RedBook: The Project Directors

What does Project Directors mean?

In reality, it is putting a name to something we have been doing already. That is, assemble the best team possible to work on a project and then harness our privileged one-step-removed position as mediators and advisors to ensure the smooth running and delivery of each build. While nothing has changed in the way we assemble teams, what we are launching today is a new range of Client Services available to help move projects forward.

What are these Client Services?

RedBook will now be offering clients three tiers of engagement. Following the Team Assembly stage (now known as the first tier), if clients wish our intervention to end here, we will gladly step aside and our role in the project will end, aside from our quarterly check-ins with all parties.

Over the years, however, and especially as the nature, scope and scale of projects undertaken have grown, many of our Clients and Partners have expressed a wish for our continued involvement. In response, we are now offering to provide them with a RedBook Project Guardian. This second tier of engagement is designed to guide through the many strategic decisions that need to be made once the team has been given the green light.

When a Project Guardian is appointed, a designated member of RedBook with a technical background will be responsible for supporting the client in the many early-stage decisions, managing their expectations, and ensuring a supportive conduit between themselves and the selected Partners. 

The Project Guardian will act as a hands-on advisor for the client until contractor tenders are being issued. At this point, project managers would look to be appointed to take the project forward. The Project Guardian would then look to step back unless the clients wish otherwise, but it would always be alongside a project manager, not instead of, the choice is up to the client. 

For very significant projects meeting a certain criterion or where there is a clear need, often international clients, we are also offering the opportunity for projects to be led by a designated professional RedBook Client Representative, our highest tier of engagement. Working closely with the project manager and quantity surveyor, they will be able to stand in place of the client with the capacity to take the myriad of decisions that need to be made on any large-scale or complex property project and move it forward on their behalf. RedBook’s client representatives will have over 20 years of delivering high value residential projects.

How does this help the wider project team?

We have built up years of experience whilst engaged on high-end property projects. We know how challenging it is for busy clients to keep on top of the various moving parts. Having the expertise of a RedBook Project Guardian (or Client Rep, where required) on board will help ensure everything stays on track. 

Taking a more active role throughout each project means we can navigate those tricky conversations, iron out inefficiencies in schedules, relieve tension in the system and use our position to mediate between parties to achieve a number of things. These can range from identifying challenges or potential pinch points in advance of them becoming larger problems to leveraging our relationships between our Partners working on a project. They will also ensure clients are making the necessary and timely decisions to keep a project on track and see that payments to all parties are made at the appropriate times.

RedBook Client Services also play a key role in managing client expectations, be they around budget or timeline challenges. We will act as a mediator between parties, using our long-standing relationships, years of experience and depth of knowledge to provide context where needed. We all know that projects can be particularly challenging, but with our birds-eye viewpoint, we are in a position to provide valuable insights to help keep the wheels moving for all parties.

Is RedBook taking over the Project Manager role?

Absolutely not. We will continue to introduce project managers to teams and believe they play a vital role, particularly at the stage of tendering and contract selection, as well as helping to deliver a project. RedBook will work collaboratively with project managers who have the skill sets and experience that prove invaluable in executing the project programme.