How many change orders was that?

So...in my last post, I mentioned that I was seeking the change orders for the Falmouth High School renovation project.

I've since learned that there are 54 change orders to date and each is about 80 pages long.

Now, I'm no project manager, but back when I was a regional network manager for a world-wide accounting firm, I was part of several project teams that built two new offices and renovated another. For the uninitiated, change orders are changes from the original plans. Changes happen for one, or more, reasons:

1) The architect goofed
2) The contractor goofed
3) The owner (in this case, the school building committee) goofed

There's also a fourth category - acts of God - but those are things like weather, earthquakes, etc. over which we've no control whatsoever. Some folks will try to claim a fifth category which we'll call "unforseen circumstances."

Those of you who know me well know that I don't buy the "unforseen circumstances" argument. I was a Boy Scout, an organization whose motto is, "Be Prepared." I've worked for good and bad managers, and as noted, I've been a part of some pretty big projects. You can plan for any contingency, and for those things you don't plan, you either put in the effort to correct the problem, or suffer the consequences.

A case in point...During my aforementioned position with the accounting firm, we were building a new office in a new building. As network manager, I worked with the telecommunications manager to wire the office for voice and data communications and to build the room for, and install, the network and telecommunications equipment.

Along the way, we learned that the T1 line - the communications line from Verizon to the office which carries all voice and data traffic - wouldn't be installed until AFTER the office was scheduled to be open. Like the Falmouth High School, we were suddenly faced with a serious project delay due to "unforseen circumstances."

The project manager was a third-party company hired specifically for the purpose who answered directly to the firm's local facilities manager. There was a clear chain of command, and the individual project manager - a rather stern guy named Tito - took no prisoners. When informed about the potential delay, he made it quite clear that we should do everything possible to prevent such a delay, since time = money.

So, I spent the next several weeks making phone calls and climbing the chain of command within Verizon. I begged. I cajoled. I found someone who not only knew what he was doing, but had the authority to make things happen. And he did. The T1 line was installed, the office was completed on schedule, and everyone was happy.

It doesn't sound like much, but Verizon is a telephone company, spawned from the breakup of AT&T. It is a big, monolithic, bureaucratic company with lots of red tape. Ever try to get a phone line installed? They do things at their pace because they are the only game in town (or they were back in 2000). Getting them to do something sooner than later was like moving a mountain. But I did it.

In spite of the "unforseen circumstances" that initially delayed the installation of the T1, we overcame the obstacle. Which is why I don't buy the excuses.

This brings us back to the three reasons for change orders: Someone goofed somewhere.

That's obvious, right? But who of the three is responsible? The architect? Well, we are suing them. The contractor? I've heard that they are notorious for project delays, but they're still on the job. The building committee? Well, the architect is suing us.


All that said; even higher than the number of change orders is the cost to get a copy of all of this paperwork. The school department wants to charge $0.20 per page; the total would come to over $850.

That's pretty steep, and right now I need every dollar I have for my campaign for selectman, so I'm debating what to do. If you've any suggestions, I'd be glad to hear them...