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SFPUC details construction-management plan as WESIP ramps up; expert panel to report in January
Summary
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission heard a staff presentation on the Water System Improvement Program(WESIP) construction-management plan, which relies on a customized Primavera-based CMIS, a 43/57 city-to-consultant staffing split, and an independent expert panel that will report public findings in January.
Julie Labonte, WISA director, told the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission that the Water System Improvement Program (WESIP) now moves from design into a major construction phase and that the agency has created standardized processes, an integrated organization and a customized Construction Management Information System (CMIS) to manage the work. "Our goal is to complete WESIP construction safely, delivering quality projects ahead of schedule and within budget," Labonte said.
The presentation outlined several program-level facts: construction comprises about 72 percent of program costs; at the anticipated peak in 2011 the program expects 19 simultaneous construction projects across seven counties; 159 system shutdowns will be required during work; and the budget for environmental monitoring, reporting and mitigation totals about $94 million. Staff described a staffing model that splits effort roughly 43 percent city staff and 57 percent consultants, supported by 12 consultant teams.
A central tool for the program is CMIS, a customized version of Primavera Contract Manager that staff said will provide standardized processes, document control, status dashboards and an auditable record of processing times. Labonte gave a practical example: when a contractor claimed the PUC had been late processing requests for information, a CMIS report showed the agency complied with contractual turnaround times, and the contractor did not press the complaint further.
To help validate readiness for the construction ramp-up, the commission engaged an independent panel of five experts, chaired by Russell Stepp. The panelists began interviews and field work immediately and are expected to assemble findings and deliver a draft report in January; staff said the expert review will answer targeted questions about organizational capability, systems and reporting, and program risks.
Commissioners pressed staff on timing and on the amount of work yet to enter construction; staff replied that while many projects are under contract or in design, a large share of the contract dollar value has yet to enter the construction phase, reinforcing the need for the newly documented processes and oversight. The commission asked staff to return with detailed briefings and the independent panel will present its initial findings to the commission in January.
Next steps: staff will continue implementation of CMIS, maintain monthly reporting to the commission, and the independent panel will report publicly in January.
