• 20th May 2011
  • 3 comments

CPD articles

CPD: Time for change

Continuing Professional Development

Time for change: Delay and disruption analysis brings project time management into sharp focus

Scroll to the bottom to complete the CPD test paper, or click here.

The vital role of managing time-related parameters in projects is likely to be a factor contributing to the industry’s execrable record in terms of on-time project completions.  The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has been researching this for some time, and has concluded that poor time controls and insufficient focus on time efficiency are significantly deficient issues. Project Time Management is now coming into focus as a professional skill-set, and the CIOB is shortly to finalise its Project Time Management qualification credential structure.

It is delay and disruption disputes, however, which often strike closer to home for contractors. Disputes can often shine an unflattering light on lax Project Time Management, woolly contract programmes, patchy record keeping and inadequate communications.  If companies are to reduce the financial and reputational risks of such disputes, project managers, planners and schedulers must sharpen their understanding of the issues and, in particular, the time-related and other project management information which they may be called on to provide – sometimes in the witness box. 

Most will now be familiar with the Society of Construction Law’s Delay and Disruption Protocol (the SCL Protocol), published in 2002, which lays out the key factors of disputes and recognises that there are some legitimate causes of delay that it provides processes for dealing with, together with related dispute proceedings.  It holds the timeliness of information as central, and exhorts industry players to deal with any applications for extensions to time in real time.

The analysis and decision-making about alleged delays are driven largely by what the dispute ‘referee’ might need to know.  There are several stages in a delay dispute. The informal foundation stage usually involves consultants investigating the facts of the case. If unresolved, the formal stages begin, the first typically being adjudication. If no decision can be reached it may next be possible to move to mediation, arbitration or litigation.

A witness may need to answer in a great deal of detail questions about the contract programme, exact chronology of events, and communications between contractor and employer. The central facts to the dispute in hand will centre upon the information that was available to the parties at the time of delay and not necessarily emergent facts available at the time of the dispute proceedings.  Hard records and physical evidence are therefore often demanded.  Reliance on personal recall, unchecked assumptions or unrecorded observations is inadequate.  What happened is only half the story – WHEN it happened makes it highly relevant. Partial, inconsistent and disjointed evidence is far too common.

The decision-maker will not only examine the facts of the case, but also consider what decisions should have been made at the time, and whether this is what actually happened.  To understand this, they will ask tough questions around the initial promises, planning and project management, including:

  • Whether the programme being followed was actually signed off as the agreed contract programme
  • Whether both parties were seeing a single version of the truth throughout the project, both with regard to the planned intent and any changes to it.
  • Whether the programme sequences, resource requirements and key interfaces going forward were truly visible to all.
  • Whether the programme was reviewed and alternatives explored as challenges and changes were encountered - exploring ‘what if’ scenarios.
  • Whether the right tools and solutions were put in place to enable project managers to plan, track, evaluate and adjust programme activities in real time

The CIOB has created a toolbox of Project Time Management techniques in its “Guide to Good Practice in the Management of Time in Complex Projects.” It includes advice on the time management strategy, the development of a project time model and how to manage and communicate the time model. This includes practical help for the four essential components of practical Project Time Management, which are record-keeping, risk management, change management and progress management.

Deeper understanding and strategies for neutralising delay and disruption risks through better Project Time Management are further explored in upcoming CPD courses from Asta Development and Athena Project Services. Further details can be found here – www.astadev.com/delay

Complete the CPD test paper here: www.construction-manager.co.uk/construction-professional/cpd-questionnaire/15/

  • 27th May 2011, at 03:46 AM
  • Keith Skelton

too often during the project duration there is a lack of understanding by all involved of the resource requirement.
Often there is no detailed resource breakdown into hours and minutes of the resources involved and of the daily monitoring of the actual production out puts -I have a case now ongoing -we meet every week with the International contractor -the project will be a year late- but the site manangement is restrained by an original HQ budget.DD's will be 50kUS$ per day and it appears inevitable that no recovery will save the project.Delivery is about day to day management!!! claims on the other hand are the post mortem.Will it ever change ?Fundamental Understanding is lacking at the top level of Construction management. After more than 40 years ;I see no change :-)) keeps me employed though !!

  • 27th May 2011, at 09:57 AM
  • John Trengrove

I understand that the majority of the cpd assignments are in fact advertising features. Useful as they may be I object to the fact that completing online means I have to agree to the following:- :**Please note that by submitting your details you are agreeing to occasionally receiving promotional emails from Atom Publishing Ltd and our sponsors about new launches and developments**

i think you should allow the option.

  • 27th May 2011, at 12:02 PM
  • Martin Sinclair | CM Advertising Manager

Hi John,
Thank you for the feedback.
In fact less than one in 10 CPD papers is sponsored.
We understand that there is a large appetite for CPD material from members, but also from the side of providers.
We're duty bound to put a premium on the privilege of sponsoring the assignments, but there is bound to be some measure of trade-off when this occurs. We always endeavour to edit the material so that it is in not overtly commercial, since this compromises its value and our principal duty is to protect the members, so no data is ever given to advertisers, but always channeled through us.

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