W i t h i n a s e t t i m e o f t h e L e t t e r o f A c c e p t a n c e t h e C o n t r a c t o r i s t o s u b m i t f o r a p p r o v a l h i s p r o g r a m m e i n t h e f o r m r e q u i r e d b y t h e E n g i n e e r . H e i s a l s o t o provide a written method statement as and when required by the
Engineer.I f t h e E n g i n e e r c o n s i d e r s t h a t p r o g r e s s d o e s n o t m a t c h t h e a p p r o v e d p r o g r a m m e , h e m a y r e q u i r e t h e
C o n t r a c t o r t o p r o d u c e a r e v i s e d p r o g r a m m e showing how the works are to be completed on time.W i t h i n a s e t t i m e o f t h e L e t t e r o f A c c e p t a n c e , t h e C o n t r a c t o r i s t o s u b m i t a detailed cash flow estimate of payments due to the Contractor and will revise theestimate quarterly if the Engineer so
requires.T h e E n g i n e e r ' s c o n s e n t t o p r o g r a m m e s , m e t h o d s t a t e m e n t s o r c a s h f l o w estimates will not relieve the Contractor of any of his
contractual responsibilities.Sub-clauses 14.1, 14.2 and 14.4 are taken, with changes m ainly of vocabulary, from the 3rd Edition. Sub-clause 14.3 is entirely new.1 4 . 1 I t i s a f e a t u r e o f t h i s c o n t r a c t t h a t t h e E m p l o y e r a n d t h e E n g i n e e r t a k e a close interest in the intentions of the Contractor. Compare for example a turn-keyc o n t r a c t w h e r e t h e E m p l o y e r m a y h a v e n o
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e a n d i s n o t o v e r l y interested in how the Contractor achieves the desired result provided that on thed u e d a t e t h e r e q u i r e d p r o d u c t i s
s u p p l i e d . S u c h a n a p p r o a c h i s n o t a l w a y s appropriate in civil
engineering where ongoing quality control is often necessarydue, at least in part, to the high proportion of the works which are covered up bysubsequent operations. This clause requires the Contractor to tell the Engineer inwhat order and, if
so requested, by what m ethods the works are to be executed.F r o m a p r a c t i c a l p o i n t o f v i e w , t h i s e n a b l e s t h e E n g i n e e r t o p r o g r a m m e h i s d e t a i l e d d e s i g n a n d t h e E m p l o y e r w i l l n e e d i n f o r m a t i o n t o p l a n t h e g i v i n g o f possession of the various parts of the site to the Contractor. The
programm es u p p l i e d p u r s u a n t t o t h i s c l a u s e w i l l d e f i n e t h e E m p l o y e r ' s d u t y t o g i v e p o s s e s s i o n p u r s u a n t t o c l a u s e 4 2 . 1 ( P o s s e s s i o n o f s i t e a n d a c c e s s t h e r e t o ) . Failure to give possession in accordance with the programme could result in theContractor being entitled to an extension of tim e and costs. In contrast, under
c l a u s e 6 . 4 ( D e l a y s a n d c o s t o f d e l a y o f d r a w i n g s ) , a f u r t h e r n o t i c e t o t h e E n g i n e e r m a k i n g a s p e c i f i c r e q u e s t f o r a p a r t i c u l a r d r a w i n g o r i n s t r u c t i o n i s a l m o s t c e r t a i n l y r e q u i r e d b e f o r e t i m e a n d c o s t s m a y b e o b t a i n e d . S e e t h e c o m m e n t a r y u n d e r s u b - c l a u s e s 6 . 3 a n d 6 . 4 a s t o w h e t h e r a m a r k e d -
u p programme could amount to sufficient notice. The degree of detail to be providedis to be determined by the Engineer: this could be important. For the Employer adetailed programme will define closely his duties in relation to giving possessionof the site and in relation to the provision of drawings by the Engineer. It will be more obvious when a breach of those duties has occurred. For the Contractor, itm u s t b e a p p r e c i a t e d t h a t h e n o t i s b o u n d b y h i s p r o g r a m m e : h e m a y c a l l
f o r d r a w i n g s u n d e r c l a u s e 6 . 3 ( D i s r u p t i o n o f p r o g r e s s ) a s h e w i s h e s a n d m a y proceed with any part of the site of which he has
possession. The constraint is that the Employer's obligation to give possession is governed by the programme(or 'reasonable proposals'). He will have no claim for late possession if he has not signalled his change of plan with a revised programme under sub-clause 14.2or revised proposals under clause 42.1.If the Contractor's
programme or method statement is a contractual document, any inability to execute the works in accordance with that programme or methodc o u l d g i v e r i s e t o a c l a i m b y t h e C o n t r a c t o r f o r a v a r i a t i o n a n d c o s t s . S e e f o r example the case of Yorkshire W ater Authority v Sir Alfred McAlpine (1985) 32 B L R 5 w h e r e t h e c o n t r a c t i n c o r p o r a t e d t h e C o n t r a c t o r ' s p r o p o s e d m e t h o d
o f upstream working whic h proved impossible: it was held that the Contractor wase n t i t l e d t o a v a r i a t i o n a n d p a y m e n t f o r t h e c h a n g e t o d o w n s t r e a m w o r k i n g . Tenderers will invariably be asked for an outline programme to be submitted withtheir tenders. Clause 42.1 (Possession of site and access thereto) reflects theEmployer's ability to specify the parts of the site of which the Contractor is to begiven possession and the order in which such parts are to be given to him. TheE m p l o y e r w o u l d b e u n w i s e t o i m p o s e s u c h l i m i t a t i o n s u n l e s s a b s o l u t e l y n e c e s s a r y a s t h e o r d e r o f t h e r e l e a s e o f p a r t s o f t h e s i t e m a y a m o u n t t o t h e Employer dictating the programme of the works which will cause the Employer tobe responsible in the event that the Contractor, through no fault of his own, is unable to work to that programme.If the Contractor submitted a programme with his tender, that programme may well form part of the contract as "the Tender" is one of the documents containedin the definition of Contract. This could give rise to the argument that the tender programme is a contract
programme with the consequences set out above. As t h i s i s c l e a r l y n o t t h e p u r p o s e o r i n t e n t i o n b e h i n d a t e n d e r p r o g r a m m e , t h e p a r t i e s ,
p a r t i c u l a r l y t h e E m p l o y e r , w o u l d b e w e l l a d v i s e d t o e n s u r e t h a t t h e version of the tender that is a ccepted by the Letter of Acceptance is one whichexcludes the tender programme.I n r e l a t i o n t o m e t h o d s , a n E m p l o y e r m a y w e l l c h o o s e h i s C o n t r a c t o r o n t h e s t r e n g t h o f t h e t y p e s o f m a c h i n e r y a n d m e t h o d s p r o p o s e d b y t h e i n d i v i d u a l tenderers. Having selected a tenderer on that basis, an Employer may well wisht o e n s u r e t h a t t h e t e n d e r e d m e t h o d s a n d m a c h i n e s a r e u s e d o n s i t e a n d w i l l therefore include the tender method statement in the contract document. Again,
the result is that the Employer takes the risk if, through no fault of the Contractor,t h e m e t h o d o r t h o s e m a c h i n e s a r e n o t c a p a b l e o f e x e c u t i n g t h e w o r k s . I t i s submitted that clause 8.2 (Site operations and methods of construction), whichseeks to place full responsibility for methods of construction on the Contractor, does not affect this situation where the method is part of the contract.For commentary on the effect of the submission of an
optimistic programme, seeunder clause 47 (Liquidated damages for delay).Under clause 51.1 (Variations), the Engineer is entitled to order a change to "anyspecified sequence or timing of construction". Thus, if the programme was part of the contract, it would represent a specified sequence or timing and any changeto that could entitle the Contractor to a variation and payment. As to a change of method, clause 51.1(c) deals with changes to "the character or quality or kind of a n y s u c h w o r k " . A l t e r n a t i v e l y , a c h a n g e i n m e t h o d c o u l d b e c o v e r e d b y
a n o m i s s i o n a n d a n a d d i t i o n o f a l t e r n a t i v e w o r k u n d e r i t e m s ( b ) a n d ( e ) . T h e Contractor is unlikely to object, provided he is paid, as the greater responsibility taken on by the Employer for method, the less the risk remaining on
him.T h e u l t i m a t e s a n c t i o n e n s u r i n g c o m p l i a n c e w i t h t h i s c l a u s e i s d e t e r m i n a t i o n under clause 63.1 (Default of Contractor) item (d) for a flagrant neglect to
complyw i t h a n o b l i g a t i o n . M o r e i m m e d i a t e l y , w h e r e t h e c o n t r a c t i s s i l e n t a s t o p o s s e s s i o n o f t h e s i t e , t h e E m p l o y e r w i l l n o t b e u n d e r a n o b l i g a t i o n t o g i v e possession under clause 42.1 (Possession of Sit e and access thereto) without s u c h a p r o g r a m m e , o r t h e ' r e a s o n a b l e p r o p o s a l s ' r e f e r r e d t o i n t h a t c l a u s e . Compare the sanction provided in relation to clause 10.1 (Performance security)by clause 60.2 (Monthly payment) whereby no interim payment may be made until the security has been supplied.I t i s a s e r i o u s c r i t i c i s m o f t h i s c l a u s e t h a t t h e r e i s n o p r o v i s i o n a d d r e s s i n g a refusal of consent by the Engineer to the Contractor's programme. In view of theimportance of the programme under clause 42 (Possession of Site) and implicitlyunder clause 46.1 (Rate of Progress) and generally, there should be a procedureor timetable or, as a minimum, recognition of the possibility of consent beingrefused.
Clause 42.1 should refer to the programme as approved.
Overmuchr e l i a n c e s h o u l d n o t b e p l a c e d o n t h e ' h o n e y m o o n ' p e r i o d a t t h e s t a r t o f t h e project. For a provision dealing with rejection by the Engineer, see ICE 6th clause14(1)(c).The time for submission of the programme is to be inserted in Part II.1 4 . 2 T h i s c l a u s e s h o u l d b e r e a d t o g e t h e r w i t h c l a u s e 4 6 . 1 ( R a t e o f p r o g r e s s ) whereby the Engineer may require a
Contractor in culpable delay to accelerate inorder to complete on time. Under the current sub -clause, the fact that progress does not conform to the programme could be due to any reason whether or not ite n t i t l e s t h e C o n t r a c t o r t o a n e x t e n s i o n o f t i m e . I f t h e C o n t r a c t o r h a d b e e n granted an extension of time, the Engineer would require a programme showingthe new completion date. If the Contractor is in culpable delay, the Engineer
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would require a programme showing what steps the Contractor would have totake in order to complete on time. In order to oblige the Contractor to work to theaccelerated programme, notification under clause 46.1 would be
necessary.T h e w o r d i n g o f t h i s c l a u s e w o u l d a l l o w a n E n g i n e e r t o c a l l f o r a r e v i s e d p r o g r a m m e i n t h e e v e n t t h a t t h e C o n t r a c t o r w a s s u b s t a n t i a l l y a h e a d o f t h e approved programme. As discussed under clause 47.1 (Liquidated damages for delay), in English law, a Contractor is not entitled to impose greater obligationsupon the Employer by way of the granting of possession of the site or upon
thed e s i g n t e a m i n t h e i r p r o d u c t i o n o f d r a w i n g s b y a c c e l e r a t i n g t h e w o r k , f o r example, in order to obtain a bonus. Thus, an Engineer could call for a revised programme where a Contractor was
substantially ahead and threatening to makec l a i m s u n d e r c l a u s e 6 . 4 ( D e l a y s a n d c o s t o f d e l a y o f d r a w i n g s ) i n o r d e r
t o ascertain what would amount to a reasonable time -table for the production of drawings.1 4 . 3 C a s h - f l o w e s t i m a t e s a r e n o r m a l l y
e s s e n t i a l t o t h e E m p l o y e r t o e n a b l e h i m to plan the funding of the works. The Contractor is best placed to carry out thisexercise as the programme of works is within his control. There is no obvious s a n c t i o n i f t h e e s t i m a t e i s i n a c c u r a t e , e v e n i f t h e e s t i m a t e w a s d e s i g n e d t o mislead the Employer. The time for submission of the estimate is to be inserted inPart
II1 4 . 4 T h i s c l a u s e i s c o n s i s t e n t w i t h c l a u s e 2 . 1 ( c ) ( E n g i n e e r ' s d u t i e s a n d authority) whereby the Engineer "shall have no authority to relieve the Contractor of any of his obligations". It is also
consistent with the scheme of the
contractw h e r e b y t h e E m p l o y e r t a k e s n o r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r t h e p r a c t i c a b i l i t y o f t h e C o n t r a c t o r ' s p r o g r a m m e a n d m e t h o d s o f w o r k . S e e a l s o c l a u s e 7 . 3 (Respons ibility unaffected by approval), clause 17 (Setting-out) and clause 54.8(Approval of materials not implied) for other examples. See also clause 61.1 (Approval only by Defects Liability Certificate).