The Project Management Perspective
Regarding the project management perspective to wireless facility deployment, be advised that A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide)1 is the authoritative text regarding project management published by the Project Management Institute and recognized as a project management industry standard by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The actual “Standard for Project Management of a Project” is included in the PMBOK Guide as Annex A1, wherein a project is defined as regards its lifespan, its purpose, and the determination of its end. Project Management is defined as what forms of human input work to meet the given criteria. The project management process involves the organization of sequential and interdependent activities.2 I am going to review how project management processes and procedures apply to the content of this book.
Five definite processes provide context for each project. These processes can be applied to the role of any member of an organization or project team as a stakeholder in an endeavor, including developing a scope of work, measuring resources, developing quality control, managing risk, and purchasing equipment. The processes are logical and sequential. They are read more…
Initiating Wireless Infrastructure Development Projects
As discussed in Module 7 Search Area Assignment, and Module 8 Search Area Mapping, upon receiving a search area assignment the site acquisition consultant immediately evaluates the input (assignment) received from the RF engineer and reviews obvious possibilities for collocation and alternatives to collocation. The consultant uses tools and techniques and performs tasks to map the search area to discover zoning, property ownership, and environmental considerations. As discussed in Module 9 Zone-ability; Module 10 Constructability; and Module 11 Lease-ability, in-depth research determines property locations that best suit the client criteria and meet the search area objective. Property owners of the most promising options for wireless facility development are contacted to solicit their interest and qualify their properties as candidates for site selection, as discussed in Module 12 Property Owner Communications. The output of the site acquisition initiating process is the search area report, as detailed in Module 13 Search Area Report (SCIP). The SAR is the input for site selection reviewed by decision-makers.
Initiating Tools, Techniques, and Tasks
For the site acquisition consultant, research tools, techniques, and tasks include read more…
Planning Wireless Infrastructure Development Projects
The SCIP provides explicit detail about the selected site, supplying the members of the project team with the information to plan the project. As discussed in Module 16 Project Initiation, steps are now taken to secure access to the property for surveyors, the environmental consultant, and others conducting due diligence research about the selected property. A draft space agreement is prepared for the property owner to consider. The title report is ordered. A site visit is planned for the project team to meet the property owner and work on the project. The A&E firm should provide you with the proposed site sketch soon after the group site visit. This allows you to make formal requests to existing tower owners, as articulated in Module 17 Collocation Applications, or for property owners to confirm the site location agreed upon at the site visit.
The planning activities of the diverse team members involve contrasting inputs and require dissimilar tools, techniques, and tasks to complete the project. As presented in Module 18 Title Insurance Commitment, the title report is a planning device that allows the project attorney and surveyor to properly execute their work, which yields input to space agreements and permit applications. The draft space agreement is a planning tool that informs the property owner about the full context of the proposed space rights and allows you to negotiate with the property owner—the output of which is a mutually acceptable space agreement. Submitting the collocation application triggers the tower owner’s planning efforts to arrange the preliminary application approval, structural analysis, and a site lease agreement draft.
Planning Tools, Techniques, and Tasks
A site acquisition consultant’s planning coordination involves read more…
Executing Wireless Infrastructure Development Projects
Executing is working with tools, using techniques, and completing tasks to produce outputs. After the planning process is complete, the site acquisition consultant works with the project attorney and surveyor to finalize the survey, and with the A&E firm to prepare drawings and technical reports for the space rights agreement and local permit right application packages as discussed in Module 19 Site Design—Standard Drawings and Reports, and Module 20 Site Design—Supplemental Drawings and Reports. The site acquisition consultant, project attorney, and landowner negotiate to finalize a space rights agreement leading to the execution of a contract between the property owner and the wireless facility developer. The site acquisition consultant completes and submits zoning and building permit applications and works with the jurisdiction to secure local permit rights.
Project execution work should flow smoothly from one task to the next. For example, A&E firm drawings lead directly into space rights agreements and permit applications. The site acquisition consultant must be acutely aware as these transitions approach and be prepared for the next stage—for instance, by having other inputs for the permit application ready as well. Such tasks include securing the application fees, writing the zoning narrative, completing the application form, and compiling other documentation required by the jurisdiction.
Executing Tools, Techniques, and Tasks
In relation to procuring space rights, read more…
Controlling Wireless Infrastructure Projects
Since collocation applications require detailed information on structural analysis, they are commonly reviewed by RF engineers or the A&E firm prior to submittal. Using the project attorney’s office to prepare space rights contracts assures the facility developer that documents are prepared according to legal standards. Site acquisition consultants are typically asked to prepare weekly updates regarding the status of each project or to participate in weekly conference calls about the ongoing status of each project. This allows the site acquisition firm to hear from the site acquisition consultant about each transaction, negotiation, and permit process, as well as from the A&E firm about the status of surveying and site design drawings. Site acquisition firms place managers over their employees and contracted consultants to supervise activities throughout the project cycle and support the site acquisition agents with travel authorization and checks requested. Wireless carriers, facility developers, and site acquisition firms typically share access to websites where progress is tracked, detailed information is kept, and project documents are stored for each project. These are all effective practices to monitor the activity of consultants and control input and access to information on a per-location basis.
Control Tools, Techniques, and Tasks
To continually evaluate read more…
Closing Wireless Infrastructure Development Projects
While the space rights and local permit rights entitlements are the least predictable processes in the wireless facility deployment cycle, our job is nevertheless to keep pulling the rabbit out of the hat project after project. Other processes (such as finalizing the title and survey, site engineering, and developing drawings) take place while the space rights negotiation is in process. Yet, once the space rights agreement completion is no longer hindered by the lack of other inputs, the pressure is on to get the agreements properly executed and submitted. Packaging techniques applied to the tool of express mail can expedite obtaining executed agreements from the property owner, assuming the agreement already is fully negotiated and completely acceptable to the property owner.
While space rights might be concluded shortly after survey and lease exhibit attachments are available, the local permit process is likely only just beginning once drawings are available. And submitting a signed space agreement to the facility developer is only the beginning of the client’s processing of the agreement before full execution. Whichever process takes longer, the agreement process or the permit approval process, holds up the completion of real estate entitlements.
Closing Tools, Techniques, and Tasks
Program personnel typically read more…