Project Management for the Commissioning Process Strategies for Controlling Projects and Avoiding Overruns

Online course agenda

Download online course agenda here.

Session 01 – Overview/Definitions

• What is Project Management?
• Why Project Management?
• Attributes of the Cx Project Manager
• Definitions – Project, Portfolio, Program, Business Strategy, Business Case, Overruns, etc.
• A 5-Stage Project Management process framework: Initiate, Plan, Execute, Control, Close

Session 02 – Project Initiation and Pursuit

• Key PM Plan elements
• Risk assessment and Go/No-Go
• Scope development guidance
• Early scope creep strategies
• Estimating/negotiating fees

Session 03 – Planning and Contracting

• Developing the PM Plan
• Developing project requirements
• Risk management
• Contract preparation & guidance

Session 04 – Scheduling and Time Management

• Why Schedule Management?
• Types of schedules
• Elements of a detailed schedule
• Creating, maintaining and controlling schedules
• Time management tips

Session 05 – Allocating Resources

• Why Resource Management?
• Elements of the Resource Management Role
• Creating, maintaining and controlling resource plans

Session 06 – Quality Considerations

• Definition and importance of quality
• Quality assurance vs quality control
• The CxPlan as the quality plan
• Cx Team member roles/responsibilities

Session 07 – Mobilization, Billing and Control

• Key financial terminology
• Project Management tools/techniques
• Accounting/controlling project financial data
• Strategies for mitigating and/or controlling scope creep

Session 08 – Closeout

• Importance of proper project closeouts
• Challenges/advantages of completing a project well
• Creatively think and discuss how to improve closeout activities

Session 09 – Ethical Considerations

• Definition of ethics
• Importance of ethics for PMs
• Handling common ethical issues in the Cx industry

Session 10 – Communication, Leadership and Teamwork

• Fundamentals of effective communication
• Importance of personality types
• Techniques for dealing with difficult people
• Leadership and management compared
• Key attributes of leadership
• Principles of teamwork

Learn more about why CxA's need project management skills in this interview with Ian McIntosh.

Prior knowledge of the ASHRAE Guideline 0 Commissioning Process is highly recommended.  Both owner-led and third-party commissioning projects will benefit.

This course is one of the specialized-topic offerings designed to complement The Commissioning Process for Delivering Quality Constructed Projects course. Completion of this course, in combination with The Commissioning Process for Delivering Quality Constructed Projects, fulfills the education/training requirements of the UW Commissioning Provider certifications.

This course has been approved for 14 LU AIA credits.

Registration Date/Time:
9/29/2025 7:30am Central Time

Event Dates/Times:

• 9/29/2025  8:00am - 5:00pm Central Time
• 9/30/2025  8:00am - 3:00pm Central Time

• Program Director

  Ian McIntosh

• Ian McIntosh

  Program Director

  Dr. Ian McIntosh, PhD, CxM, is a program director for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Office of Interdisciplinary Professional Programs (InterPro). He joined the InterPro Facilities and Building Systems team in December 2020 after being a frequent lecturer and course developer for the previous 20 years. His responsibilities include teaching, directing and business development for commissioning certification courses related to project management, existing buildings, and building enclosures. He is also the owner and founder of ianTEACH LLC, which provides innovative and strategic performance-based training and coaching to engineers, architects, construction and facilities management professionals in various sectors of the national building industry.

  He is an Accredited Commissioning Process Manager (CxM) with over twenty years of dedicated experience in Total Building Commissioning (a quality process) and has managed numerous energy, commissioning, retro-commissioning, and LEED® commissioning projects throughout the nation. As a Commissioning Provider and Mechanical Engineer, Dr. McIntosh has prepared and led several Owner's Project Requirements (OPR) workshops, written and integrated numerous commissioning specifications, co-invented and implemented electronic bar-coded checklists, system manuals and tracked owner cost savings. He has also executed hands-on in-depth field work, performed functional performance testing of complex HVAC systems/subsystems and coordinated full-scale operation & maintenance (O&M) and user training programs.

  Ian holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the City College of the City University of New York (CCNY) and earned his Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the Solar Energy Lab at UW-Madison. He and his wife of 18 years like to spend quality time with their four children.

If you are planning to attend an Interdisciplinary Professional Programs course, payment is required at the time of registration. Below are the payment options:

Pay by Credit Card

Enroll online and pay by credit card.

• Search for the course on the website and then click on the Enroll Now button from the course webpage.
• Enter all necessary course attendee information and payment information on the course enrollment page.
• You will receive an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Enroll over the phone and pay by credit card.

• Call CERC Registrations at 608-262-2451.
• Provide the registrations representative with:
  • the course name, dates, and/or course number.
  • the necessary course attendee information and payment information.
• You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment payment.

Pay by Check

Mail in a completed registration form and check payable to UW Madison.

• Fill out a registration form (found either in the back of the course brochure you received in the mail or here).
• Prepare a check, made payable to UW Madison.
• Mail the registration form and check to: CERC Registrations 21 N Park St, Ste 7101 Madison, WI 53715
• You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Pay by Purchase Order

• Request Purchase Order information from interpro@union.wisc.edu
  • If a fee quote is needed, contact custserv@interpro.wisc.edu first
• You will receive an invoice from UW–Madison Business Services for payment, usually within 3–5 business days

Military

If using SF-182 form, please call our registration number at 608-262-2451 or email interpro@union.wisc.edu for details and instructions.

Event Cancellation

We reserve the right to cancel a course due to insufficient enrollment or unforeseen events. If we cancel a course, participants will be notified via email or phone and will be given the option for a full refund or to transfer their registration and any fees paid to another course. We are not responsible for non-refundable plane tickets, hotel reservations, and other travel related expenses. For enrollee Course Cancellation, refer to notes on course page.

If you cannot attend, please notify us by no later than one week before your course begins, and we will refund your fee. Because this course has limited enrollment, cancellation received after this date and no-shows are subject to the full course fee. You may enroll a substitute at any time before the course starts.

Once you have accessed the online course, exam and/or materials, no cancellations or refunds are permitted.