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How should we prepare for a large security project?

  • By Kyle Gordon
  • 11/01/16

Everyone wants what’s best for his or her university or college project, but quite often, the opinions on what is best differs from one stakeholder to another. Without a finite delegation of authority and agreed-upon roles — determined in the very beginning — the project is sometimes left open to interpretation by all involved and, in some instances, can cause delay in implementation and completion.

Most large campus projects require a wide variety of skills and expertise in order to complete the work. With individual stakeholders assigned to the same project, yet originating from separate on- or off-campus groups, such as the IT department, campus planning, facilities management and university police, this cross-functional team can be both beneficial and problematic. For campuses to benefit with a positive outcome it is crucial to define the roles and responsibilities of each group, while also setting clear objectives, so that consistent, seamless collaboration is achieved by all parties throughout the life of the project.

In the beginning establish who the owners are, who is taking the lead, who will be supporting and contributing and who will complete day-to-day operations. Keeping an open communication strategy among all stakeholders eliminates unnecessary strain and inefficiency throughout the project.

By building positive team dynamics and working toward a common goal, the process of moving from planning and designing to receipt and ownership can be a smooth process from beginning to end.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Kyle Gordon is vice president of Business Development, Commercial Strategy, for STANLEY Black & Decker He can be reached at [email protected].

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