Key Contemporaneous Records

The Original Baseline Schedule (Programme)

Schedule Float

Resource Loaded Schedule

Schedule updates

Documentation

Site Instructions

Weather records

Project meeting minutes (MoM)

Daily Project Reports

Method(s) statements

Shop Drawings (submitted & as-built)

Progress Measurement Procedures

Request for Information (RFI) or Engineering Queries

Emails

Letters

Site Photographs

Drawing & Document Register

Project Reports

Searching for evidence of claimable events

Is the contractor’s team really on their side?

Records of Variation work

Hand-over documentation

Claim mitigation

Personal Diaries

Subcontractors

The Original Baseline Schedule (Programme)

This is a detailed, comprehensive and well-defined schedule that outlines all the tasks, the original scope of work with detailed activity(ies) listing, work break down structure (WBS), milestones and durations of a project.

The Original Baseline Schedule serves as a benchmark for measuring performance and progress of the project.

The Contract Execution Plan (CEP), and Project Execution Plan (PEP) are submitted thru the basis of the baseline.

It provides an understanding of the project scope, timeline, activity sequencing, logical relationship between tasks and purpose, the critical path(s) and expectations for all stakeholders.

Schedule Float

This is the amount of time available to complete a task, before it impacts the completion of the project.

Schedule float is an important factor in measuring project progress and can be used to assess the impact of delays on the project timeline.

The types of floats such as free float, and total floats, in which the total float is the factor determines the critical path.

In case of any disputes, schedule float provides a measurable metric for determining the extent of delay.

Resource Loaded Schedule

A resource loaded schedule is a project schedule that takes into account the availability of resources such as labor, equipment, materials, and budgeted cost(s).

This schedule provides an accurate picture of the project timeline and helps to identify any potential bottlenecks or constraints in the project schedule, which also help the team to understand the weightages and weighted averages.

The resource loaded schedule serves as an important contemporaneous record for assessing the impact of resource constraints on project delays.

Schedule Updates

Regular schedule updates are critical to ensuring that the project remains on track and on budget.

Schedule updates help to identify potential delays and allow project managers to take corrective and preventive actions to mitigate the impact of these delays.

Schedule updates also serve as a contemporaneous record of project progress, understanding the critical movements of the programme over periods of time and can be used to assess the impact of changes on the project timeline.

Documentation

Documentation of all project activities is essential for maintaining a clear and accurate record of the project.

This includes documentation of project meetings, project correspondence, contracts, assumption logs, and change logs.

Documentation is an important contemporaneous record for forensic schedule delay analysis as it provides evidence of any decisions, deviations from original scope of work, cost impacts, communications, or events that may have impacted the project schedule.

Site Instructions

Instructions issued by the employer or project manager play a crucial role in defining the scope of work and the timeline for completing tasks, creating additional level of details for progress monitoring and controlling.

Instructions can impact the progress of the project and can serve as an important contemporaneous record for determining the extent of delay.

Weather records

Weather conditions can have a significant impact on construction projects, particularly outdoor projects.

Weather records provide an objective measure of the impact of weather conditions on project progress and can serve as an important contemporaneous record for assessing the impact of weather delays on the project timeline, the loss of productivity, and natural damages.

Project meeting minutes (MoM)

Project meeting minutes serve as a comprehensive record of all project discussions and decisions made during project meetings.

Project meeting minutes provide an accurate and contemporaneous record of project progress and can be used to assess the impact of decisions or actions taken during project meetings on the project schedule.

Daily Project Reports

Daily project reports provide a regular update on the progress of the project and help to identify any potential delays.

Daily project reports are an important contemporaneous record of project progress and provide a basis for evaluating the impact of project delays.

Request for Information (RFI) or Engineering Queries

RFIs or Engineering Queries are used to clarify or resolve technical or design issues that may arise during the course of a project.

RFIs or Engineering Queries serve as a contemporaneous record of any issues or questions that may have impacted the project schedule and provide evidence of the steps taken to resolve these issues.

Verbal and Non-verbal communications, and Emails

Verbal communication includes the exchange of information and ideas through speech or writing. This can include face-to-face meetings, phone calls, video conferences, email, and instant messaging. An effective verbal communication is an important contemporaneous record.

As similar, the nonverbal communication includes the exchange of information through nonverbal and how it has been following, nonverbal communication related records can provide additional context and meaning to verbal communication, helping to build trust and convey emotional intelligence.

Both verbal and nonverbal communication play important roles as part of contemporaneous records and are essential for ensuring the success of a claims, and ensure the delivery of high-quality results.

Official letters

Letters serve as important contemporaneous records for Forensic Schedule Delay Analysis as they contain crucial information related to the project.

These letters include communication between the parties involved in the project such as the contractor, subcontractors, supplier, and the owner.

They detail information such as project changes, instructions, agreements, and disputes. They provide an objective and formal record of the events that occurred during the project timeline and can be used as evidence in the event of a delay dispute.

Site Photographs

Documenting project progress through photographs is important as it provides visual evidence of the work completed, and the state of the work site at various stages of the project.

The photographic evidence can assist in verifying that work was carried out in accordance with the project plans and schedules.

Drawing & Document Register

The Drawing and Document Register contains a comprehensive list of all drawings, documents and other relevant information associated with a construction project.

This record is important in Forensic Schedule Delay Analysis as it provides an overview of what documents and drawings were available to the contractors and when they were submitted, review cycle, approved and made ready for construction.

Project Reports

Project Reports, including Monthly Progress Reports and Progress Payments, provide a record of the work completed on a project, the work still to be done and any issues or delays that have arisen.

These reports are an important contemporaneous record of the project as they provide a snapshot of the project status at a specific point in time.

Searching for Evidence of Claimable Events

To determine whether a delay was caused by a claimable event, it is important to search for evidence that the event occurred and impacted the construction project.

This may include weather records, project meeting minutes, and documentation of the event and its impact on the project schedule.

Is the contractor’s team really on their side?

Determining the attitudes and motivations of the contractor’s team can provide important insight into the delays that occurred on a construction project.

Personal diaries, emails, and letters can all provide evidence of the attitudes and motivations of the contractor’s team, and assist in understanding whether the delays were caused by factors outside of the contractor’s control.

Records of Variation work

Variation work refers to changes to the scope of work or specifications of the project.

Records of variation work, including variations in the construction schedule, can assist in determining the impact of these changes on the project schedule.

Hand-over Documentation

Hand-over documentation refers to the documentation and information provided by the contractor to the owner or end-user at the completion of the construction project.

This documentation may include confirm the work is done to requirements, complete final procurement closure, final acceptance of the project, customer’s feedback about the deliveries, the final construction schedule, the as-built drawings and any other relevant information related to the project.

Hand-over documentation can provide important evidence of the project’s completion status, and assist in determining whether delays occurred during the construction phase of the project.

Claim Mitigation

In the event of a delay, the contractor may implement mitigation measures to reduce the impact of the delay on the project.

Records of claim mitigation, including the measures implemented and the results achieved, can assist in determining the impact of the delay on the project schedule and the effectiveness of the mitigation measures.

Personal Diaries

Personal diaries, including site diaries and personal journals, can provide important evidence of the events that occurred on a construction project, including delays and disruptions.

Personal diaries can also provide insight into the attitudes and motivations of the contractor’s team, all stakeholders and assist in understanding whether the delays were caused by factors outside of the contractor’s control.

Subcontractors / Vendor Records

Subcontractors and vendors play a critical role in the delivery of construction projects and important stakeholders, and their records can provide important evidence of the events that impacted the project schedule.

Records of subcontractor and vendor activities, including schedules and progress reports, can assist in determining the impact of these activities on the overall project schedule.

Further Learning Opportunity

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