Planning Effective Leadership for Facility Development (for Small and Medium Size Districts)

This paper outlines the roles and responsibilities of a small school team formed to manage the renovation of school facilities. It draws on the experience of the Sebastopol Union School District, a small school district in California. The team consisted of the district superintendent, the architect, a construction manager, and a facility/financial consultant; this collaboration enabled the district to succeed at the school construction “game” in a manner similar to large school districts that have well-developed facility departments. The paper reviews the following phases of facility development: master planning/educational specifications, funding and finances, design, pre-construction, construction, and post-construction. It illustrates how the various consultants coordinated their roles and responsibilities to ensure the most effective leadership for the successful completion of projects that support the facility master plan.