Organization Information

Offices/Divisions

Chief Financial Officer’s Office

The Office of the Chief Financial Officer, formed in 2005, is responsible for general accounting, accounts payable, budgeting and financial reporting activities of the School Construction Program. Additionally, the Office of CFO is responsible for establishing and implementing effective financial management policies, internal controls and financial management systems.

Chief Counsel’s Office

The Office of Chief Counsel, established in 2006, is responsible, in conjunction with the Attorney General’s Office, for all legal affairs of the SDA.

The Chief Counsel’s Office pursues claims to recover taxpayer dollars spent as a result of errors and omissions by design professionals, deficient construction performed by contractors and excessive environmental clean-up costs of SDA-acquired property.

The Chief Counsel’s Office also manages the dispute resolution process, which is ensuring timely resolution or disposition of claims by contractors, designers and service-providers against the SDA through negotiation, mediation and litigation.

In addition, the Chief Counsel’s Office provides counseling and advice to SDA project staff on a real-time basis on matters arising during the course of projects.

Other responsibilities include the Authority's policy, regulatory and Open Public Records Act functions.

Chief Operating Officer's Office

The Office of Chief Operating Officer oversees a number of functions within the SDA, including real estate, governmental and legislative issues, labor relations, workforce and contractor compliance, operations and human resources. The following divisions are included in the COO’s Office:

Real Estate: This division is responsible for all SDA real-estate activities, including relocation, land acquisition and purchasing, demolition and remediation. It also handles community relations issues.

Contractor and Workforce Compliance: This division is responsible for initiatives and programs that encourage minority and female participation in school construction projects and provide opportunities for New Jersey’s small, minority and women-owned businesses. It also ensures that the workforce on the SDA’s construction sites meets the State’s affirmative action requirements.

Government Affairs: Government Affairs serves as the liaison to New Jersey’s statewide, county and local public officials.

Special Projects/Labor Relations: This division includes persons responsible for Key Issues Management, the SDA’s Demonstration Projects, and Labor Relations, including the SDA’s construction training program.

Project Services: This division is responsible for the SDA’s operations, including back-office support, Management Information Systems, development of process workflows and Information Technology project management.

Human Resources: This division is responsible for policies and programs related to recruitment and retention, compensation, payroll and benefits, performance management, employee relations and compliance with all applicable employment laws.

Office of Management and Planning

The Office of Management and Planning, created in 2006, provides program management to strengthen overall controls for project delivery. The Office includes the following divisions: Project Controls, Procurement and Contract Services, Program Management, Furniture/Technology Purchasing and Risk Management and Vendor Services.

The newest elements of the Office are the Project Controls and Program Management divisions. These units coordinate with internal departments to ensure efficient planning and implementation of school construction projects through the consistent application of SDA requirements and protocols. They also ensure that appropriate checks and balances of operating divisions are in place and implement management strategies and methodologies, such as excellence reviews and lessons learned.

A key focus for the Office of Management and Planning is to develop and oversee the SDA’s strategic and capital plans for the school construction program. The Office uses the new prioritization methodology to determine the sequencing of projects. It also oversees the SDA’s comprehensive project budgets.

The Office is also responsible for the school construction grant program and the SDA’s insurance/risk programs.

The Office oversees all of the SDA’s procurement activities for school construction projects, including the procurement of contractors, architects and consultants, and all furniture, fixtures and equipment, including technology.

Office of Project Management

The Office of Project Management, previously known as the Design and Construction Unit under the New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation, predecessor to the SDA, was organized in December 2006. The new organization includes four key areas of responsibility: Architecture & Engineering, Contract Management, Safety Management and Project Management.

The primary goal of the Office of Project Management is to deliver quality and energy-efficient schools on time and within budget throughout the State.

The Office of Project Management includes design and construction experts with the capabilities to successfully develop and manage school construction projects from conception to post-occupancy. The Office manages the relationships of key project development partners, including municipalities, school districts, designers, contractors and construction managers, as well as various other State agencies that play a significant role in delivering a project.

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