Capital Projects Looks Back and Plans Ahead

Procurement Analyst Carmen Lee Rivera prepares to ask a question during the Q&A session that followed the formal presentation.
Procurement Analyst Carmen Lee Rivera prepares to ask a question during the Q&A session that followed the formal presentation.

The Capital Projects Division held an all-staff meeting at the BMCC Theatre on January 10 to review the past year’s accomplishments and look ahead to 2017. Chair & CEO Shola Olatoye and GM Michael Kelly addressed almost 350 staff in attendance from all five Capital Projects departments: Energy & Sustainability, Quality Management & Support Services, Construction, Capital Planning & Design, and Recovery & Resilience.

Highlights for 2016 include several important publications: the NextGeneration NYCHA Sustainability Agenda, Design Standards Specifications, and a Field Employee Safety Guide. A large-scale initiative to conduct a physical needs and energy audit for every NYCHA building also launched last year. Goals for 2017 include publication of Design Guidelines for Rehabilitation of NYCHA Residential Buildings and new project management software and training.

There is also greater emphasis this year on the role and responsibility of project managers to “own” a project from start to finish. Greater efficiencies are being sought through more effective use of technology and deployment of staff among projects and fewer layers of management. The formal presentation concluded with two enduring principles: “Use industry standards as our norm” and “Do no harm to project delivery.”