4. Support for Cost Management, Estimate Validation & Change Control
Overview
Kestrel provides senior-level project management support for cost-related decision-making, working alongside independent cost managers, quantity surveyors, or client finance teams. Our focus is on ensuring cost information is accurate, well-reasoned, and aligned with scope, schedule, procurement strategy, and project risk without acting as the cost manager of record.
What This Service Includes
• Review and validation of project budgets, cost plans, and estimates for scope alignment and reasonableness.
• Evaluation of contractor proposals, bid leveling support, and identification of scope gaps or overlaps.
• Support during value engineering exercises, assessing cost savings against risk, quality, and long-term implications.
• Change order review for scope legitimacy, entitlement, pricing logic, schedule impact, and risk exposure.
• Coordination with cost managers, designers, and contractors to resolve cost-related discrepancies.
• Support in developing and maintaining disciplined change control processes and approval pathways.
• Assessment of cost impacts associated with schedule changes, procurement decisions, or unforeseen conditions.
• Executive-level reporting on cost drivers, change trends, and financial risk exposure.
Why This Matters
Cost overruns often stem from misaligned scope, unclear assumptions, or unmanaged change rather than inaccurate math. Independent, senior review strengthens cost governance and supports informed decisions before financial impacts escalate.
Ideal Engagement Scenarios
Projects with independent cost managers requiring senior PM interfacing and/or oversight
Complex procurements with multiple bid packages or alternates
Projects experiencing frequent or high-value change activity
Programs where scope, schedule, and cost risks are tightly interconnected