ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Arriving 20 weeks into this project after the previous project manager left for another job, Kevin O’Brien faced the toughest of tasks. A 12-week extension of time was already under discussion, but worse, O’Brien found a demotivated team in no state to pull off this challenging and complex contract.

Treating team morale as his top priority, O’Brien arranged a series of team-building sessions. He sought individuals’ views and group ideas on how to redefine roles. The result was a new and clear definition of each team member’s responsibilities and goals.

A natural persuader and confidence-builder, his openness and refusal to hide potential problems gave the client enough reassurance to grant the 12-week time extension.

O’Brien then revisited and reprogrammed the design and procurement schedule, gave each subcontractor one point of contact within the management team, and superbly co-ordinated the complex detailing and sequencing. With the steel erector already six weeks behind, he allocated more time to the steel frame and accelerated other areas to compensate.

O’Brien was pivotal in ensuring the design vision was carried through to the build quality. As well as a large gym and sports science facilities, the building incorporated a superlab with 280 workstations, centrifuges, incubators, cold rooms and fume cupboards.

His sound and intelligent judgement allowed the team to progress with optimism and enthusiasm and bring in an exceptional building on time and to budget.

Silver

Shaun Kearney I Project manager, Marriott Construction I New Marriott Hotel, Leicester: construction of four-star 227-bedroom hotel, completed in 251 weeks, £22m, JCT 1998 D&B

With this impressive building, Shaun Kearney has delivered a masterclass in how to drive a seriously delayed project to completion.

In May 2005 Kearney arrived at a project that had been suspended for two years following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Work had already restarted, but the project was running six weeks late and the new internal fit-out designs were six months behind schedule.

Kearney brought all the parties together to devise an action plan for delivering the building on time, to budget and to quality. A devotee of open, fair and reasonable dealings, he proved a great team builder and motivator. He also commanded respect, not shrinking from robustly direct management of subcontractors who were not achieving targets he set.

Having implemented the design changes required when work restarted on the hotel, Kearney was then asked to accommodate another slew of variations in the later stages of the works. This time it was because the client had agreed to sell the hotel to another operator immediately upon completion.

Kearney was proactive in accepting change while still managing the design process, highlighting the impact of varying the original brief and vigilantly keeping the project on track. He showed an admirable willingness to review options that could improve the end product, while firmly resisting heavy pressure to make changes and include extra work from an operator not necessarily willing to foot the bill.

He kept the constantly endangered programme moving forward, set the highest quality standards, and motivated his staff to achieve them. He delivered 10 days early, within the budget.

Highly Commended

• Kevin Bate MCIOB (Carillion) for Truro College
• Mike Fincham (PCM Management) for Ikea Thurrock, London
• Derek Foster (Morgan Ashurst) for Willow and Reed House, Norwich
• Ian Packer (Cowlin Construction) for Cambrian Point, Cardiff
• Peter Radley-Martin MCIOB (Kier South East) for Nugent Retail Park, Orpington
• Colin Williams MCIOB (HBG Construction) for Cardiac Wing, Southampton Hospital