Contract Claims, Variations and Change Orders Course

Introduction

Contract claims, variations and change orders, covering notices, EOT and valuation, is a 1-week course for contract administrators, quantity surveyors, claims specialists and contracts managers, ending with a Claim and Variation Submission File for a case project. Organisations lose time and money when instructions go unrecorded, notices miss contractual time bars and extension of time requests lack programme evidence. Nominees already administer or assess construction and engineering contracts, and teaching is by case study on contract clauses, notices and programmes. CoreConcept Training Center delivers this contract claims and variations course.

Course Objectives

• Distinguish variations, change orders and claims and trace each to the contract clause that gives entitlement
• Apply FIDIC Clause 13 variation procedures and FIDIC Clause 20 notice and claim requirements to project events
• Value variations using contract rates, star rates and daywork, and prepare change order requests for approval
• Prepare extension of time and prolongation cost claims supported by time impact analysis and contemporaneous records
• Assess, rebut or settle claims through Engineer determination, negotiation and DAAB referral without losing entitlement
• Produce a Claim and Variation Submission File for a case project

Target Audience

• Contract administrators responsible for instructions, notices and correspondence on construction and engineering contracts
• Quantity surveyors and cost engineers responsible for valuing variations and preparing quantum
• Claims specialists responsible for preparing or assessing time and cost claims
• Planners and project controls staff responsible for programmes, delay records and time impact analysis
• Contracts and project managers responsible for approving change orders and settling claims

Course Outline

Day 1: Change and Claims Foundations on Construction and Engineering Contracts

• Variation, Change Order and Claim Definitions Compared
• Contract Risk Allocation Review for Time and Cost Entitlement
• Owner and Contractor Change Drivers Across Project Types
• Contract Document Hierarchy and Scope Baseline Mapping
• Change and Claims Log Baseline for a Live Project

Day 2: FIDIC Change and Claims Provisions and the SCL Protocol

• FIDIC Clause 13 Variation by Instruction or Proposal
• FIDIC Clause 20 Notice of Claim and Time Bar
• FIDIC Clause 3.7 Agreement or Determination by the Engineer
• SCL Delay and Disruption Protocol Record Keeping Guidance
• Change Clause Comparison Across Bespoke and Standard Form Contracts

Day 3: Variation Valuation and Extension of Time Claims

• Variation Pricing Using Contract Rates, Star Rates and Daywork
• Change Order Request, Quotation and Approval Workflow
• Time Impact Analysis on the Accepted Programme
• Extension of Time Submission Structure and Supporting Evidence
• Prolongation Cost Calculation for Site and Head Office Overheads

Day 4: Disruption, Concurrent Delay and Dispute Avoidance

• Concurrent Delay Treatment Under the SCL Protocol
• Disruption Claim Methods Including Measured Mile Analysis
• Time Bar Risk Controls and Notice Calendar Discipline
• Claim Assessment and Rebuttal From the Owner Side
• DAAB Referral Under FIDIC Clause 21 and Negotiated Settlement

Day 5: Case Study and the Claim and Variation Submission File

• Case Instruction Review and Variation Entitlement Decision
• Case Notice of Claim and Fully Detailed Claim Drafting
• Case Time Impact Analysis and Extension of Time Request
• Case Quantum Build for Variation and Prolongation Cost
• Claim and Variation Submission File Completion and Panel Review

Skills You Will Gain

• Contractual Entitlement Analysis
• Variation Valuation
• Notice Management
• Delay Analysis
• Quantum Preparation
• Claim Rebuttal
• Change Order Control
• Commercial Negotiation

Why Attend This Course

• Deliver a Claim and Variation Submission File to the contracts manager and the project commercial review
• Decide whether an instruction is a variation, a claim event or work already within the contract price
• Avoid lost entitlement from missed notice time bars, unpriced instructions and unsupported extension of time requests
• Equip site engineers and planners with notice templates, change logs and record-keeping routines used on the course

Conclusion

Back at work, the participant gives the Claim and Variation Submission File to the contracts manager, the commercial lead and the project manager. They use it to agree which events to notify, which variations to price and which claims to pursue, settle or rebut. After the first claim or change order is determined or settled, the unit should compare the outcome with the file's entitlement and quantum assessment and tighten the notice calendar and records where entitlement was lost.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What should participants know before a contract claims, variations and change orders course?

Participants should already administer, price or assess construction or engineering contracts and read contract clauses and programmes. Bringing an anonymised instruction, notice or change log from their own project helps them apply the case study work directly.

How does a contract claims, variations and change orders course differ from a general contract administration course?

This course concentrates on change: entitlement, notices, valuation, extension of time, prolongation and disruption, and how claims are determined or settled. General contract administration courses cover the whole contract lifecycle, from award to close-out, in less depth on claims.

Why do notice time bars matter for contract claims, variations and change orders?

A missed notice can remove entitlement entirely. Under FIDIC Clause 20 a notice of claim is due within 28 days of awareness of the event, and courts have enforced such time bars strictly, so notice discipline protects both time and money.

What do participants take back from the contract claims, variations and change orders course?

Participants take back a Claim and Variation Submission File with an entitlement review, notice of claim, time impact analysis, extension of time request and quantum build that they can adapt to change events on their own projects.