The management of construction is an enterprise that involves many people with diverse interests, talents and backgrounds. The owner, the design professional and the contractor comprise the primary triad of parties, but others, such as subcontractors, material suppliers, bankers, insurance and bonding companies, attorneys and public agency officials, are vital elements of the project team whose interrelated roles must be coordinated to assure a successful project. Throughout the project life cycle, from the time the owner first contemplates launching a construction project to that celebrated time, many months or years later, when the completed project is ready for use, the tasks carried out by the various parties vary in type and intensity. In this book, we consider the roles and responsibilities of the many parties at each phase of the construction project life cycle. The primary focus here is on the construction contractor, who carries the lead responsibility for the on-site installation work and all of the associated planning and followup. It is important, at the same time, to understand how other people and organisations contribute to project success.