Tips for reviewing drawings and plans:

• Refer to the Glossary of Terms Glossary A-H and Glossary I-Z for explanations of technical and construction language. This will help with plan assessment.
• Use the Head Start Program Performance Standards and the Head Start Center Design Guide as part of the review process.
• Make sure all members of the Planning Committee and the Building Subcommittee have developed a list of items to include in the plans. Each suggested item should be included in the plans or eliminated with an explanation.
• Create a Checklist to use when reviewing drafts of the plans. This sheet can be used to ensure that each item has been discussed before you sign off or accept the final drawings. Include facility staff, parents, Board of Directors, and Planning Committee in creating the Checklist.
• Discuss and determine what items can be left out of the plans to save architectural fees and contractor profits. For example, the grantee could purchase its own kitchen equipment and/or playground equipment and pay the contractor labor costs for installation instead of including the equipment in the contract.
• Review the Specifications or Spec Book to determine what construction items are included in the project.
• There are three basic grades of hardware -- residential grade, commercial grade, and industrial grade. The architect should spec commercial grade only on hardware except for equipment that requires industrial grade or residential grade.
• Examine the design in plans and specs and check for boiler plate details. Boiler plate is the cut and paste of a section or a design from another set of plans. Although this may be difficult to determine, clues include different font size, a discoloration between the two drawings, and a drawing that looks as if it is not in line with the other drawings with different lines and details.
• Ask if an architect or a junior architect drew the plans. If a junior person is involved, spend time to check the plans and re-check the contract to see whether bills reflect proper fees for senior or junior work.
• Look for long exterior walls. This drives up the cost of construction.
• Limit common areas. This is dead space and very costly.
• Ask about energy efficiency and energy loss calculations. Ask the architect to contact the Rebuild America program with the U.S. Department of Energy.
• Ensure that all appropriate state and local offices have been contacted about requirements.

For more information, contact the National Center on Program Management and Fiscal Operations at 1-855-NC-4-PMFO (1-855-624-7636) or PMFOinfo4U@fhi360.org.