Page 65 - Civil Engineering Project Management, Fourth Edition

5
Preparing contract documents

5.1 Initial decisions

Prior to commencing the preparation of documents for tendering and letting
of a contract for construction, a number of decisions will have been made and
actions taken.
• Feasibility studies and options for the project will have been concluded.
• Site investigations should have revealed ground conditions.
• Decisions will have been taken on the way design is to be carried out.
• A Planning Supervisor will have been appointed – for work in the UK – as
described in Section 10.2.
• Decisions will have been taken on the breakdown of construction into dif-
ferent contract packages to suit capabilities of potential tenderers for civil
works, plant suppliers, etc.
• Environmental studies will have been undertaken and requirements
assessed.
• Planning submissions will have been made and other approvals sought.
• Initial project programmes will have been produced to indicate the
sequences of construction.
• Financial planning will have been completed to ensure funds will be
available.
From these considerations it should be possible to decide on the content of
each contract as to the scope of works, whether or not the contractor is to carry
out any design or whether designs will be provided complete for construc-
tion. These together with any financial requirements should enable a choice to
be made of the conditions of contract likely to be most suitable for the works
(see Chapter 4). One of the main aims in these decisions will be to try to
ensure that contracts are packaged to suit the capabilities of the tenderers
likely to be invited.