Douglas Fairley joined Doig+Smith as a Quantity Surveyor back in 1991. As his career progressed, he found that he was increasingly working on projects where the role was developing beyond the traditional input of a QS, and he was keen to capitalise on this.
At this time, Project Management was only just emerging as a ‘new and specific discipline’ within the construction sector and Doig+Smith were quick to establish a dedicated Project Management Division. Douglas was approached to join this new team and has been here ever since!
Has your background as QS been of benefit in the Project Management role and if so, how?
I trained and qualified as a Quantity Surveyor (QS) but did not spend a great deal of my career as a practicing QS and many of my earlier roles were as Employers Agent. It was a very useful background for my role as a Project Manager (PM) as although the PM is normally looking at a wider range than just the construction contract, an essential part of the role is often the development and management of the wider project budget. The Quantity Surveying discipline is suited to such a task and generally I now see a greater merging of the roles in particular within the role of Employer’s Agent where there used to be a significant distinction between the two but where now differences between the two are significantly reduced.
What do you consider your greatest strength as a Project Manager?
My involvement and commitment to whatever project I am working on. I have heard of Project Managers who are in effect ‘post boxes’ and I do not believe that is something which provides any great benefit or contribution to a project.
I believe that a good project manager has to be hands on and deeply involved with the project in order to be effective and beneficial. Gaining an understanding of the client needs and wants by working closely with them has always been an area that I consider essential in being able to deliver a successful project.
What do you enjoy most about the job?
I appreciate the diverse nature of the projects I have worked on over the years. Projects have ranged from the Current Aberdeen Harbour Expansion Project, to Aircraft Maintenance Facilities, to high quality office development and the procurement and development of the Arria sculpture by Andy Scott on the M80 which was a fascinating process watching her develop from a concept through to the 10m high sculpture that is now a landmark. Each stage of a project has its own merits and I have always enjoyed the pre-construction stage, developing the brief with the client team and project team to a point where the development on site is ready to start. There is a distinct pleasure at the end of project when you can hand it over to the client and end user and have met all the aspirations set out at the beginning of the project.
What is the biggest challenge you face in this role?
As you would expect, client aspirations and budget do not always match up perfectly. Consequently, it can be a real challenge to interpret the needs and wants of a development’s competing stakeholders – particularly when they directly conflict. Quite often this issue can extend to the project team, where you find that a good designer is seeking to push the boundaries in quality, innovation or iconic development status. Of course I respect their function within the project, but with equal measure, it is the role of the Project Manager to manage such aspirations, ensuring that the development remains on track and on budget, meeting the client requirements.
What has been the highlight of your career highlight to date, and why?
Undoubtedly, working on the Aberdeen Harbour Expansion Project has been the most interesting experience of my career – and the greatest challenge! Classed as a project of national importance, this has been a fantastic development and is critical to the success of Aberdeen and the North East.
Having worked within the existing harbour in an earlier career, it is a particular pleasure for me to now work on this next-generation project. I have been involved from the early days of feasibility, right through to the current on-site construction and it truly is a privilege. This is a development that will service many future generations, and I am proud to have played my part in the project’s delivery.