PM does not mean Project Manager: Expert

Patrick Manning has tried to deflect concerns raised by the opposition that he was involved directly in the planning of the controversial church at Guanapo in Arima by saying the reference to PM in correspondence to Calder Hart meant "Project Manager".

Manning said on Sunday Hart was involved in the project in a "private capacity" and "PM may mean Project Manager" not Prime Minister as suggested by opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

But the opposition leader has pointed out that the letter to Hart was addressed to the UDeCOTT chairman at the time, identifying UDeCOTT as the client. The man who wrote the memo is unavailable and reports suggest he won't be available "for a very long time".

Now an industry expert has told the Trinidad Express the acronym ’PM’ is not widely used to mean project manager in the construction sector.

President of the Trinidad and Tobago Institute of Architects, Gary Turton, told the paper: "The reality is during construction, design changes need client approval, so a project manager cannot get involved to the extent outlined in the letter during the initial design changes. In any normal case, the project manager does not have that authority."

The letter which Persad-Bissessar presented quoted the architect for the church construction project, Stephen Mendes, as asking the "client", which was identified as UDeCOTT, to ensure consultants finalise their drawings in accordance to "recent changes called for by the PM".

Turton told the paper "PM is not commonly assumed to be project manager in the field" and could mean any number of things but is not commonly used in the industry.

Turton suggested that the prime minister or anyone involved in the project reveal "who this mystery project manager is and what role they played in the whole scenario".

The People’s National Movement has dismissed the opposition revelations but has not challenged the authenticity of the documents presented by the Opposition to the national media.

The Government has insisted that UDeCOTT was not involved in the building of the Lighthouse of The Lord Jesus Christ Church.

Manning has repeatedly told the media and is on record on Hansard as saying no state funds have been used for the project.