Medes Bouanga

Jessie Szalay
English 2010
06-27-16

Construction Management:
Construction management is really easy to understand and a great field that you
can put your mind into. Every instructions project headless of its size, and always
consider the fact that change can be made any time in the project that we are working
with. Change can be minor or they can he major as well. Managing change is an
important aspect of construction project management and successful project completion.
A construction project manager set up the estimates, the budgets and construction
time for the client and develops the contraction strategy. He select the subcontractor,
workers, and provides required explanation for the professionals associated with the
project coordinated and collaborated with the architects, engineers, and specialists. A
Constructions manager also ensure the contraction project complies with all building
codes and any others legal or regularity requirement. At the time when I started do
construction, I was only 14 years old and Fofana took me under his wing he taught me all
those things. When delay or problems occurs like they always do, the construction
manager is the projects first responder ready to make the change required to move the
project pass the issues.
Fofana was one of my neighbors when he first moves to Libreville (Gabon), He is
from Mali. When we first met, I worked with him during the summer time to have little

of money to get ready for my school year, he knew my father and when I asked him for
the job he did not refuse to offer me one. He is a great man and by his side I did learn a
lot about construction and he made me love it. As a general contractor, Fofana has many
clients and people used to remanded him to others customers because of the job that he
does and the reputation that he has in the city. We used to drive around going to one job
site to another, asking what they need or if any material is missing, they we go to buy it
and come back give it to them. And when we come back home, I helped him with the
paper work and others formality, I really did enjoy the fact of going to one job site to
another because we used to stop in a really nice restaurant that he loves to go, I always
order two different that of food, Rice with onion, carrot, vegetable in it with fish or
chicken, we enjoy the meal then go back to our routine, we used to go there 5 days a
week; he loves me as his little bother and years later, he gave me the responsibility of
three job site and he goes to the others. With time, our routine disappears because of
different jobs site. I remember when I told him that I am going to the USA, he could not
hold his tears and I cried with him, I did not know when we will see each other again and
in like thing can happen any time, he told me that maybe it was the last time that I saw
him, then I told him that I will see him again in this life or another. And he told me to
remember this about construction.
Construction management or project management is one of the most important
people on the job side; he follows perfectly orders that have been giving by the contractor
or the client. It is his job to make sure that in the end of the project, the client is satisfied
with the job that has been done. It is really important to understand and follow the
contract, which is the controlling document that governs the parties responsibilities. The

project manager is the one who has to deal with any change that would be making. When
the changes has been made, he must follows things by orders such as notice provisions;
timing; structure of the change order; information required to support the change order;
and finally acceptable pricing for the change. Failing to do so may set a precedent for the
handling change relate situations outside of the contract or may be perceive as a waive r
of contract requirement. The project manager who is on charge should consistently
monitor the project status and be aware of the potential area of change; another fact that
he must consider is that as soon as the change is recognized, it should be documented in
writing. It is properly important to ensue that all communication are documented and all
verbal agreement or instructions are later confirmed on writing.
I remember back in 2004, when we have a big project for a three story or level
house, he told to try to convince the client about the house budget and how long it will
take for everything to be done, he said go talk to Mr. John and tell him that we are a
team that collaborate with the architect, painter, designer, electrician, etc. and give him
an over whole budge that everything can cost. Although He and Mr John already talked
about everything without me knowing and he told him that he just wanted to test me and
see how I will do. I was young and I did not know how to estimated a construction
project budge, while the good part was that I read little about all those thing before I start
learning. So I saw the project plans and all the papers work, I gave him an estimation, and
the estimation that I gave up him was $25000 less than the really estimation. Then he
came and told me that it was little bit less, but it was good because it was the first. Since
that today, He thought me a lot of stuff and I really grateful for everything that had done
and teach me.

The construction project manager has the responsibilities to run gamut from
hiring the contractor, responding to the citizen calls concerning the compliance with
zoning laws. An experience and well education professional, he is well equipped to deal
with change issues and others issues that will occur at the job site.