• Volunteer Projects

    Annually, Facilities & Asset Management (FAM) receives numerous requests for volunteer projects to improve and enhance ½ûÂþÌìÌà school buildings. These volunteer projects must be closely managed to achieve the desired outcomes of the district’s design standards. FAM has identified a number of issues that require careful consideration before approving any volunteer projects.

    Project Initiation

    • All volunteer efforts must be initiated using FAM’s Project Development Request Form; please see the Project & Construction Management main web page.

    • FAM requires a 10-day review period from initiation date to project approval for any volunteer project.

    • Meet with your assigned project manager to discuss the anticipated scope of work, budget and schedule for your volunteer project.

    Design Requirements for Volunteer Projects

    Work with your project manager to determine if the scope of the project requires a licensed professional (i.e. Architect/Engineer).

    Familiarize yourself with the District Design Standards and ensure your project meets these requirements.

    Secure a volunteer or paid professional to produce drawings and documents to a professional level and sufficient to meet ½ûÂþÌìÌà and City of Portland requirements.

    a) The design documents should tell the full story of the project. Documents should make it clear what is new work, vs. what is existing work. They should provide enough detail to indicate specifically what is being installed/built, what materials are being used, and how it should go together. This may include both demolition and construction plans. It will likely require plans, elevations, sections, details and specifications. Work with your Project Manager, who will coordinate with the Design, Permitting and Document Control Coordinator to help you get clarity of what will be required for your specific project.

    Determine if your project requires a building or site development permit. If it does, research the permitting requirements for project. Your Project Manager will enlist the support of the District Land Use and Code specialists in research of existing conditions and City requirements.

    Familiarize yourself with all required codes. Consider Building Codes, Accessibility Codes, Land Use Code, and any others as applicable.

    Your project will need to go through the District Design Review Process. For most projects, multiple rounds of review are required and each round can take up to 2 weeks. Ensure you provide enough time in your schedule for this process. The earlier you engage in this process, the faster and smoother this process can be. The District can help you with finding the right location, potential risks to consider, lessons learned from past similar projects, etc.

    ½ûÂþÌìÌà Design Review Approval is required prior to permits submitted for or any work being done on-site. The City of Portland building permit application will be signed by the Document Control Coordinator once the ½ûÂþÌìÌà Design Review process is complete.

    Volunteer Requirements

    Volunteers shall consult with ½ûÂþÌìÌà Project Manager about the appropriate hold harmless and background check requirements for a particular project.

    Fundraising & Budgeting

    There are a variety of District and non-District fundraising resources available to volunteer groups. Fundraising efforts shall be coordinated with the ½ûÂþÌìÌà Project Manager to ensure they are not competing with other District efforts. The ½ûÂþÌìÌà Project Manager will work with volunteer groups to ensure that a comprehensive project budget has been prepared and that all project funding is available prior to the start of work.

    Project Closeout Requirements

    Upon construction completion, you will need to provide complete closeout documents. This will include among other possible requirements:

    1. One hard copy and one electronic copy (both .pdf and original CAD/Word documents) of as-built drawings/specifications.

    2. O&M manuals including: (a) Contact information for all parties (Primary Volunteers, Contractor, etc.) and (b) Specific products (brand, serial number, colors, etc.) being installed

    3. Warranties

    4. Final close out of city building permits.

    5. Other specific project requirements. Work with your Project Manager to know what may be additionally required for your project.