The Phased Design Approach

The Phased Design approach to project development involves advancing the design in incremental steps, or phases, with each phase advancing the level of project definition and decreasing the level of uncertainty in project costs.  Our clients find it beneficial to:

The Phased Design approach is intended to optimize value to the client by matching financial exposure with the level of project definition. The lower the project definition (i.e. the higher the uncertainty and risk), the lower the financial risk there is to the client in developing the project to the next stage. 

Design effort and costs increase with project definition. Design options are developed early in the process and only with enough detail to allow for comparison and selection of the most appropriate solution. In this way, potential solutions are explored economically and the best solution is rapidly identified without a large expenditure on unrecoverable design fees. Only once the feasibility of the chosen solution is proven and financial uncertainty is minimized is the more costly detailed design undertaken.  Thus design fees are distributed in such a way as to minimize exposure and provide financial risk to the client consistent with the overall risk assessment of the project. This approach provides for a more cost effective and lower risk design process as a whole.

At project inception, it is important that the terms of reference are clearly understood by all parties. We want to ensure that the expectations of our client are consistent with the level of project definition and that, in our efforts to address the needs of the client, we respond appropriately. We need to communicate to the client our best understanding of those terms of reference to keep the cost, and accuracy expectations realistic.