DESCRIPTION

In project environments governed by international best practices, a contractor’s refusal to submit a baseline schedule updated to reflect 14 months of actual progress is a serious concern. From a contract management and project controls perspective, this approach undermines effective oversight and jeopardizes transparency.

FIDIC Clause 8.3: Obligation to Submit a Timely Programme

Standard contract conditions such as those found in FIDIC Sub-Clause 8.3 require the contractor to prepare and submit a detailed work programme within 28 days of the commencement date. This programme must clearly illustrate the intended sequence and timing of the work, while aligning with the contractual Completion Date. The programme serves as a foundational tool for:

Validity of Engineer’s Instruction

The engineer’s instruction to provide a schedule that includes actual progress up to the current data date is entirely valid. This aligns with the objective of maintaining a realistic and updated time control mechanism. Submitting a non-updated, backdated schedule undermines this objective and leads to poor decision-making.

PMI and AACE Guidelines on Schedule Integrity

According to the PMI PMBOK® Guide, schedule updates must be based on a defined data date, ensuring that the schedule reflects actual performance. It is only then that the schedule can serve as a reliable tool for planning, controlling, and reporting.

Further, AACE Recommended Practice No. 29R-03 emphasizes that delay analysis methodologies—such as Time Impact Analysis or Windows Analysis—require:

A backdated baseline that ignores over a year of project execution fails to meet these standards and cannot be used as a reliable basis for claims, forecasting, or EOT assessment.

Risks of Not Having an Approved Baseline

The absence of an approved baseline schedule for over 14 months severely limits the ability to assess delays or disruptions. Under FIDIC Clause 20.1, the contractor must give timely notice of any event that may give rise to a claim. However, without an agreed programme, it becomes nearly impossible to:

Recommended Course of Action

To move forward effectively and maintain control of the project:

This revised baseline can then be used for ongoing performance tracking and, where necessary, to support retrospective delay analysis.

Conclusion

Submitting a backdated, non-updated baseline after 14 months is non-compliant with FIDIC Sub-Clause 8.3, fails to meet PMI’s schedule management standards, and does not align with AACE RP 29R-03 practices. For accurate project control, transparency, and fair claim evaluation, the contractor must be required to submit an updated, data-driven baseline programme. This ensures both contractual and technical compliance while protecting the interests of all project stakeholders.

Discussions

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

For a comprehensive understanding, we recommend exploring our dedicated tutorials on Primavera P6 relationships. These tutorials are accessible through our Planning P6 Tutorials Dictionary (REV-003). Simply search for keywords like “relationship” or “Primavera P6 integration” to access relevant content.

PLANNING P6 TUTORIALS

Primavera P6 Complete Online House Project Schedule Training in One Hour with Resource Calculation

Complete Tutorial What Is Resource Loading in P6 | How to Calculate Resources | Productivity Rates |

How To Update Progress in Primavera P6 | Planning P6 | Primavera P6 | Tips and Tricks Primavera P6 |

How To Create Complete Project of Oil & Gas Condensate Storage Tanks Facility Primavera P6 Schedule

Complete Tutorial How to Prepare Extension of Time Claims | How to Prepare Delay Analysis | #WIA_TIA

PLAYLISTS