Planning & Programming | Analysis, Action, Resolution

Over 100 highly trained and qualified consultants deliver Driver Consult expertise to clients engaged in all aspects of construction and engineering, working with them from inception to completion.

The Base Case Programme

A good, well planned and well presented programme is the foundation for effective project management and control. As well as forming the basis for construction management, a master programme should also integrate and coordinate with the design and procurement strategy so that it is clear who is required to do what and when. Progress should be measured against the master programme so that deviations can be highlighted and performance trends analysed. Recovery measures can then be planned and implemented, if necessary.

Driver Consult’s planning engineers are expert in verifying, or otherwise, whether the contractor’s base case programme is robust. Phasing strategy, logic and activity durations all combine to create the planned programme and our planners have the skills and experience to challenge and test the reasonableness of the contractor’s programme. Driver Consult’s planners are also experienced in planning projects from first principles and are often called upon to do so where the base case programme either does not exist or is found to be inadequate. Driver Consult’s expert planning witness assignments invariably include an analysis of the existing planned programmes as a matter of course.

Delay Analysis

Typically, delay occurs on virtually all construction projects. Not all project delay affects the contract completion date. Delay that does affect the contract completion date will either be excusable, giving rise to an extension of time, or it will be caused by the contractor’s own default for which the contractor is culpable. Excusable delay may be further classified into compensable and non-compensable, depending upon the specific cause and the terms of the contract. Compensable delay can lead to the recovery of prolongation costs whereas non-compensable delay does not. Neutral events, such as inclement weather, tend to be classified as non-compensable in many standard form contracts. Delay Analysis involves a forensic investigation into the cause and effect of delay on construction projects to determine which party carries responsibility for the delay and also what contractual remedies are available, if any.

Driver Consult has a team of planning engineers who have extensive experience in the planning, programming and analysis of delays on a wide range of projects over a wide range of construction sectors. Our planners are also experienced in analysing delays on a range of different procurement routes, including both standard form and bespoke contracts. The planning team are expert in the preparation and defence of delay claims and have also provided independent expert witness services at various dispute resolution forums.