ADVANCED FIELD SUPERVISOR CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISITwww.mca.org/education

1 | ADVANCED FIELD SUPERVISOR CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

At MCA of Chicago’s Construction Education Institute, we’re committed to providing quality continuing education for field personnel and leadership. The Advanced Field Supervisor program provides a core curriculum, taught by CEI veteran instructor John Koontz. Each of the four days of core instruction is split into two parts and is designed to provide a student with a crucial aspect of field leadership training. From management and planning skills, to leadership tips and project closeout advice, the core curriculum of the Advanced Field Supervisor program will teach the skills any field supervisor needs to succeed on the job.

After the core hours are completed, certificate program students must complete an additional four elective courses in areas of their choosing. These courses are taught by university-quality educators at MCA’s Construction Education Institute and cover a wide variety of skills which students can select to best suit their professional needs.

Upon completion of all requirements, graduates of the program will receive a certificate of completion and will have all of the skills they need to be an effective field leader.

CORE FUNDAMENTALS FOR A FIELD SUPERVISOR

DAY 1

DAY 2

PLANNING SKILLS FOR FIELD SUPERVISOR | 4 CREDIT HOURSAttendees will learn how the timely and complete transfer of information from those who estimated the project to those who build it is critical to maximizing project profitability. Topics include:

• The fundamental principles, guidelines, and procedures for conducting effective turnover meetings.• Fundamental principles and procedures for successfully pre-planning projects.• The necessity of continuous project planning through the use of short interval planning.

PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT: MATERIAL MANAGEMENT AND SITE PLANNING METHODS FOR MECHANICAL PROJECTS | 4 CREDIT HOURSPoor site planning and material management/handling are often the greatest cause of poor labor productivity. You’ll learn the relationship between material management and labor productivity, as well as how you can devise methods for material handling that will save in labor cost and improve your site plan. John Koontz will take you through the practical principles, guidelines and procedures that will help you make improvements quickly.

THE FIELD SUPERVISOR'S ROLE IN PROJECT DOCUMENTATION | 4 CREDIT HOURSSolid project documentation not only makes job coordination better, it can also protect your company. In this program, you’ll learn the basic types of project documentation required by the project management team. Special emphasis will be placed on the role of the jobsite supervisor in creating indisputable project documentation on a daily basis.This includes:

• Identify the goals of good project documentation.• Provide methods for increasing the effectiveness of the jobsite supervisor in the documentation process. Planning

and implementing the documentation process.

CONTROLLING PROJECT LABOR COSTS | 4 CREDIT HOURSThe contractor’s primary risks in the construction process are: Estimating, budgeting, managing, and controlling project labor costs. You will explore the jobsite supervisor’s role in managing and controlling mechanical project labor costs. The jobsite supervisor’s unique partnership with the mechanical project manager in timekeeping, coding tracking and forecasting project labor hours and cost will be stressed.

2 | ADVANCED FIELD SUPERVISOR CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

CRITICAL LEADERSHIP SKILLS FOR PROJECT FIELD SUPERVISOR | 4 CREDIT HOURS Successful project supervision requires strong leadership skills. Most Field Supervisors possess some degree of instinctive leadership skills, but learning additional leadership skills can improve overall leadership effectiveness. Learn the difference between being in charge and being an effective leader. Understand the critical leadership skills of an effective Field Supervisor. Topics to be discussed include:

• Defining leadership and dispelling the myths of leadership.• The difference between leadership and management.• Making the emotional connection between teams and team leaders.• The relationship between leadership and motivation.• Developing effective listening skills.• Creating an atmosphere of trust.• Workers vs. followers.

DAY 3

DAY 4

ESSENTIAL MANAGEMENT SKILLS FOR THE PROJECT FIELD SUPERVISOR | 4 CREDIT HOURSSuccessful journeymen with unique abilities, but with little or no management training, are frequently promoted to “Field Supervisor” and lead crews of workers on mechanical projects. This session explores basic management skills relative to the position of jobsite Field Supervisor. Understand essential traits, skills and behaviors that allow a Field Supervisor to more effectively manage crews. Topics covered include:

• The relationship between leadership and management.• Management ability vs. technical savvy.

MANAGING CHANGE AT THE JOBSITE | 4 CREDIT HOURS Review the jobsite supervisor’s role in managing the change order process. Discuss the negative impact of change orders on the completion of the original scope of work and the methods for minimizing and managing these impacts. Topics include:

• Field Supervisor as “guardian of the scope of work”.• The real costs of change orders.• The project owner’s perspective on change orders.• Methods for managing and preventing productivity loss on change orders.• The effects of overtime on productivity.• Managing change orders with a strong Field Supervisor/project manager team.• The importance of solid change order documentation.• What a typical contract says about change orders.• Managing time and material change orders.• Managing morale and motivation on projects plagued with numerous change orders.

SUCCESSFUL SURVIVAL OF PROJECT CLOSEOUT | 4 CREDIT HOURS A project’s end is often a difficult time for the project Field Supervisor and his crews. The project looks complete, but often has numerous items that must be completed to meet contract requirements. The project team has often lost the momentum and energy it possessed earlier in the project. This session provides basic skills for a successful project closeout. A discussion of innovative methods used by MCAA Contractors to help reduce the typical end of project profit/productivity drain is included.

ELECTIVES (CHOOSE 4 ELECTIVES) Everyday Negotiating Skills for Jobsite Supervisors

A Field Leader’s Field Guide to Developing Your Workforce: Step 1 and Step 2

General Conditions of the Contract for Field Leader

Basic Business Writing for Field Leader

Managing Subs for Field Leader

Leadership Dynamics

Stepping Up to Supervisor

Hard-Hat Productivity

3 | ADVANCED FIELD SUPERVISOR CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

CORE CURRICULUM PRICINGMEMBERS – FreePEC – $350STRATEGIC PARTNERS – $800

Practical Time Management Skills

Qualities, Characteristics & Habits of the Industry’s Best Field Leader

The Field Leader’s Critical Role in Safety

Project Control for Field Supervisors and Project Managers

Creating Highly Effective Field Leader/Project Manager Partnerships

*Additional information about these courses can be found at mca.org/education.

All sessions will be held at the MCA Construction Education Institute located at 7065 Veterans Blvd, Burr Ridge, IL.

LOCATION

TOTAL CORE CURRICULUM | TAUGHT BY JOHN KOONTZ

JOHN R. KOONTZKoontz has more than 30 years of wide-ranging mechanical industry experience that includes contracting, academics and consulting. He is a former Tenured Associate Professor in Purdue University’s Department of Building Construction Management. He is also the founder and former director of Purdue’s Mechanical Construction Management Specialization Program. In addition to his academic career, he spent 15 years in the employment of MCAA contractors in a variety of positions, including senior project manager, project manager, project engineer and estimator. He is also the founder of the first ever MCAA student chapter, which was started at Purdue in 1993. Professor Koontz’s family heritage of long-term UA family members (grandfather, great uncle and father) provides a sincere and deep-rooted pride, interest and concern for the future success and survival of all parties involved in union mechanical construction.