The meticulous identification, collection and evaluation of requirements is crucial to minimize the risk that design, planning and implementation of a construction project will be unsuccessful in delivering value to all the stakeholders involved. Requirements are the basis for the definition of project scopes that define commercial contracts. Contractors are obligated to follow the establish requisites established by the scope. If this scope is not properly defined, there is room for multiple uncontrolled unknown variables that will cause all types of problems to the project. The process of the establishment of requirements has to be very rigorous and accurate. One way to support this notion is by obtaining reports called “Engineering Reports”.
The purpose of Engineering Reports is to consider an independent or 3rd party opinion of what has been proposed as a project. These reports are produced by professional engineers (P.E.), licensed by the state licensing board as individuals that meet all the requirements to provide professional services to the public, that exert their judgement in all engineering matters. These reports provide previsions of possible conflicts or problems that could arise during the execution of the project and recommend actions to prevent or avoid them. However, if the project fails to be successful by problems unidentified in such engineering reports, engineers are not held accountable. This can be qualified as negligence and should be demanded accountability.
The Engineering Design report for the HBLR Station Evaluation Engineering Report done by “The Partnership” provides technical information about the possible impact that the natural elements and existing structures will have on the project, the identification of possible obstructions that will be faced during the construction process, the effect of the construction process on the structures that will be delivered by the project, the lack of information on the drawings, a need for coordination of the access road, the possibility of the alteration of the drainage systems and the current status of the HBLR tracks. This report undoubtedly provides insightful technical information acquired through scientific research, but omits the review of all the requirements that are not related to the technical aspects of the project that can cause project failure or overruns.
Many other aspects can be identified in this report that are related to its engineering, such as the requirements of NJ regulating institutions, the impact that the project will have in public transportation during its construction and operation, the depth of the technical studies that need to be made to avoid unforeseen conditions, etc. It is necessary to provide recommendations that will account for every thinkable detail that can create uncertainty during the project lifecycle. Project success depends heavily on predicting outcomes. The chances of project failure drop drastically when unknown variables are minimized. Furthermore, professional engineers have to be aware of the impact that their professional judgement will have not only on the projects of their involvement, but also in society and the generations of engineers to come. Engineers shape the future of the world, thus the need to embrace the necessity to exercise the profession with prudence.