collect, obtain and organize all information related to the Real Estate (Buildings and Grounds) owned by LAU
• Look for opportunities to acquire or rent Real Estate when and if needed
• Provide needed evaluations and cost assessments related to physical properties; owned or targeted
• Obtain, organize and file all permits and authorizations related to Buildings