Overview 

Promoting interdepartmental collaboration and providing technical support to other SCA departments is at the core of DCIM’s mission to provide leadership to innovate and achieve continuous improvement in all that the SCA does.

DCIM also identifies and implements pilot studies based on construction-related observations that warrant attention or offer opportunities for improvement through revisions to the A&E scope and design processes. DCIM collects data, documents information, develops and proposes solutions, and ensures that the findings and lessons learned are captured in updates to SCA standards and procedures. 

The department is composed of two sub-departments: Design and Construction Services and Technical Standards and Support. 

Page Contents
Page Contents

Design and Construction Services

  • Project Programming
    Project Programming includes providing technical support to Capital Plan Management for preparation of the Program of Requirements for new schools and additions, as well as preparation of Site Assessments and Test Fits undertaken at the request of Real Estate or Capital Plan Management, to assess the potential for new or leased spaces to add additional seat needs to school districts. This also includes city programs such as 3K's and Stand-alone Gyms.
     
  • Design Review 
    Design Review provides technical reviews for all CIP and Capacity projects, during the scope and design phases to ensure adherence to all SCA standards, as well as maintaining and updating design review standards and checklists to ensure quality and consistency in Design Review. 
     

  • Accessibility Planning and Compliance
    Accessibility Planning and Compliance ensures all SCA-designed buildings are accessible to all students, staff and members of the community. The unit develops and maintains accessibility design standards & scoping guidelines and reviews AEoR documents to ensure accessibility laws and regulations are met. The unit also provides accessibility training and maintains and gathers data on accessibility features, as well as researching new technology, processes and methods linked to accessibility innovation.

    Learn more about Accessibility Planning and Compliance
     

  • Commissioning Plan and Review
    Commissioning Plan and Review ensures that all building systems requiring this effort are completed in both design and construction as mandated by codes and other entities having jurisdiction.
     
  • State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) Liaison
    State Historic Preservation Office Liaison is responsible for ensuring that submissions on historic buildings are made to the state and to act as an intermediary between design teams and the state for buildings eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Buildings.
     
  • Change Order Bulletin Verification
    Change Order Bulletin Verification reviews and opines on every change order bulletin for validation and appropriate reason code as quality control prior to Construction Management issuance. Recognition of repetitive or avoidable bulletins are incorporated into standards updates and/or quality control during future design review sessions. 
     
  • Closeout and Certificate of Occupancy
    Closeout and Certificate of Occupancy facilitates the resolution of all AEoR related open items to assist Construction Management in the close-out process for all CIP and Capacity projects. It also identifies trouble areas to avoid on future projects by either improved design or construction management. 

Technical Standards and Support

  • Engineering Standards
    Engineering Standards is responsible for creating and updating the SCA Engineering standards for use by the Authority's in-house designers and consultant designers, due to NYC Public School’s requirements, code changes, technology changes and lessons learned. These standards include the Design Requirements, Standard Specifications and Standard Details. In addition, the unit facilitates the creation and updating of the CIP Scoping Guidelines, Procedural Guidelines, standard forms and reference materials used by in-house and consultant designers
     

  • Sustainable Design and Resiliency 
    Sustainable Design and Resiliency is responsible for updating and implementing the NYC Green Schools Guide Rating System, research and development of standards due to enactment of sustainable laws and incorporation of technology and revisions to the SCA standards as they relate to sustainability and resiliency.

     

  • Research and Development 

    Research and Development spearheads meetings with internal stakeholders and external agencies regarding standards and contract requirements, as well as their needs and preferences.  The unit also performs research of new and alternate building products and construction assemblies.   
     

  • Estimating
    Estimating is responsible to for performing scope and design estimates for SCA in-house designed projects, reviewing estimates prepared by consultant estimators and updating the Authority's unit costs in the SCA's Cost Estimating System as they relate to scope and design. The unit also estimates all construction bulletins for in-house designed projects and performs cost analysis, tracks construction costs and maintains historical cost data.