Construction
Planing successful construction work
If you have done all your pre planning and have been following the steps so far, then the chances of failure will be reduced by at least 80%. There are always some things that are inevitable, but good planning can reduce the major risks that can occur during, before or after a construction period.
Pre-Planning
Pre-planing is the glue that holds any project together. There are a lot of ways that can ensure effective pre-planning. One such way is to prepare timetables and make sure that everyone on the team has a copy. The figure below shows a timetable that highlights the tasks, time and the individuals who will be involved with the tasks. Time tables, like the one shown below, are a great way to ensure that everything gets doe according to plan.
| Time | What | Who | Tools |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | Meeting | Team administrators | - |
| 9:00 AM | Volunteers arrive/breakfast | Volunteers | - |
| 10:35 AM | Installer layouts site/ Digging holes for the playground | Volunteers and staff | Equipment |
| 11:00 AM | Unload and label equipment - Sort hardware - Cut wood for side projects - Posters and name tags - Side project buckets - Build Captain tool belts | Volunteers and staff | Equipment |
| 11:30 AM | Snacks | Volunteers and staff | Equipment |
Construction experience is not required, but a little know how will help you decide which builders to work with. If you understand the cost structures and the materials that will be required for the construction process, it will be easy to plan.
Recruiting
Recruiting staff and finding volunteers is one of the biggest challenges you will face as the team lead. Builders and construction workers along with volunteers create a good team who will not only understand your goals, but will also understand the scope of the project. The most challenging part is to make the builders understand your vision for the playground, and then implement the design in accordance with the plan.
Training
Most builders and contractors are experienced enough to handle a playground project by themselves, but remember that you need to explain to the builders how envisioned the playground.
Training and thorough meeting sessions are great tools that can help you guide the builders according to your vision. Training should be a regular part of the project, and should be conducted with the monitoring process. Monitoring will help you highlight the flaws in the design, and regular training will help you communicate those flaws to the builders.