The Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR) Process Carol Warkoczewski, AIA, MSOLE Senior Architect, TCI-Project Delivery-Vertical

so what’s the problem? To Know Your “Space”…

…You Need to Know Your Requirements… To better manage project constraints: Cost Schedule Scope & Quality …to increase your project control and influence.

Project Influence vs. Cost & Schedule Impacts

The BIG Challenge…! Projects often exceed original budgets &/or schedules due to a failure to adequately identify project needs. Therefor, we must: Maximize early decisions that stick Identify the priority needs of all stakeholders This leads to minimal changes during detailed design and/or construction

This OPR process is AMAZING! I know - Why didn’t we do this, before?! The BIG Solution! Identify the priority needs at the beginning of the project… This OPR process is AMAZING! I know - Why didn’t we do this, before?!

OUR strategic objective: improve project definition and predictability GOAL: Produce a document that clearly defines the Owner’s requirements, up front. This document is referred to as the Owner’s Project Requirements, or “OPR”

OPR & the Project Design Process Design Details What? CD’s DD’s Why? How? OPR & the Project Design Process SD’s Facility Program Basis of Design OPR Project Budgeting Statement of Need (SON) Typical CoSA Project Design Timeline

the Owner’s Project Requirements: Details project’s… Needs Functional requirements Includes project’s… Success measures Goals Performance criteria Supporting information

The City of San Antonio’s Complex Stakeholders Client Departments: Animal Care, Aviation, Convention, Fire, Human Services, Library, Metro Health, Parks and Recreation, Police, Solid Waste, Planning Other City Stakeholders/ Regulatory: SAWS, CPS, DSD, ITSD, BESD, Office of Sustainability, Environmental, OHP, OMB, CCDO … SOMETIMES THESE ROLES OVERLAP

OPR Process Requires that… Requirements are gathered holistically Project needs are agreed-to Document is approved by executives The OPR becomes a basic project execution reference & briefing document OPR Process Requires that…

Gathering Requirements

Interaction/Activity: “Describe your ideal car” POINTS OF VIEW: Car Owner Spouse Child Dog Mechanic

Documentation & Reviews Transfer Post-it notes into statements Follow-up on Next Steps & Resolve any Non- consensus items Compile other research, budget, and schedule information Combine all information into the OPR written document Review by all participants Incorporate review comments Sign-offs Recommend it as a prerequisite to seeking BOR CIP Approval

Utilizing the OPR Document

…anticipate Change Revisions may be necessary Primary reasons: Keep revisions to a minimum (think Strategic Plan) Use a formal change approval process Primary reasons: Assumptions / constraints are invalidated or change Requirements cannot be met Project scope changes Audience Question How do you think you should handle a situation where a Requirement can be exceeded? …anticipate Change

Continued success at UT Other Advantages Resolved lingering scope definition issues Identified stakeholders & uncovered existing and potential issues Technical stakeholders became more vested in the project Emergence of institutional standards (Facility Design Guidelines and Standards) Improved mutual understanding Continued success at UT

Henceforth… The City of San Antonio has added the OPR process to its project delivery “best practices” on key projects.

The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want. Eleanor Roosevelt

Thank You! Carol Warkoczewski, AIA, MSOLE You want what, by when, for how much?! Carol Warkoczewski, AIA, MSOLE Senior Architect, TCI-Project Delivery-Vertical O: 210-207-8001 E: Carol.warkoczewski@sanantonio.gov