Public works, roads, energy, water and building projects across Africa are frequently procured on FIDIC conditions, often with development bank funding. These forms reward disciplined administration: strict time limits for notices, clear certification routes and a structured approach to claims. Teams that treat the contract as a filing cabinet rather than a working tool lose entitlement, pay for delays they did not cause or find themselves in avoidable disputes.

The Practical Contract Management & Administration (FIDIC) Training Course is built around the tasks contract administrators perform every month. It begins with the contract structure, the documents that make up the agreement, the order of precedence and the different philosophies of the main FIDIC books. It continues through the lifecycle: commencement, programme, site instructions, variations and valuations, interim payment and certification, time-related claims, and cost-related claims. Participants then handle risk events such as unforeseeable conditions, changes in legislation and force majeure, before turning to dispute avoidance, the Dispute Avoidance and Adjudication Board, taking over, defects and final accounts.

The course works from sample clauses, correspondence and project scenarios. Participants draft notices, assess a claim and leave with a practical administration checklist for their current or next project.

After the programme, participants will be able to:

• Describe the structure, documents and risk allocation of the main FIDIC forms.
• Explain the duties and powers of the Employer, Contractor and Engineer.
• Prepare and respond to notices within the contractual time limits.
• Administer variations, valuations and payment certification correctly.
• Assess programme delays and entitlement to extension of time.
• Prepare and evaluate claims for time and cost with proper records.
• Apply dispute avoidance steps and the DAAB process before arbitration.
• Manage completion, taking over, defects liability and final accounts.

Anyone who prepares, administers or reviews works contracts should attend, including:

• Contract managers and contract administrators
• Project managers and site engineers
• Quantity surveyors and cost engineers
• Resident engineers and supervising consultants
• Procurement and legal officers in public agencies
• Employer representatives on donor-funded projects
• Commercial managers in construction companies
• Claims and planning specialists

Participants leave with:

• A contract administration calendar covering key notices and time limits.
• Draft notice templates for delay, variation and claim events.
• A structured method for assessing extension of time and additional cost.
• A record-keeping checklist that protects entitlement.
• An overview of the DAAB process and how to use it.
• A project-specific action list for tightening their own contract administration.

The programme is organised around practical administration tasks:

• Clause-by-clause walk-throughs using extracts from the standard forms
• Correspondence drafting exercises for notices, instructions and claims
• Project scenarios with programmes, records and valuations to analyse
• Group role plays of Engineer, Contractor and Employer positions
• Discussion of participants' own projects and contract problems

A CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion from Vision Reach Global Consultancy is presented to each participant who attends the full programme and takes part in the practical claim and notice exercises.