All capital projects are subject to the following procedures regardless of the type of project, facility, or cost.
After initial discussions with the parish council/school board and the Office of the Vicar Bishop regarding the need for and feasibility of a new construction or renovation project, the pastor should make a written request for permission to pursue evaluation and conceptual development of the project to the Archbishop, with copies to the Vicar Bishop and Director of DFREM. The written request should describe the project, anticipated TPC, and the method/means of funding.
Procedure:
A) Departments affected by the project will be asked to submit recommendations regarding the project to the Archbishop.
B) The parish/school should not take any further steps nor hire any consultant (architect, engineer, planner, interior designer, etc.), until the pastor has received written permission to proceed from the Archbishop.
C) The written request should include a facilities condition assessment and capital reserve study performed within the past thirty-six (36) months for each building in the parish/school complex. This report is used to plan and prioritize work at the parish/school.
Depending on the circumstances, DFREM may request that the parish/school compile and submit a Needs Analysis Report – a summary report describing the present and future needs of the parish/school and the present and future use of its buildings and property. The parish/school may also be required to develop a programmatic spatial and site master plan for its buildings and property.
Where appropriate, DFREM will recommend a consultant to work with the parish/school to develop the required Feasibility Studies. The cost of the consultant’s services shall be borne by the parish/school. A DFREM project manager (PM) may be assigned to oversee the third-party consultant’s services.
DFREM may require an on-site meeting at the parish/school to review the Needs Analysis Report and discuss DFREM’s role, if any, in the proposed project. The Executive Director of the DMS shall then make a recommendation to the Archbishop regarding concept approval.
If the Archbishop approves of a project concept, written permission will be provided to the parish/school to develop the concept further. DFREM staff shall meet with the parish/school to discuss Archdiocesan construction and fiscal policies and any specific stipulations that have been placed on the Archbishop’s approval.
A Building Committee, Finance Committee, and Project Team shall be created to continue work on the project.
The Building Committee includes the pastor/principal, and is typically composed of four (4) to six (6) members of lay parish/school leadership and staff knowledgeable in the requirements of the project or with professional experience in the development, design or execution of buildings or building systems. The Building Committee shall work in consultation with DFREM in the selection of an architect from the Archdiocesan prequalified list. If the project is a renovation, the parish/school and DFREM must ensure that the architect makes a thorough assessment of the entire building to ascertain the soundness of all major building systems before proceeding. The Building Committee also works with DFREM to develop a broad outline of the tentative project requirements together with a cost estimate. The parish/school shall use the Project Cost Estimate Worksheet as a planning guide for the construction process.
The Finance Committee includes the pastor/principal, and is typically composed of four (4) to six (6) members of lay parish/school leadership and staff with finance and/or accounting experience. The Finance Committee develops the Financial Plan (including income and expense, and cash flow projections) to execute the project considering the institution’s operating budget, cash reserves and any fund-raising campaign. A minimum ten (10) year operating projection should be prepared, which includes the operating and depreciation (replacement) costs for the project and other facilities of the parish and/or school.
The parish/school project team shall include the pastor/principal, Building Committee Chair, Finance Committee Chair, and DFREM Project Manager (acting as the Owner’s Representative) and shall be responsible to oversee the project on an on-going basis.
If the Parish Council or School Board recommend approval of the project following the completion of concept development and any required feasibility studies, and the pastor agrees with that recommendation, the pastor shall forward to the Executive Director of DMS all relevant material including:
The Director of DFREM shall than make a recommendation on whether to proceed with the project and retain an Architect to the Archbishop. Final approval to retain the Architect must be given by the Archbishop.
Following approval from the Archbishop, DFREM will assist the parish/school in selecting an Architect from the Archdiocesan prequalified list using a Request for Proposal (RFP) method. The final selection shall be made by an interview committee chaired by the DFREM and composed of the pastor and Parish/School Building Committee Chair.
DFREM and ALC shall prepare the contract for services with the Architect using the appropriate AIA form. Typically, building design contracts shall be separated into two phases: 1) schematic design and 2) design/development through construction administration. A requirement shall be made in the second phase for the provision of record documents or “As Builts” to be completed and delivered at the conclusion of the project. After review and approval by the Director of DFREM, the Executive Director of the DMS, and ALC, the contract shall be submitted for the Archbishop’s signature.
