Large infrastructure projects in Africa rely on standard forms of contract, and FIDIC conditions are the most widely used. Their strength depends on how well the parties administer them. Late notices, incomplete records and unclear Engineer instructions routinely cost employers and contractors their entitlements, and unresolved claims are one of the main drivers of cost overruns and delayed completion.

This advanced programme links contract strategy to day-to-day administration. It begins by asking which procurement approach and which FIDIC form fit the project, how risk should be shared, and how particular conditions change the balance. It then follows the project through its life: setting up a contract management system, controlling time and cost, issuing and responding to notices, dealing with variations and changes in law, and certifying payment.

A major block covers claims and disputes. Participants learn how to build a contemporaneous record, prepare a time and money claim, evaluate delay using recognised methods and use the Engineer's determination and dispute board process to settle matters early. The course is taught through clause workshops, drafting practice and a running case file, and each participant finishes with a contract management plan and a template claim submission.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Select a procurement strategy and FIDIC form suited to project risk, design responsibility and funding.
• Interpret the key clauses of the FIDIC Red, Yellow and Silver Books and the effect of particular conditions.
• Administer notices, instructions, variations and payment certificates within contractual time limits.
• Maintain contemporaneous records that protect entitlement to time and money.
• Prepare and assess extension of time and cost claims using recognised delay analysis methods.
• Apply the Engineer's determination, dispute avoidance and adjudication procedures to prevent escalation.
• Develop a contract management plan that assigns responsibilities and controls risk.

The programme is designed for practitioners who negotiate, administer or advise on works contracts, including:

• Contract managers and contract administrators
• Project and construction managers
• Quantity surveyors and cost consultants
• Engineers acting as the Engineer or Engineer's representative
• Procurement and legal officers in public and private employers
• Commercial and claims staff working for contractors
• Development partner project implementation unit staff
• Supervising consultants on roads, water, energy and building projects

Participants leave the programme with:

• A contract management plan template with roles, calendars and reporting lines.
• A notice and claims register that tracks time bars and deadlines.
• A structure for preparing and assessing extension of time and cost claims.
• A clause-by-clause comparison of risk allocation in the main FIDIC forms.
• A practical guide to record keeping that stands up in a dispute.
• A short list of innovative delivery and digital tools suitable for their projects.

The course is taught the way contract teams actually work, with documents in hand:

• Clause-by-clause workshops using extracts of the FIDIC conditions
• A running case file of correspondence, programmes and records from a road and water project
• Drafting practice for notices, instructions and claim submissions
• Role plays in which participants act as Employer, Contractor and Engineer
• Group debriefs that relate each decision to the cost and time consequences

Vision Reach Global Consultancy issues a CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion to participants who attend all sessions and complete the drafting and case exercises. FIDIC is a registered mark of its owner, and the certificate does not imply endorsement by FIDIC.