At Hewitt Decipher Partnership we have many, many years of experience of claims. We have prepared them for contractors, responded to them for consultants and employers and have provided expert reports on them in disputes. We often see the same issues crop up time and time again. So to stop you making those mistakes, we’ve put together a list of the things that contractors frequently get wrong when it comes to claims.
1. Failure to give notice.
The giving of notices is usually an obligation and is often a condition precedent to entitlement. Yet, contractors frequently either do not give notice or when they do, the notice is not submitted in a suitable form, or does not contain adequate information.
How to avoid this mistake?
Firstly, make sure you give notice. The form and manner in which you should submit your notice will usually be set out in your contract.
2. Failure to submit claims on time.
If you leave your claim until the end of the project, it will be harder to resolve. If the project has been handed over, this will become even more difficult.
How to avoid this mistake?
Submit your claim as soon as you become aware of the problem. Our friends at Claims Class have some useful advice on the timing of claims and notices in this blog.
3. Submitting consolidated claims.
Contractors seem to like to wait until several delay events have occurred before submitting an extension of time claim and then they submit one claim for several events. This is not good practice. Firstly, this delays the submission of the claims for the early delays. Secondly, one large, complicated claim is harder to respond to than several individual claims. Finally, if they employer doesn’t agree with one event, the settlement of the whole claim will be held up.
How to avoid this mistake?
Don’t hold up the submission of claims. Submit your claims as and when issues occur and keep them simple. Don’t confuse multiple issues, and make it easy for the employer to assess your claims.
4. Failure to keep records.
You must substantiate any claim you submit. This substantiation will rely on contemporaneous records. If robust contract administration systems are not created and administered, then it becomes difficult to substantiate the matters relied upon in the claim and the claim will fail.
How to avoid this mistake?
Records, Records, Records. Keep and maintain good records. Decipher have some useful advice on what ‘good record keeping’ actually looks like in this video.
5. Failure to provide accurate progress reports.
Contractors are often “creative” when reporting on progress because they don’t want to give bad news or face criticism. If no delays were reported contemporaneously, it subsequently because difficult to change the story in a claim for an extension of time.
How to avoid this mistake?
Be honest about the position of the project. If you can see a potential delay on the horizon, report it as soon as you are aware so sets can be taken to mitigate. Don’t bury your head in the sand and wait till it is too late – be proactive.
6. Failure to maintain accurate updated programmes.
To demonstrate the effect of claimable delays, you will need an up to date version of the programme. They are vital in a claim situation. If these do not exist or they are inaccurate, the demonstration of delay and cost entitlement will become difficult.
How to avoid this mistake?
Keep the programme up to date and be sure that it reflects accurate progress on the project. Don’t be tempted to manipulate the programme to avoid showing delays to the completion date.
7. Failure to link cause with effect.
For a claim to succeed, it is necessary to demonstrate that the event had an effect on the completion date and /or entitlement to payment.
How to avoid this mistake?
Follow our ‘Four Corners of a Claim’ method of claim preparation. This will make sure you have included everything necessary for the claim to be accepted.
8. Failure to establish contractual entitlement.
Contracts provide remedies to the contractor if certain types of events occur. The claim must demonstrate that the contract provides entitlement to compensation for the event on which the claim is based.
How to avoid this mistake?
Make sure you understand the contract and your obligations and entitlements. Often the contract is not referred to until problems arise, at which point it is too late. Strong contract administration will help you be sure of your entitlement.
9. Inadequately expressed claims.
It is not enough for entitlement to exist – it must be demonstrated. If the respondent cannot understand the claim or if the claim does not contain sufficient information for the matters relied upon to be verified, an award will not be forthcoming.
How to avoid this mistake?
Include the relevant information, appendices and evidence to back up your claim. Make sure it is presented clearly. Make it clear and easy for the employer to follow and understand. Paul has some useful advice on preparing claims in this podcast.
10. Lack of claims expertise.
It is unlikely that a contractor would employ a plumber to carry out electrical installations. Why then do contractors leave the preparation of claims for what may amount to huge sums of money to inadequately qualified, inexperienced staff who have little expertise?
How to avoid this mistake?
Bring in help early. It is often tempting to wait until a problem occurs, but by that point it is often too late. Getting support from the outset of the project, either in the form of training, contractual advice or claims management support can help you avoid issues later on.
Hewitt Decipher Partnership’s expert consultants have been preparing and responding to claims for many years. We know how to comply with good practice to ensure that a justifiable claim is presented in such a way to ensure that it is accepted in a timely manner and so that disputes are avoided.
Can we help you? To find out how, get in touch.