A good project manager will drive a job to a successful conclusion but not all projects come with such a person. John Wyer FSGLD considers how garden designers can undertake that role themselves and be effective

Anyone who has watched a few episodes of Grand Designs will be familiar with the moment – usually fairly early on – when the programme host Kevin McCloud looks to camera and says: ‘Francesca and Freddie have decided not to employ a project manager [arched eyebrow]. They have organised a few stag/hen nights before and think they should save the money and do it themselves.’ And we all know how that ends. Usually about 18 months over schedule and 80 per cent over budget. 

To my mind, project managers add more value to a project than almost anyone else and although I am probably in the minority in this opinion, I imagine Kevin might be one of those who agrees.

Recently, Bowles & Wyer worked on a large project that went disastrously wrong. There were many reasons:
Covid-19; both the site manager and architect having major health issues; the builder’s sub-contractors going bust right, left, and centre. The worst part, however, was that there was no project manager to tie the whole thing together and drive it forwards. 

Three years and quite a few millions of pounds into the project, I asked the client why they had not employed a project manager. ‘The builder told us they had project managers,’ was the answer. When I pointed out that those people will have been working in the builder’s interests, not for the client, they replied ‘We know that now.’ That project ended in divorce for the clients and the builder going bust. 

So, what is the magic here? The first thing to point out is that project managers are independent; yes, they work for the client, as all consultants do, but their role is also to act as a buffer between the client and the project team. Not a buffer that is a hindrance but a buffer (person) that filters the important information and choices back to the client, enabling the project team to get on with their jobs without interference. Project managers can also advise the client on the implications of changes. They are in a unique position because they have a helicopter view of the project. Good project managers take everyone’s opinions into consideration when making decisions, but it is always the project that wins.

GOOD PROJECT MANAGERS TAKE EVERYONE’S OPINIONS INTO CONSIDERATION.

 Of course, while some garden design schemes are part of larger projects that come with a project manager, most are not. So how can we, the garden designers, ‘Be the project manager’?

Here are my ideas on how to incorporate those skills into garden projects:

1. always act in the client’s interest, even when they are not clear themselves what that is. There is an old saying about projects: ‘On time, on budget, on spec; pick two’ – it is important to understand what is driving the client. This does not mean you should ignore your own interest but if the interests are not aligned, then that is a problem in itself; 

2. make sure the right people are involved. Choose an appropriate contractor with the right skills. Specify materials and products that match the project aims, whether that is design, cost, time, or a combination. The same goes for sub-contractors or suppliers; you may know people the contractor does not; 

3. communication is key. This starts at pre-contract meetings with the contractor, where ground rules are laid, and it continues with regular project meetings and reports. Ideally, your meetings with the contractor should be held separately from client meetings. It is vital that the client understands the implications of any changes, to the budget, the programme, or the integrity of design;

4. plan, plan and plan again. There should be a rolling programme and cost plan, and you should always know where you are against either of those metrics. It is particularly important to identify critical path elements, those things that, if delayed, will delay the whole project. In Grand Designs, it always seems to be the windows! You also need to be able to identify what the risks are on the project and have mitigation plans in place;

5. fairness is vital. You should be tough when you need to be but also understanding. Making enemies rarely pays off. And sometimes clients also need to hear uncomfortable truths;

6. keep going until the end; tying up all the loose ends is important – these are the things that stick in a client’s mind; and 

7. finally, make sure not to confuse this role with project monitoring. Project management is much more hands on and requires a proper commitment of time and fees, so make sure you charge appropriately. The best way to work this out is to look at the programme time and estimate how many days a week, or month, will be taken up with meetings, site visits, reports, client meetings etc. Remember to allow some headroom as most projects run over a little.

JOHN WYER FSGLD
graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a post-graduate diploma in landscape architecture in 1983 and co-founded Bowles & Wyer in 1993. His extensive design portfolio spans private gardens to large-scale development projects, and many have won awards. He was elected a Fellow of the Society of Garden + Landscape Designers (SGLD) in 2011, and a Fellow of the Landscape Institute in 2020. As well as continuing to take a lead role in Bowles & Wyer, and to serve as Vice-Chair and Treasurer of the SGLD, he lectures in Britain and abroad and writes a monthly blog that explores the design process and role of landscape and maintenance.
bowleswyer.co.uk