Large construction and infrastructure projects in Africa are often funded by development banks and governed by FIDIC forms, and their success depends on consistent contract administration. Cost overruns and prolonged disputes frequently trace back to the same causes: notices served late, instructions given informally and claims assembled long after the evidence has gone.

The Strategic Contract Management & Administration (FIDIC) Training Course approaches the conditions practically. It begins with the structure of the contract documents and the duties of each party, then follows a project forward in time. Participants practise managing the programme, instructing and valuing variations, certifying payment, dealing with adjustments for changes in cost or legislation, and assessing delay and extension of time. The later days focus on claims, dispute avoidance, termination, completion and closure, with attention to how the conditions allocate risk differently between the standard forms.

The method is case-based. Delegates work through extracts from contracts, correspondence and programmes, drafting notices and responses so that the habits of good administration become routine by the end of the week.

Upon completing the course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the structure, order of precedence and risk allocation in the main FIDIC forms.
• Define the roles and obligations of the Employer, the Engineer and the Contractor.
• Prepare and serve notices and claims within contractual time limits.
• Instruct, value and document variations correctly.
• Assess interim payment applications and certificates.
• Evaluate delay, extension of time and associated cost entitlements.
• Apply the dispute avoidance and adjudication provisions at the right time.
• Manage completion, defects liability and final account closure.

The course is relevant to everyone who manages or advises on works contracts, including:

• Contract managers and contract administrators
• Project managers and site engineers
• Quantity surveyors and cost engineers
• Engineer's representatives and supervising consultants
• Employer representatives in ministries, agencies and utilities
• Legal and procurement officers in construction organisations
• Claims and planning specialists
• Commercial managers in contracting firms

Participants leave with:

• A contract time-bar and notice register they can adopt on live projects.
• Sample notice, instruction and claim letters following FIDIC wording.
• A variation and valuation procedure with a decision flowchart.
• A method for assessing delay and extension of time entitlement.
• A project records checklist that supports claims and defences.
• Guidance on when and how to refer matters to the dispute board.

Sessions treat the conditions as working tools rather than legal text. The programme uses:

• Clause-by-clause walk-throughs linked to project scenarios
• Drafting workshops for notices, instructions and claim letters
• Worked valuation and delay calculations in spreadsheets
• A running case study project with correspondence files
• Panel-style discussion of participants' own contract problems

Attendance at all sessions and completion of the drafting and calculation exercises earn a Certificate of Completion issued by Vision Reach Global Consultancy and accredited for CPD. The certificate recognises the training received and is not a FIDIC qualification.