III. The OAC Meeting - A Complete Guide and Agenda Template

The OAC (Owner-Architect-Contractor) meeting is one of the key parts of a construction project. The OAC meeting brings together the three core stakeholders of the project: the owner, the architect, and the contractors. Done right, OAC meetings keep the project on track and resolve issues quickly. Conversely, poorly run OAC meetings can lead to miscommunication, delays, and budget overruns.

In this article, we share a step-by-step guide for preparing, conducting, and following up on OAC meetings. We also provide a downloadable OAC meeting agenda template and a comprehensive checklist to help you run meetings that ensure successful project delivery.

The OAC meeting's objective

The OAC meeting is designed to:

monitor progress: by evaluating the project’s current status against the schedule and budget, necessary adjustments can be coordinated.
facilitate clear communication: the meeting provides a platform to align on project goals and inform everyone of updates.
resolve issues: issues can be raised and resolved that could otherwise cause budget overruns or project delays.
decision-making: based on progress reports and raised issues, the owner, architect, and contractor can make informed decisions on design changes, budget adjustments, or modifications to schedule.

Who participates in an OAC meeting?

Despite the name, an OAC meeting usually involves more stakeholders than just the owner, the architect, and the contractor. Participants can include:

General Contractor (GC): Typically coordinates meetings, drafts the agenda, and follows up with action items.
Owner or Owner's Representative: Provides decision-making authority, reviews proposed changes, and makes final decisions on budget, design, and schedule.
Architect (Design Team): Ensures project execution aligns with plans, reviews and approves submittals, addresses design issues, and updates drawings.
Engineer: Oversees technical aspects, addresses issues, and ensures construction aligns with design plans and systems.
Project Engineer: Manages schedule impacts, assigns tasks, and ensures the construction crew has the necessary resources.

Download an OAC meeting agenda template

Click below to download a well-structured agenda template for your OAC meetings. The template is available in Word format and contains placeholders so that you can customize as needed.

Download a complete OAC meeting agenda template

The frequency of OAC meetings

The cadence of OAC meetings depends on factors such as the complexity and stage of a project and the preferences of project stakeholders. More complex projects or critical project stages require more frequent meetings. Here’s a guide:

Project OAC Meetings

Project Phase	# of OAC Meetings	Purpose
Initial Planning	Bi-weekly or monthly	Establish project scope, budget, and schedule. Ensure all stakeholders are aligned and aware of their roles and responsibilities.
Design Development	Bi-weekly or weekly	Review and approve design submissions, address issues, and ensure design alignment with project requirements.
Construction	Bi-weekly or weekly	Monitor project progress, address issues and challenges, and ensure construction aligns with the approved design and schedule.
Critical Path Activities	Daily or multiple times per week	Address critical path activities, such as foundation work, structural steel erection, or roofing installation, where any delay impacts the project timeline.
Completion	Monthly or quarterly	Review the project's progress, resolve any outstanding issues, and ensure the project is completed within the agreed-upon budget and timeline.

Preparing for the OAC meeting

Prioritize the following key steps:

Review previous OAC meeting minutes and project documentation
Review the minutes from the previous OAC meeting and focus on action items and their status. Examine schedules, budget reports, and change orders to understand the project's current state. As you do this, highlight any issues that need to be covered in the upcoming meeting.

Create and distribute a detailed OAC meeting agenda
Draft an agenda based on your review of project documentation. Agenda items typically include critical path activities, budget, submittals, and quality assurance inspections. Share the agenda with meeting participants at least two days in advance to allow enough time to prepare.

Prepare visual aids and progress reports
Create visual aids, such as progress photos, updated schedules, budget charts, and 3D renderings. Clear visuals aid comprehension and help the architect or general contractor diagnose and address issues.

‍Designate a minute-taker or use AI software to document the meeting‍

Nominate someone to draft minutes and follow up after the meeting. Alternatively, use AI meeting minutes software to document discussions and action items. Detailed minutes ensure that projects meet design specifications and help to resolve disputes. Often, the general contractor drafts OAC meeting minutes. Doing so while also guiding complex discussions can be challenging. To address this, many firms have adopted artificial intelligence software to automatically draft meeting minutes.

‍Cogram is one such software, with dedicated capabilities for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. Uniquely, Cogram can draft minutes using a firm’s custom template and can be used for both on-site (in-person), online, or hybrid meetings.

How to run an OAC meeting

Many OAC meetings are held on-site. Some team members may join the meeting remotely via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. The GC or meeting organizer starts by reviewing the distributed agenda to confirm that all key topics are included and correctly prioritized. Common topics typically addressed are listed below.

Click here to download a detailed OAC meeting agenda template

OAC Agenda Topics

OAC Agenda Topic	Related Subtopics
Critical Path Schedule Review	Review current status Review resource allocation on critical path activities Analyze float on near-critical activities Discuss planned vs. actual schedule Review upcoming critical milestones and associated risks of delay
Constraint Log	All items potentially impacting the Critical Path
Review and Prioritize Constraints	Review open constraints affecting critical path activities Prioritize constraints based on urgency and impact Evaluate resource needs to address critical constraints and discuss strategies to prevent similar constraints
Coordination Log	Everything else
Review open Requests for Information (RFIs)	Discuss the critical 5-10 RFIs needing immediate attention and potential schedule impacts
Review submittal status	Present the hot submittal list and highlight critical items awaiting approval Discuss overdue submittals and their impact on the project
Address design changes or updates	Present proposed changes and discuss implications on budget, schedule, and quality
Project Schedule	Provide a high-level overview of the current status Present the 4-week look-ahead schedule Discuss deviations from the master schedule and contingency plans
Budget Review	Present current budget status Highlight significant variances or potential cost overruns Discuss the financial implications of pending change orders
Procurement and Material Status	Review the status of long-lead items and critical materials Discuss potential supply chain issues or delivery delays Address material substitution requests or approvals needed
Site Logistics and Safety	Review changes to site logistics plans Discuss activities impacting site access or operations Address safety concerns or incidents since the last meeting
Quality Assurance / Inspections	Review completed QA/QC inspection results and non-conformances Review upcoming inspections and testing requirements Plan for final inspections and certificate of occupancy Review the status of punchlist items and Site Observation Reports (SOR)
Commissioning	Review the status of commissioning activities and schedule Identify commissioning issues impacting project completion
Stakeholder Questions and Updates	Open the floor for stakeholder questions and updates
Next Meeting and Closing Remarks	Confirm the date and time of the next OAC meeting Debrief key decisions and major points discussed

Following up

After the meeting, ensure that all updates are synchronized across project documentation and communicated to the responsible parties.

Distribute the minutes to attendees within 24-48 hours
Prepare the minutes promptly after the meeting and attach relevant documents that were referenced. If you use an AI meeting minutes software, such as Cogram, minutes will be ready shortly after the meeting ends and already drafted in your firm’s template. This minimizes edits required before distribution.

Update Project Management Documentation
Update items such as project scope, budget, schedule, and contracts. Prepare change orders outlining descriptions, schedule impacts, and budget implications, and obtain approvals from stakeholders. Project management software should also be updated with new tasks, deadlines, and resource allocations to ensure all team members have access to relevant information.

Follow Up on Action Items
Regularly check in with responsible parties to monitor progress and request periodic updates on action items. For issues or ongoing discussions, schedule follow-up meetings to work through bottlenecks.

Download a complete OAC meeting checklist

There is much to keep track of before, during, and after OAC meetings. Download a comprehensive OAC meeting checklist as a guide through each phase, from preparation to follow-up. This checklist consolidates all the steps discussed in this article, including the OAC meeting agenda, to help you run productive OAC meetings.

Download the comprehensive OAC meeting checklist.

7 Expert tips to run an effective OAC meeting

Prioritize agenda items ‍
- Structure the agenda to address high-impact issues first, when attendees are most alert. Place routine updates towards the end to ensure critical decisions are made even if time runs short.

Implement a "parking lot" system‍
- Use a visible "parking lot" list for off-top comments, topics, or questions that arise during discussions. Log these items to come back to if time permits or to address them offline, to avoid derailing the meeting flow.

Use an AI meeting Software for Automatic OAC Meeting Minutes‍
- Avoid the time-consuming task of manual minute-taking. Use a software like Cogram to automatically draft meeting minutes — including action items — for in-person (e.g. on the job site) and online OAC meetings.
- Unlike general AI notetakers, Cogram delivers meeting minutes directly in your firm’s template layout. Schedule a 15-minute call to see a live demo of the platform and run a free trial.

Rotate meeting facilitation roles‍
- As Danny Sleiman, President at Sleiman Construction mentions in his LinkedIn article, avoid having the same person, usually the GC, facilitate every meeting. Rotate facilitation duties among team members to encourage new perspectives on running OAC meetings.

Use visual aids effectively‍
- Go beyond slideshows by incorporating 3D models, annotated drawings, or augmented reality tools. These visual aids improve understanding and decision-making, particularly for technical discussions.

Establish a clear decision-making protocol‍
- Define upfront how decisions will be made (consensus, majority vote, or ultimate authority). This prevents paralysis on contentious issues and reduces delays caused by orders stuck in review mode.

Conduct periodic meeting audits‍
- Every quarter, evaluate the effectiveness of your OAC meetings. Survey participants anonymously, analyze time spent versus value gained, and be open to changing the format if it’s not serving the project optimally.

OAC meetings are more than routine check-ins; they are essential for steering a construction project to successful completion. As projects become increasingly complex, efficient OAC meetings—and cross-team collaboration in general—become all the more important for successful project delivery.