Day 1: Strategic Project Oversight & Role Definition

• The Project Owner's/Client's Perspective:
  • Understanding the unique responsibilities when projects are executed by external parties.
  • Defining the project vision, objectives, and success criteria.
• Project Lifecycle Overview from an Oversight Perspective:
  • Key phases: Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring & Control, Close-out.
  • Critical activities for the client at each phase.
• Defining Project Scope & Requirements for External Parties:
  • Developing clear Scope of Work (SOW), Terms of Reference (TOR), and specifications.
  • Importance of measurable deliverables and acceptance criteria
• Project Delivery Models & Contracting Strategies:
  • Comparing traditional (Design-Bid-Build), Design-Build, EPC, EPCM, Alliance.
  • When to use consultants vs. contractors vs. in-house teams.
• Roles & Responsibilities Definition:
  • The role of the Client/Owner's Representative.
  • Defining roles for Project Managers, Contract Administrators, Technical Specialists.
  • Understanding the roles of the Consultant and Contractor.
• Workshop: Developing a high-level scope and outlining key responsibilities for a hypothetical project to be executed externally.

Day 2: Selecting & Contracting Consultants & Contractors

• Procurement Process Overview (Client Perspective):
  • Market research, pre-qualification, tendering process.
  • Legal aspects of solicitations: RFIs, RFQs, RFPs, ITTs.
• Consultant Selection:
  • Methods: Quality-Based Selection (QBS), Quality and Cost-Based Selection (QCBS).
  • Developing Terms of Reference (TOR) for consultants.
  • Evaluating proposals: technical and financial.
• Contractor Selection:
  • Bid evaluation: technical compliance, commercial competitiveness, past performance.
  • Understanding different pricing models: Lump Sum, Unit Rate, Cost-Plus, Target Cost.
• Key Contractual Documents & Their Purpose:
  • Master Service Agreements, Purchase Orders, Work Orders, Subcontracts.
  • Understanding standard forms (e.g., FIDIC, JCT – brief overview for context)
• Critical Contractual Clauses for the Client:
  • Scope, Deliverables, Schedule, Price & Payment Terms.
  • Warranties, Guarantees, Liquidated Damages.
  • Intellectual Property, Confidentiality, Indemnities, Limitation of Liability.
  • Insurance requirements.
• Practical Exercise: Reviewing a sample RFP/ITT and identifying key contractual terms from the client's perspective, focusing on risk mitigation.

Day 3: Effective Project & Contract Administration

• Contract Mobilization & Kick-off:
  • Establishing communication protocols and reporting lines.
  • Clarifying roles, responsibilities, and decision-making authority.
  • Reviewing project baselines (scope, schedule, cost).
• Contract Administration Fundamentals:
  • Understanding the contract as a living document and management tool.
  • Importance of diligent record-keeping, documentation, and correspondence.
• Managing Project Scope & Changes:
  • Identifying and validating scope variations.
  • Formal change control processes: Change Orders, Variation Orders.
  • Negotiating impact of changes on scope, schedule, and cost.
• Financial Management & Payment Administration:
  • Reviewing and approving invoices, payment applications.
  • Managing retention money and performance security.
  • Cost control and budget tracking against contract values.
• Schedule Management & Monitoring:
  • Reviewing and approving contractor's/consultant's project schedule.
  • Progress reporting, earned value analysis (basic concepts for oversight).
  • Tracking milestones and critical path.
• Laboratory Session: Analyzing a project scenario involving a scope change and developing a change order process.

Day 4: Performance Monitoring, Quality Control & Stakeholder Management

• Performance Monitoring & Reporting:
  • Defining Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for consultants and contractors.
  • Establishing reporting requirements and frequency.
  • Conducting regular progress meetings and performance reviews.
  • Developing effective dashboards and executive summaries.
• Quality Management & Control:
  • Reviewing and approving Quality Management Plans (QMP) from external parties.
  • Implementing inspection and testing regimes.
  • Managing non-conformances and Punch Lists.
  • Ensuring compliance with technical specifications and standards.
• Health, Safety, Security, and Environmental (HSSE) Oversight:
  • Reviewing contractor/consultant HSSE plans.
  • Site inspections and audits.
  • Ensuring compliance with client and regulatory requirements.
• Stakeholder Communication & Relationship Management:
  • Building collaborative relationships with external partners.
  • Managing internal stakeholders (senior management, end-users).
  • Conflict resolution and issue escalation.
• Practical Exercise: Developing a set of KPIs for a specific consultant/contractor scope and outlining a performance review agenda.

Day 5: Managing Risks, Changes, Claims & Disputes with External Parties

• Risk Management in External Engagements:
  • Identifying specific risks associated with consultants/contractors (e.g., performance failure, financial instability, non-compliance).
  • Developing risk mitigation and contingency plans.
  • Contractual risk allocation: who bears which risk.
• Managing Delays & Disruptions:
  • Analyzing causes of delays (client-caused, contractor-caused, force majeure).
  • Assessing entitlement to Extension of Time (EoT) and associated costs.
• Claims Management from the Client's Perspective:
  • Understanding contractor/consultant claims for additional time or cost.
  • Evaluating claim validity, entitlement, causation, and quantum.
  • Strategies for avoiding, mitigating, and defending against claims.
  • Importance of meticulous documentation.
• Dispute Avoidance & Resolution:
  • Contractual escalation procedures.
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR): Mediation, Conciliation, Dispute Boards.
  • Arbitration vs. Litigation (brief overview).
• Contract Close-out & Lessons Learned:
  • Administrative and financial close-out.
  • Warranty periods and final acceptance.
  • Performance evaluations and feedback.
  • Capturing lessons learned for future projects.
• Final Assessment: Participants will work in teams on a complex project scenario involving performance issues and a claim, requiring them to apply principles of oversight, risk management, and dispute resolution.