ARCTURIS POLICIES

Sustainability

When it comes to sustainability, Arcturis has proven our clients don’t have to choose between being responsible to the needs of the planet and being responsible to the needs of their business. With ingenuity and imagination, there is no either/or when it comes to sustainability; there is only commitment and smart design. Whether or not our clients choose to pursue LEED certification, we work with them to find simple, cost-effective methods to improve sustainability and enhance performance. Ultimately, sustainability cannot be separated from our relationship design process. It’s who we are. It’s what we do.

When it comes to sustainable design our approach for a successful project is a combination of bringing together and collaborating with the right team and implementing design strategies that align with our clients goals and budget. Putting together the right team is important when it comes to LEED projects. Having a design firm, engineers, contractors, and other parties in alignment with the sustainable goals and LEED intricacies is crucial.

At Arcturis we have worked on a variety of LEED project types, rating systems, included various consultants when necessary, and coordinated both fully engineered and design/build engineering through the general contractor. Knowing the clients goals and budget for the project is important as well. Each project is different and how sustainability is weaved in depends on many factors. Arcturis takes all of these factors into account and works with the client to balance the sustainable vision for the project with various sustainable strategies to achieve that vision. The experience and knowledge of the team at Arcturis is leveraged to guide the project and make recommendations regarding construction methods, specialty systems such as solar, materials, MEP systems, user experience, and occupant health.

Diversity

SUPPLIER DIVERSITY INCLUSION STATEMENT | AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN

Arcturis is committed to equal treatment and elimination of discrimination in all forms. We respect and value all individuals and pledge to create and maintain an environment that is inclusive for all. We expect to be a leader in supplier diversity and inclusion, from our clients, project stakeholders, industry partners to our senior leadership teams and firm principals.

As a nationally and regionally certified Women Owned Business (WBE) by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), we understand the importance of bringing the right team to the table for important projects, and are sensitive to the fact that a diverse team reflects the culture of our clients.  

To help make our corporate goals become reality, we have integrated diversity and inclusion into the core of our leadership competencies.

We expect that all leaders within Arcturis practice behaviors that demonstrate inclusion. We reach out to leverage diverse points of view, talents and capabilities. We work and think across teams, functions and business models; across markets, channels and organizations; across cultures and communities; across physical and digital spaces.

The goals of the supplier diversity and inclusion commitment include building a diverse workforce, increasing cultural competencies, shaping a culture of inclusion and developing a diverse network of consultants, subconsultants and vendor-based suppliers. We work diligently to recruit and develop partners to be effective at building a workplace that leverages our assets for high performance. We will continually evolve the way we engage with diverse community organizations and institutions to build strategic relationships. As we have demonstrated throughout the history of the firm, we are committed to a future that invites community organizations to engage with us. This engagement model allows us to find ways to collaborate and build value for our global communities, community-based organizations and Arcturis.

SUPPLIER DIVERSITY PROGRAM OUTLINE

This outline is compiled to reflect the planned strategies that can be implemented to achieve supplier diversity on the scope in connection with BMO Harris. Arcturis plans to include capable and qualified supplier diverse firms as part of the delivery of its design services engagement.

Arcturis has thoroughly examined ways to maximize inclusion on this project as well as others. Accordingly, it is evident that outlining categorical access to diversity employment opportunities for minorities and women on the project becomes a viable factor to identify and measure inclusion efforts.

As a major design firm, Arcturis is very familiar with the supplier diversity community and its resources, challenges and capacity building opportunities. We have earned a reputation that supports and promotes diversity in the design and construction industry. To achieve maximum diversity effectiveness and ease of implementation, we propose the following:

Assessment of MBE/WBE Resources - Project Pursuit

Design subconsultants in the applicable categories of professional design expertise are notified and contacted regarding design pursuit opportunities on projects through a variety of methods including telephone and email communications as well as other social media avenues. Selected firms are assessed along with other criteria such as firm experience, staffing resources, levels of professional liability insurance, current project work-load, and specific project experience.

Pre-Qualifying Design Consultants Process and Procedures

Pre-qualifying supplier diverse design firms may serve to dispel many of the cultural barriers and other myths associated to working with minority, and women-owned businesses: communication and work styles that cloud perceptions to perform on large and sometimes very complex projects. Pre-qualifying subconsultants may also help to alleviate other known barriers to diversity inclusion that impact the level of trust and cooperation during project pursuit and performance. Local diverse firms have identified the following list of primary issues as critical challenges to successful project pursuit, partnering and performance: gaining access to design opportunities; inadequate cash flow to meet payroll; access and training with technology such as 3D modeling/BIM, licensed and experience design professionals on staff and other applicable document and internal controls to successfully perform on the project.

Partnering – Scope Identification

Appropriate project scope review and assessment of diversity resources help to assure adequate opportunity to enhance inclusion of diverse firms on the project in both architectural and engineering disciplines. Smaller projects represent greater opportunity to work in partnership on Arcturis projects. Aligning staff resources and working through technical training exercises allow for diverse staff to grow in their professional capabilities and skill. This is a vital part of the capacity building process for small business. There are several ways to utilize smaller firms on a project team. Subconsulting is the most popular, in that it mitigates the risk of all parties and allows the smaller firm to engage in a learning capacity during the project.

Lists of qualified diversity firms and staff will also be compiled and distributed to Arcturis project staff and leadership to facilitate meaningful participation on projects and to help build on relationships from past project experiences. It is hoped that efforts to build on past relationships where diversity participation was required and performed successfully will become an added value benefiting future design and partnering opportunities.

Relationship and Capacity Building

With a continuous effort being made to capitalize on relationships found within the diverse design community, Arcturis encourages certified firms to seek mentor-protégé’ relationships. During the delivery of design scope and partnering efforts all project staff are encouraged to make every effort help to address historic challenges on a project such as attending regular meetings, follow-up phone calls, quality control, design review, production, document management, on-site monitoring to identify and support.

Diversity in Employment

Finding diverse-skilled professional staff has been a challenge to many professional service firms in the past, particularly on project requiring specific numbers/percentages of minorities and/or women. However, with the number of community based organizations, local technical schools and universities conducting instructional/training program relative to the design and construction industry, access to trained/qualified/ highly skilled minorities/women has increased. A focused effort will be made to identify meaningful employment opportunities including internships for minorities on the project.

Program Administration

With the guiding principles set forth in the Arcturis adopted supplier diversity approach; the design project team will provide technical assistance to diverse subconsultants in order to maximize opportunity for inclusion. Meeting with selected consultants on a regular basis and other elements identified as critical characteristics to success for the diverse suppliers on the project:

• Design and technical support Jobs being performed well, within budget allocations, and production on time;

• Payment to subconsultants for work performed is timely;

• Problems are reported and managed effectively;

• An adequate and skilled staff being available to perform the work.

• Communication with prime design firms being open, continuous, and respectful.

Many other attributes and elements are pertinent to implementing a successful supplier diversity inclusion program. A win-win team approach by primes and subs contribute to team environment, cooperation, support, and successful experiences. As an added benefit, greater opportunity to participate in planning efforts allows diverse suppliers to anticipate problems. Continuous effort to help alleviate barriers to inclusion includes at least five (5) other elements. Capacity and capability has been impaired due to limitations in relevant areas of knowledge, skills, and abilities, particularly in the following areas:

• Effective communication skills

• Lack of professional training

• Problem identification and problem solving skills

• Understanding industry terminology including knowledge of fundamental physics and mathematics supporting the work and

• Willingness to get to know the prime subcontractor and gain confidence by their ability to perform.

Understandably, Arcturis has categorized some common themes and elements that will help build capacity and capability of diverse firms. The following issues have presented economic barriers to growth and development of existing firms:

• Utilizing existing business development opportunities to improve technical skills and business operations.

• Enforcing Good Faith Efforts to ensure effective outreach and compliance.

• Improving relationships among primes and diverse firms to increase comfort level and trust.

• Tapping into professional organizations to raise awareness about the industry and to increase opportunities.

• Providing prompt and timely payment for services performed.

• Expanding the availability of professional staff in the design and construction industry.

Working diligently to achieve success on the project, it is also hoped that practices utilized in working with diverse firms will help ensure future access of economic development opportunities for diverse design consultants as well as majority design firms. The following represents measurable outcomes:

• Development of an internal resource directory to all staff, including the name of the consultant, design services provided capability of participation, capacity, contact person, and telephone/fax numbers.

• Ensure monitoring and enforcement of Good Faith Effort and compliances by providing adequate staff and other resources to monitor efforts, including quantifiable and measurable standards focusing on three major areas: participation, performance and payment.

• Track and verify that Good Faith Efforts occurred during the project pursuit process.

• Ensure that all team meetings with diverse firms are achieving the desired outcomes.

• Prepare and distribute timely monthly reports of utilization of diverse firms on the project.

To achieve the above listed measures, the plan requires support from the project stakeholders to ensure that the diverse firms have an equitable opportunity to participate in the design and technical employment opportunities made available throughout this project. Investment in these areas of concern, with an affirmative effort to “level the playing field” in the design and construction industry ensures the proposed efforts and belief that the local design market can only be as healthy and viable as the health and viability of all segments of its population. Understandably, thriving entities strengthen the economic base of their communities, support job creation, and reinvest in the communities in which they live and work.

QA/QC

Arcturis Quality Assurance is led by Michael Ratliff, AIA and Megan Ridgeway, AIA both firm principals.  They have assembled key personnel of the firm’s disciplines who meet periodically to review and update the firm’s guidelines and processes. The committee is also responsible for exploring best practices from peer firms and Arcturis participates in a bi-annual roundtable work session of national peer firms for this purpose.  Key areas of our Quality Assurance address:

• Client’s requirements

• Consistency with the firm’s policies and updating of those policies to stay current with industry standards and trends

• Appropriate technology Criteria is used

• Methodology to be used

• Constructability

• Operability and maintainability

At Arcturis we believe that quality is integral to project success.  The work we both design and deliver takes a comprehensive look at quality through a series of checks and balances that are refined through each phase of the project.  Before the design process begins, our teams work with our clients to understand and establish design and budget goals for the project.  Periodic quality control reviews occur shortly after schematic design has begun.  Design solutions are constantly measured against the project goals as a part of our quality control initiative.  Beyond traditional quality checks performed at the team level, each project is assigned a technical peer reviewer who audits the project for best practices, code compliance, planning and zoning conformance and accessibility. Many of these reviews are conducted by colleagues that are not on the immediate project team, the ‘fresh eyes’ approach often yields a better result.  Quality control reviews continue at the end of the design development phase and at three major milestones during the contract document phase.  Tools include the use of a detailed project overview, project directory, project schedule, deliverable matrix and responsibility matrix.  The goal is to produce contract drawings and specifications that address each project for both project cost and constructability.

• Discipline Review – the technical aspects of the project follows criteria, procedures and client’s requirements.

• Conceptual Review – the basic concepts are being met which the project is based, meet the client’s needs given the budget and schedule.

• Constructability Review – identifies potential construction problems prior to bidding.

• Operability Review –identify aspects of the design that will make the facility difficult to operate or maintain.  Generally the review is performed by the owner’s team.

• Standards Review – reviewing project for compliance with Arcturis’ standards

• Client Compliance - reviewing project for compliance with Client’s standards
  
  

Quality Control is the project team’s responsibility and is monitored by the Quality Assurance team.  The team will put in place a QC plan to address the following:

• Understand and Document Client expectations and perspective specifically regarding:

o   When and how will we deal with problem issues that arise between the design team and the client?

o   How will we address design and construction change orders?

• Design Change Orders.  Arcturis makes every effort to accommodate design changes during the course of the early stages of the project; however when there is a client concept change, budget change, revised assumptions or program change as examples, an additional cost may occur.  Immediately the A/E design team PM will inform the client through verbal and written documentation of the impact of time and labor cost before proceeding with the change.  The later in the design process these changes are made are typically more costly.

• Construction Change Orders.  When a construction change order is requested, Arcturis carefully investigates and analyzes costs before asking the owner for approval. Proposed or needed changes should be evaluated relative to the effect they will have on the client’s construction budget and schedule.  Generally, we would follow the procedure outlined in the contract.  Cautious consideration would be given to requested changes that would alter the contract documents that could affect construction quality.  Before beginning the change order procedure, the contractor should provide a cost estimate that is to be approved by the owner.  If Arcturis is not going to recommend issuing a change order that has been originated by the contractor, a written document will be provided to the owner and contractor stating our reasons.  If the change will not affect the contract time or cost, a site order or construction change authorization will be issued. 

o   How will we communicate with the client if there is a crisis on the project?

• Arcturis will immediately inform the client primary contact by the identified means of communication (office, cell, email, back-up contact information.)  If the primary contact cannot be reached, nor a secondary contact as identified in the Kick-off meeting, the Arcturis account manager will proceed with contacting the Client’s  primary account manager.

-   Identify documents to be reviewed

- Who should review them – intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary, drawing-specification cross –check, multi-facility cross-check, vendor review

- When documents should be reviewed

- What kinds of errors will be sought – identify key issues where constructability and conflict are more likely to occur

- The budget allotted for review

- The budget and schedule for revision

Quality Assurance during Construction

While our goal for document production and design implementation is always perfection, errors and omissions may arise.  In these situations, the project team knows to immediately engage our Leadership Team including the Principal-In-Charge, the President, the CEO and the CFO regardless of magnitude of issue.  We recognize that we have responsibility for errors and omissions of the team under our contract.   With the immediate notification of Leadership, the team can quickly mobilize to be proactive about the resolution.  Following our internal discussion, we engage the owner and Construction Manager/Contractor to determine the resolution is appropriate and satisfactory to all parties.