Welch Company
San Francisco, CA


S U M M A R Y


DIARY: October 3, 1996 04:06 PM Thursday; Rod Welch

Visited with Marc McGovern per discussion with Max.

1...Summary/Objective


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CONTACTS 
0201 - Corps of Engineers, SFD
020101 - Mr. Marc McGovern; Construction Manager
020102 - Construction Operations Division

SUBJECTS
Corps of Engineers, SFD, Orientation
Collaboration/Coordination/Expedite
Communication Manager
Welch Background Leading to SDS, POIMS,
Management Complex Hard to Automate

1007 -
1007 -    ..
1008 - Summary/Objective
1009 -
100901 - Follow up ref SDS 17 0000, ref SDS 14 0000.
100902 -
100903 - Advised Marc of Welch assignment to support Tom Keesling's Claim team,
100904 - and goals for Max and COE to evaluate Communication Metrics. Gave an
100905 - explanation of SDS and mentioned COE staff who have received an
100906 - orientation on the tools and methods.
100907 -
100909 -  ..
1010 -
1011 -
1012 - Discussion
1013 -
101301 - Explained Max's request for me to brief Marc about my assignment with
101302 - COE, ref SDS 17 6930, following up Marc's request for the cost code on
101303 - the Welch contract at ref SDS 11 0734, and my discussion with Leonard
101304 - SooHoo on Monday. ref SDS 12 4519
101306 -  ..
101307 - Initially we reviewed the first meeting with Max on 960105, and his
101308 - interest in handling the increase in communications, commonly called
101309 - the Information Highway, that piles up information faster than people
101310 - can absorb it, ref SDS 17 line 82.
101312 -  ..
101313 - Explained solution of...
101314 -
101315 -                      "Communication Metrics"
101316 -
101317 -    ...that applies the "control" concept used for "cost" and
101318 -    "schedule", to the arena of "communications."  The idea is to catch
101319 -    and correct miss-communication before it causes cost and schedule
101320 -    problems, so it reflects pro-active management.
101322 -  ..
101323 - Mentioned Max's vision of trying to use a new kind of worker which we
101324 - have called a...
101325 -
101326 -                         "Scribe"
101327 -
101328 -    ...to assist executives, similar to a General's Aide.  Technology
101329 -    offers an opportunity to use this "aide" concept as the group
101330 -    level.  I also use the term "Communication Manager."  This person
101331 -    is skilled in using the software program I have developed called
101332 -    the...
101334 -                  ..
101335 -                 Schedule Diary System (SDS)
101336 -
101337 -     ...which integrates time management and information management,
101338 -     and provides traceability to original sources, in order to
101339 -     maintain alignment of current undertandings with commitments from
101340 -     prior events, contracts, correspondence and documents.  I used the
101341 -     analogy Morris Jones offered of a Project Manager sitting on the
101342 -     head of an arrow aimed at a target, ref SDS 1 line 264, but who
101343 -     encounters a lot of turbulence from cross winds between project
101344 -     launch (release of the arrow), and completion, where it is
101345 -     difficult to recognize day to day that the tragectory has veared
101346 -     off course.  Communication Metrics maintains alignment of the team
101347 -     with the target.
101349 -      ..
101350 -     Max described this objective as catching "hic-ups" in daily
101351 -     communications, where, for example, a Contractor may explain or
101352 -     promise action at a meeting, then on a subsequent occassion change
101353 -     the story, ref SDS 5 line 241.
101355 -  ..
101356 - My assignment now with COE is to assist Tom Keesling with the Claim
101357 - Team matter, ref SDS 4 3333, so he and Max and COE generally can get
101358 - exposure to the process of Communication Metrics and can assess the
101359 - potential for wider application to support COE management practices.
101361 -  ..
101362 - Marc asked if I am a lawyer or engineer?
101364 -  ..
101365 - I advised my background is in General Contracting, per meeting with
101366 - General Hatch on 960410. ref SDS 3 9533  I have done a fair amount of
101367 - litigation support and am a construction arbitrator with American
101368 - Arbitration Association.  In recent years I have gained experience
101369 - applying technology to the practice of management, as a result of
101370 - creating the SDS program.  I was, also, a party in the case Welch v.
101371 - State of California, 139 CA 3rd p. 586, that took 15 years to resolve.
101372 - It is a lead case in California on misrepresentation and failure to
101373 - disclose material information on entering a contract.
101375 -             ..
101376 -            [On 000723 background in Welch v California, ref SDS 21
101377 -            0001, and history of SDS development. ref SDS 21 0008
101379 -  ..
101380 - Marc indicated that Jim Stout, who is counsel for the COE and is on
101381 - the Claim Team, will likely be interested in SDS and Communication
101382 - Metrics.  Marc said Jim prepared an excellent presentation that was
101383 - helpful in a negotiation with Dutra on a prior contract.
101384 -
101385 -            [On 961015 Jim Stout approved SDS. ref SDS 19 6118
101387 -  ..
101388 - I offered to demonstrate SDS at a convenient time.
101390 -  ..
101391 - I explained that Tom asked me to attend weekly Progress Meetings with
101392 - Dutra on the Oakland Harbor improvement project.  I attended the
101393 - meeting on Tuesday, and have visited with Leonard SooHoo, ref SDS 12
101394 - line 160, and Tom White about my assignment, ref SDS 16 line 71.
101395 -
101396 -            [See follow up with Max at ref SDS 18 KL9O
101397 -
101398 -
101399 -
101400 -
101401 -
101402 -
101403 -
1015 -
Distribution. . . . See "CONTACTS"