The Real Foundation of Every Successful Project: Communication

By David Hunter, VVA Senior Associate

When we talk about risk management in construction, most people think of cost contingencies, safety plans, or schedule buffers. And while all of these are essential, they’re really just tools to manage something deeper. At the heart of nearly every project issue—whether it’s a cost overrun, a quality lapse, or a safety incident—lies one root cause: a breakdown in communication.

Communication as the First Line of Risk Management

On large capital projects—often north of $100 million and involving complex industrial or manufacturing environments—risk is magnified by the sheer number of people and moving parts. Design teams, contractors, vendors, regulators, and the client’s internal stakeholders all operate under their own assumptions and pressures. Unless there’s an intentional framework for communication, a lack of alignment between these participants can quickly become detrimental to the project.

Take the example of inadequate design documentation. It might look like a technical issue on the surface, but it often starts with miscommunication—perhaps a client struggling to articulate their operational needs, or a designer not fully capturing the intent, or a local authority interpreting codes differently than the team expected.

The same applies to cost and scope misalignment. Budgets can only be as good as the clarity of the scope they’re based on. If expectations aren’t aligned early and revisited often, scope creep becomes inevitable.

And when safety incidents occur or workmanship falls short, the root cause is almost always a failure to communicate expectations, responsibilities, or standards clearly.

The Project Manager as Communicator-in-Chief

On ground-up construction projects, there’s often a focus on assembling the right technical expertise: the architect, the engineer, the general contractor, the subs. But a project doesn’t succeed because of expertise alone—it succeeds because of alignment. That’s where the project manager comes in.

A strong project manager isn’t just a scheduler or budget tracker—they’re the communicator-in-chief. Their job is to ensure every participant understands:

• What needs to be done
• Who is responsible
• When it needs to happen
• How it will be executed
• And how success will be measured

This structure for communication must be built before a shovel hits the dirt. When information is transparent, documentation is accessible, and expectations are clearly defined, the project team can make better decisions, faster—and the owner can make them with confidence.

Building a Culture of Clarity

Effective communication isn’t just about meetings or reports; it’s about culture. The best project teams foster an environment where information flows freely, questions are encouraged, and issues are surfaced early rather than hidden until they escalate.

At VVA, we’ve seen firsthand that when communication is structured and deliberate—supported by the right documentation, processes, and technology—risk is dramatically reduced. Cost stays under control. Schedules hold. Safety improves. Quality is achieved and maintained. And, most importantly, trust grows across the project team.

For owners and occupiers, whether you’re managing an internal team or engaging a third-party project manager, start by investing in communication. Define how information will flow, how decisions will be made, and how accountability will be maintained. That foundation will do more to ensure your project’s success than any contingency line or risk register ever could.

Struggling with alignment on your project? Let’s talk about how VVA can help you build a structure for clear communication from day one.