How did you get into Project Controls, and especially scheduling?

My dad was the catalyst in my project controls career.  When I was in high school, I wanted a camera.  My dad said I had to earn my own money for that, so that’s how I started.  I spent a couple of my summer holidays scheduling with my dad on pharmaceutical projects that he was working on in Puerto Rico.  I didn’t know how to start, so my dad gave me two huge books on scheduling software, and I started learning the ropes on my own!

What was interesting about scheduling for you?

As the oldest of six siblings, I have always liked structure and organization. I mean, I needed it!  Under my dad’s influence, I became interested in construction projects.  I was intrigued by how the multiple aspects of a project:  activities, logic, resources, and constraints needed to work seamlessly in a schedule to accomplish that structure and organization.  So, when I was pursuing my degree in Civil Engineering, I took elective courses in scheduling to better understand the background and specifics of it.  That’s how it became a passion of mine.

What was your “A-ha! Moment” that Project Controls add value to companies?

In the earlier days of my career in the late 90s, I started working as a construction manager for general contractors in Puerto Rico and knowing how to do project controls always came in handy.  Word about my expertise in project controls spread. In 2005, I joined a general contractor company that wanted to open a project controls department as an in-house operation in the company.  This was not typical of construction contractors back then.  In many companies, due to budget constrictions, funding for project controls functions were often outsourced on an as-needed basis.  When I started there, I observed that projects were managed in unstructured ways, and Microsoft Excel was often the only tool used to manage multiple aspects of the projects.  When I got to this company, we standardized everything.  We started with planning all projects in P6 and then it expanded to cost control and earned value management to claim management.  This all led to standardizing forms, reports, tools, business processes, and mandated regular communication with the project managers.  Eight years after opening the project controls department, we realized what a large, positive difference project controls makes to a company.  Just to give you an idea, the company’s revenue had doubled in half the time!

That was quite an accomplishment! What did that success motivate you to do next?

There was another project controller in Puerto Rico that I loved working with because the both of us were very passionate about project controls and wanted to take the field to the next level in our industry.  He recommended AACE as a source of information to me, and suggested I pursue the Planning and Scheduling Professional (PSP) Certification.  Since there were no exam centers in Puerto Rico, I travelled to Florida to take the exam.  When I passed it, I was informed that I was the first female PSP in Puerto Rico!

How was the journey to elevate the need for Project Controls in the field?  Was it a smooth ride?

Not a smooth ride at all!  After I received my PSP designation, I also completed my MBA.  This opened a different door of opportunity for me as the general manager of a local office for CDM Smith, my current employer.  While I loved working at CDM Smith, due to the fiscal situation of the Island and how it was affecting my household, in 2016 I found myself at a “career crossroad” and needed to choose between opening my own company in Puerto Rico or taking a job in the continental US.  The best choice for me and my family was to move to the US, because my son had started studying for his bachelor’s degree at Georgia Tech.  CDM Smith needed a project controls specialist for a project in Savannah, Georgia, and it was my project controls expertise that made our family’s best choice a reality.  Although it meant a huge step back in my career as I had to transition from the role of general manager to a more junior position as a project controller for one construction project, I told myself, “If I could do it once, then I can do it again!”

That must have been quite the transition!  How was the ride up second time around?

To be honest, it is an amazing experience to work for a big global company like CDM Smith.  Back in Puerto Rico, I was working with smaller size, family-owned companies.  The corporate world is fascinating to me as it was like a well-oiled machine with multiple people working together to achieve great things.  Soon after we moved to Georgia, CDM Smith made an important decision to expand the project controls functions from just the construction division to the entire company as well.  I was lucky enough to be the PCS for the first construction project to be enrolled under the new program.  I took the opportunity to be a part of that initiative and learn as much as I could about, not only the process of implementation, but also about the implementation itself.  What became a surprise to me was that all the standards that was a proven success in a small company in Puerto Rico was scalable onto a large company as CDM Smith, as well.  It is applicable to all kinds of project types and sizes, and before you know it, that standard way of doing project controls took off beyond the US and was implemented in Europe too.  Today, I have the privilege to be the project controls manager for the southeast region of US and I support international construction projects in Israel, Chile, and, of course, Puerto Rico.

What was your role in taking the project controls standards to the rest of the world?

I think the key to success in every project is the people and I believe in learning by doing.  We must make an investment in the people – “teach them how to fish, instead of giving them fish.”  To give an example, as part of expanding project controls support for construction projects in Israel, I became a trainer for a project controls specialist.  Many staff have a lot of experience in earned value control, but little in construction planning and scheduling.  I usually give them little assignments to get them started and provide coaching and mentoring along the way, so they truly understand every aspect of the project, what the project manager needs, and how to plan the project properly.  Also, how to keep track of the project to ensure that we stay on track as per contract requirements and to be ready to manage changes as they arise.  This project controls specialist learned the skillset, and now he is traveling back to his home country (India) where we have a very healthy project controls operation.  He will become a trainer for other project controls specialists starting this year.  To date, I have trained over 800 project managers, engineers, and project control specialists throughout the US and India!  Success is always in sharing the knowledge.

With the success that you’ve earned in your career thus far, what is the one thing you want to accomplish the most now?

As a woman who started her career working in the construction industry, I have always been aware of where we stand in the gender equality range.  When I moved from Puerto Rico to the US, I realized that there is a Hispanic representation gap as well.  I observed that many Hispanic contractors are subcontractors, and very rarely acknowledged or considered for the main contractors’ role.  So, to support changing this perspective, I joined the non-profit organization, Georgia Hispanic Construction Association, and became a volunteer trainer for them!  I help training small and medium sized construction firms in the Hispanic community with the vision to build a stronger business foundation that will translate into better business opportunities for them.

What advice would you give someone to encourage them to become a project controls professional?

If the project manager is Batman, then who is the project controls manager?  Robin?  No!  We are Alfred!  We are the practical planners, the loyal confidantes, and the analytical thinkers!  We give our hero project managers all the tools and information that they need to complete successful projects.  I think my role as a project controls manager is so fulfilling because I firmly believe that it is essential in delivering successful projects that will improve the qualify of life of humankind.  The power of project controls is mind blowing – the fact that it has not been acknowledged by every single industry, construction company and engineering firm, means that this is an opportunity for someone to become that project controls expert, then be that person who helps turns a company around and make it more successful and profitable.

Libby J. Goyco, PE PMP PSP MBA, is a strategic business solutions-oriented licensed Professional Engineering, certified as a PSP, with 24 years of experience in general management, program management and project controls management.  She currently works in Atlanta, Georgia, for CDM Smith as a manager of project controls of the southeast region.  She is also a strong and influential advocate for diversity, equality, and inclusion in the construction industry.