Managing risk in a Green Star As Built project: a contractors perspective

“Project risk management is the culture, processes and structures, adopted by an organisation , directed towards the effective management of risk in projects.” AS/NZS 4360:2004

In January 2013 the Green Building Council of Australia committed to shifting the delivery of a Green Star rating more towards building contractors. Setting a time limit on the currency of a Design Rating to two years after practical completion is likely to shift the industries’ interest more towards an As Built rating which is primarily delivered by the head contractor. With this shift comes an increased risk to the contractor of non delivery.

Traditionally the As Built accreditation was primarily the realisation of the successful design credits through the construction process. However, where a formal rating is not pursued at design stage, significantly higher risk exists for the contractor as design and documentation may not be compliant with the requirements of the As Built rating.

In future projects, the tradition of including a member of staff on the construction team as the Green Star officer will not be enough. The knowledge base acquired through the preparation and submission of previous ratings will be required to ensure documentation is sufficient to meet with a successful outcome. Irrespective of whether the project sponsor has a Green Star Accredited Professional (GSAP) on board, we believe that the principal contractor should have a dedicated and experienced GSAP on their team to risk manage the successful registration and preparation of the Green Star As Built submission. This experience can extend to the rationalisation of the large quantities of supporting documentation required in an As Built submission.

Risk is an unavoidable part of major contracting today and manifests itself in many forms across a building project. Managing the significant risks associated with the successful delivery of a Green Star As Built rating should be assigned to a dedicated and professional, contractor sponsored GSAP.