Managing Infrastructure Project Contracts

Two training workshops took place in Dakar on the management of contracts for infrastructure projects during the works phase, the first one from 12 to 14 June 2017, and the second one from 15 to 17 June 2017.

These workshops organised by the Forhom Institute and financed by the company Eiffage were facilitated by an infrastructure project management expert of Egis International.

A group of 13 persons participated in the first session, and a group of 12 persons participated in the second one.

This training course was organised for employees of Eiffage Sénégal: Engineers/Project Managers, Site Managers and Technicians in charge of monitoring and executing works contracts of all types: road and motorway infrastructure, buildings, engineering structures (dykes), strengthening and creation of power lines, and photovoltaic plants.

Works monitoring and management require knowledge of the contractual environment to control deadlines, know about the contract requirements and know how to proceed in accordance with the contracts’ terms and conditions and in view of the situations encountered.

Consequently, the training objectives were as follows:

• being in a position to make a contract one’s own and monitor it throughout the works progress;
• knowing how to manage the relations between stakeholders (owner, prime contractor, residents, subcontractors, etc.) and taking into account the safety and environment of the worksite;
• providing services in line with the content of the contract.

The purpose of the training course was also to improve the practices of site managers and technicians to help them move towards the position of project manager. The workshop consisted of two identical 3-day sessions relating to the three programmed topics, i.e.:

Topic 1: Special features of the management of infrastructure projects

• Managing communication with multiple stakeholders (owner, prime contractor, fund donors, residents, etc.).

• The various types and forms of contracts (price schedules, lump sum, etc.).

• The constraints of projects (environment, residents, etc.).

• Managing the quality standards.

• Cost control.

• Topic 2: Making a contract one’s own

  Topic 3: The life of the contract during project execution

  This training course enabled the participants to develop their awareness of the interest of being familiar with all the documents of a contract, knowing about the contracting parties’ obligations and knowing about the procedures to follow in the case of a claim of a request for additional remuneration.

  The training course was also an opportunity for privileged exchanges and experience sharing between the most and the least experienced participants. Exchanges were fruitful in this respect and favoured know-how transfer. A dashboard was developed during the training sessions with the participants, to allow them to identify the contract’s key clauses. This dashboard is a checklist of the tasks to be performed at the beginning of works. It is envisaged that this dashboard will be the subject a procedure to be applied by the people in charge of monitoring the works carried out by Eiffage Sénégal.

  • The components of a contract.
  • The financial aspects of a contract; quantities.
  • Control arrangements, penalties.
  • Guarantees.
  • Deadlines.
  • Subcontracting.
  • Managing risks and disputes.
  • Preparing the worksite.
  • Monitoring the quantities.
  • Managing changes, hazards and unforeseen events.
  • Handling non-contractual requests.
  • Financial monitoring and invoicing.
  • Managing the environment.

• Mobilisation of an Egis International training expert.
• Preparation of the training materials and case studies, and facilitation of the two sessions.
• Delivery of the materials to the participants in digital format.
• Drawing-up of a training report and dispatch of this report to the client with the training certificates to be handed over to the participants.