It is easy for a facilities manager to allow influential board members or other constituencies to impose their wants on a project that already has too many needs and too few resources. Using the architect to resolve these kinds of resource issues confuses the users and destroys communications. Expect to pay realistic fees. In the final analysis, fees are determined by service. As more school boards opt to bid architectural services, the level of service being provided declines.
Architects have no choice but to reduce the number of hours provided to a client for a fixed fee.
Owners need to be prepared to pay for the level of service they want, and the architect needs to deliver that service. When this equation is not in balance both the owner and the architect feel abused. Deliver bad news in a timely fashion. In an environment where messengers are shot, many facility managers are tempted to use the architect as the fall guy. Bad news will not smell better with age.