National Project Management System Directive on Real Property Project Reviews

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1. Effective date

May 15, 2012 (updated November 2, 2017)

2. Cancellation

This directive supersedes all project review-related documentation within the National Project Management System (NPMS) before May 15, 2012.

3. Authority

This directive is issued under the authority of the Director General (DG), Professional and Technical Service Management Sector (PTSM), Real Property Branch (RPB), Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), and updated under the authority of the DG, Service Lead, Project Management, RPB, PSPC.

4. Context

This directive is to be implemented in conjunction with all NPMS knowledge areas within the departmental National Project Management System Policy. This directive supports PSPC’s efforts to maintain good industry practices related to project reviews within project management.

The Project Review Advisory Committee (PRAC) serves to provide advice and support to project managers through a detailed evaluation of the project management plan. A project review is in addition to, and not a substitute for, a design or technical review that may be required by other processes identified in the NPMS.

These project reviews, as quality control activities, are billable to the project.

5. Scope

PRACs are formed at the National (NPRAC), Regional (RPRAC) and Peer (Peer PRAC) levels depending on the project value and project complexity and risk assessment (PCRA) level. Concurrent with the Integrated Investment Plan, any RPB project with fit-up/renovation/construction costs greater than $20M or a PCRA level of 3 or 4 requires an NPRAC. Below this threshold, Table 1 can be used as a guide to assess the minimum level of PRAC required.

Table 1: Determination of Project Review Advisory Committee level guide
  PCRA
Level 1		 PCRA
Level 2		 PCRA
Level 3		 PCRA
Level 4		 OGD
Up to $1M No Project Review Advisory Committee No Project Review Advisory Committee No Project Review Advisory Committee No Project Review Advisory Committee No Project Review Advisory Committee
$1M to $2.5M Peer Project Review Advisory Committee Peer Project Review Advisory Committee National Project Review Advisory Committees National Project Review Advisory Committees Peer Project Review Advisory Committee
$2.5M to $5M Peer Project Review Advisory Committee Regional Project Review Advisory Committees National Project Review Advisory Committees National Project Review Advisory Committees Peer Project Review Advisory Committee
$5M to $20M Regional Project Review Advisory Committees Regional Project Review Advisory Committees National Project Review Advisory Committees National Project Review Advisory Committees Regional Project Review Advisory Committees
>$20M National Project Review Advisory Committees National Project Review Advisory Committees National Project Review Advisory Committees National Project Review Advisory Committees National Project Review Advisory Committees

Notes

6. Purpose

The purpose of this directive is to support effective project management practices and project teams by ensuring projects are thoroughly reviewed from a delivery viewpoint, with specific focus on the project management plan and supporting project delivery documentation.

7. Details of the directive

The membership composition for the various levels of PRACs is defined in the Responsibilities section. The Project Manager shall initiate the PRAC request when the project management plan is substantially completed and ready for review and comments. In the case of an NPRAC, the Project Manager is to initiate the request by sending an email to the generic mailbox tpsgc.sngp-npms.pwgsc@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca, indicating the name, type/description and total cost of the project.

PRACs will be completed near the end of the Planning Phase of the project delivery stage of the NPMS and prior to project management plan approval (see Figure 1). Advice and recommendations received from the PRACs will be recorded and supplied to the project team and reviewed by the approval body at the amended project approval (if required)/expenditure authority (implementation) control point.

Figure 1: National Project Management System Flow Chart with Project Review Advisory Committees milestone

Graphic representing the National Project Management System phases and stages showing that Project Review is carried out between the Planning and Design stages – Image description below.

Image description

This image describes the NPMS model with 3 stages, 9 phases, control points and deliverables:

In certain circumstances, a project may be fast-tracked whereby multiple approvals are sought at the same time early in the Identification Stage (that is lease “turnkey” projects). For these special circumstances, the PRAC will be completed as soon as the project management plan is available and prior to its approval.

An NPRAC consists of a sit-down meeting chaired by the RPB Project Management Service Line (PMSL) Centre of Expertise Manager, and attended by several chosen Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), as well as the project team members. The group will review the project management plan and the recommendations will be recorded for the project team.

An RPRAC consists of a sit-down meeting chaired by the Regional Manager, and attended by a few chosen SMEs as well as the project team members. A Peer PRAC is either a sit-down meeting, or the confirmation that the Senior Project Manager has approved the project management plan.

Mandatory documents for PRACs are the following:

8. Responsibilities

Table 2: Defines the roles and responsibilities of the Project Review Advisory Committee members
Role Responsibilities National Project Review Advisory Committee Regional Project Review Advisory Committee Peer Project Review Advisory Committee
Chair
  • Confirms the level of PRAC review and documents in the PMP the rational for any deviation from the determination of PRAC level
  • Selects specialists based on their specific experience in the area of the project being reviewed
  • Manages the PRAC process
  • Submits yearly report of PRACsFootnote 1
 Manager, PMSL Centre of Expertise (COE) Regional Manager / Project Director for National Capital Area (NCA) Senior Project Manager (or person approving the Project Plan)
Coordinator
  • Schedules meetings (teleconferencing and web presentations are encouraged)
  • Distributes relevant information to members for review/comments
  • Maintains and distributes a record of decision and follows up as requiredFootnote 1
  • Liaises with the project team to prepare meetings
 Selected by Chair Selected by Chair n/a
Project team
Project manager (PM) Initiates the request for a PRAC meeting PM (One month notice for the meeting) PM
(Two weeks notice) 		PM
Provides a copy of the mandatory documents as described below electronically to the Coordinator at least two (2) weeks prior to the meeting PM PM PM
Develops a comprehensive formal presentation (for example PowerPoint) PM PM n/a
Project leader (PL) Attends the PRAC PL PL n/a
Specialists
Knowledge Area Specialists (cost, claims, risk, time, heritage, environment, safety, procurement, financial, Architectural and Engineering (A&E) / professional services)
  • Review all documentation
  • Provide advice and recommendations on their area of expertise to the project team
 Selected by Chair Selected by Chair Only if required
Experienced Project Manager
  • Provides advice and recommendations on their area of expertise to the project team
 Selected by Chair Selected by Chair Only if required
Other
Investment Management
  • Reviews all documentation
  • Provides advice and recommendations on Investment Management
 National Portfolio Management Only if required Only if required

9. Definitions

Quality review:
Any formal procedure for reviewing a product or group of related products against an agreed set of quality criteria. Project reviews, design reviews and discipline/technical reviews are all types of quality reviews.
Project review:
A quality review related specifically to project delivery that provides advice and support to project managers through a detailed evaluation of the project management plan.
Design review:
A quality review related specifically to design that provides a systematic, comprehensive and documented analysis of the design to determine its ability and adequacy to meet the project requirements. Note that a design review takes place during the Design Phase of the NPMS, and that the design review process is managed in the NCA by Professional and Technical Services.
Discipline/technical review:
A quality review (on an as-required basis) of any project document undertaken by a specific real property discipline (that is mechanical, electrical, etc.) as decided by the Project Leader/Manager. A discipline/technical review can take place during any phase of the NPMS.
Fit-up value:
All costs required to bring the space “online” including, but not exclusive to, all fees, disbursements and any other associated costs, excluding rental payments and client costs.

10. References

Public Services and Procurement Canada Publications

11. Attachments

12. Enquiries

Please direct all enquiries about this directive to the Project Management Service Line Center of Expertise at tpsgc.sngp-npms.pwgsc@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca.

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