Answer:
Ask your design team to develop a detailed schedule outlining major milestones for completion of the different design phases and the related subtasks. Make sure your obligations for attending meetings, providing information, conducting reviews, and approving plans are included in the schedule so you can schedule your resources. Have the design team outline specific items that are not included in their contract so there are no surprises as the design phase draws to a close. These items still require coordination with the design team, so it is important to know how items “Not in Contract” (NIC) are integrated into the schedule. Familiarize yourself with some of the resources on this site to get a better sense of what happens during design.