Case Study

As well as delivering online e-courses, we offer in-house training for companies. We were approached by the government department responsible for roads and highways in an African country. The department was experiencing several problems related to claims and wanted to train their in-house staff. The staff were to be trained on the essential elements to a successful claim and how claims should be managed effectively. The problems were:

• Contractor’s claims were often of a very poor standard, although some contractors employed consultants to prepare their claims to a good professional standard;
• The engineers appointed by the road authority did not manage or respond to claims professionally or in accordance with the contracts;
• In-house staff had limited experience dealing with claims and were not managing them effectively;
• Many claims were referred to adjudication, arbitration or litigation by the contractors; and
• The cost of dealing with disputes was high and escalating.

Course Outline

We proposed to deliver our Construction Claims Workshop, a 3-day course comprising 21 hours of training, 7 modules and 5 group assignments on the following subjects:

• Contract Administration for Claims
• Types of Claim
• Delay Analysis
• Prolongation Cost Claims
• The Essential Elements to a Successful Claim or Response
• Compilation and Presentation of Claims and Responses
• Responses, Determinations and Disputes

Training

Our proposal was accepted. We were commissioned to provide the course to two separate groups comprising a total of approximately 50 employees. This included department heads and directors, project managers, contracts managers, commercial managers, engineers, planners and quantity surveyors.

My own experience both in Africa and on road projects meant that I could offer relevant examples gained from hands-on experience. This made the content relevant to the projects that the attendees were dealing with.

Part of our brief was to measure improvements that the training provided. We included a test which asked for short answers from the attendees. The attendees were asked to take the same test before and after the course. The results showed an average individual improvement of 46%.

As part of our normal procedure, we also asked the attendees to complete feedback forms at the end of the course. Feedback indicated that 95% of the attendees were either satisfied or very satisfied with the training that Claims Class provided.

Outcome

Our client was very pleased with the outcome and we were delighted to have provided quality, practical training to help both the roads authority and individual attendees with their careers.

One of the things I love about my job is travelling to new places and meeting people from different cultures. This trip was no exception. I was in-country for eight days and during my time I was able to see both the capital city and the surrounding countryside, including taking a quad bike trip into the bush. I met many interesting and friendly people and the hospitality provided was second to none.

We are more than delighted that we are currently in discussions with the authority to provide a year-long programme of further training. This was done through both in-country workshops and e-courses on construction claims and the FIDIC contracts. These are to be provided for not only the authority’s own staff, but for their consultants and appointed project engineers. I therefore hope to be visiting again in the New Year and I’m thoroughly looking forward to it.

Do you need help training employees to manage contracts and claims effectively? Contact us today. We would be delighted to discuss your needs and work with you to deliver a bespoke training session.