Mock questions Flashcards
Contract Practice
Can you tell me some of the main differences between JCT and NEC?
NEC contract written in plain english instead of legal terminology
Roles - Project Manager instead of Contract Administrator / Employers Agent
NEC contains a number of option clauses reducing the need for schedule of amendments like JCT
Compensation events vs Changes / Variations
NEC time and money dealt with together, JCT split up.
Programme is a contractual document in NEC
Contract Practice
Why would you use a collateral warranty?
To give a third party step in rights to a contract. This would be between a client and key sub-contractor, or a funder and a contractor to give them the chance to take the benefits of a contract and “step in” in the case of insolvency of one of the parties to the contract.
Typically this would be for complicated subcontract packages, such as MEP or structure.
Contract Practice
Can you tell me the time frames around settling a final account under a JCT contract?
SBC
The Contractor must issue all documentation necessary for Final account documents within 6 months of PC.
The Final account must be agreed / statements issued within 3 months of receipt of documents.
DB
The contractor has 3 months to issue final statement. If not done within this period, employer will have 2 months to issue his final statement.
Contract Practice
You explained in your submission that you have processed loss and expense claims, can you explain the process of this please?
- CA assesses claim for validity as a relevant matter (4.22)
- I would then build up my assessment using the CSA if works were of a similar nature
- If not I would value based on market tested cost data from other projects.
- I would then use this to agree a fair and reasonable value with the contractor
Contract Practice
On lancer Sq, can you talk me through the process of valuing off site material?
First I checked that the items were included in the listed items included in the contract
I then checked that the items being claimed were present, in a separate area in the contractor’s storage facility, they were clearly labelled for the project and as belonging to the employer
I checked the materials were ready for incorporation in the works and took photographic evidence to back up the above
I then checked the vesting certificate was in place, and that the materials were insured against specified perils.
Contract Practice
Can you explain what liquidated damages are?
Liquidated damages compensate the client for the losses caused by late completion by the contractor.
They are charged on a time basis and should be an accurate estimate of actual loss.
Fixed and agreed in the contract.
Design Economics and Cost Planning
When you are cost planning what available sources of data are there for rates etc?
- CSA’s from previous projects
- In house cost data base
- Spons price book
- Market testing with suppliers
- BCIS
Design Economics and Cost Planning
Is there a preference which source of cost data you use first?
Personally I prefer to use cost data from recent projects I have worked on or from our internal cost data base. This is because I can understand any project abnormals that might affect cost, and I can verify the accuracy of the data.
It is harder to do this with general sources such as spons or BCIS.
Design Economics and Cost Planning
What sort of estimating variance would you expect from riba 3 to 4?
I would expect 5-10%
Design Economics and Cost Planning
You mentioned in you submission you chaired a VE meeting, what parties input into VE?
Myself, the Architects, Engineers, other consultants (Acoustic, lighting, AV, IT) and the Client.
Design Economics and Cost Planning
I assume you have been cost planning during the pandemic, how did you allow for potential cost associated with Covid 19?
Generally, I excluded the costs associated with COVID-19 as directed by my company due to the unknown level of impact. Where there were specific known impacts, such as allowing for PPE within preliminaries for example I would include these only.
Procurement and Tendering
What would you expect to see in a first stage commercial submission of a two-stage tendering process?
I would expect to see PCSA fee, Overheads and Profit and Preliminaries as standard.
Procurement and Tendering
Project Falcon you mentioned about managing the 2nd stage of the tender, how can you ensure value for money in two stage tendering?
2nd stage tendering has been known to reduce value due to the absence of competition. However when working on project falcon, the second stage involved an open-book tender process which allowed me to assess rates provided against our in house cost data.
Where this was not in line, I was able to challenge with both the contractor and sub-contractor to ensure the client obtained a fair and reasonable price.
Procurement and Tendering
You mentioned in your submission you have experience in preparing tender list, how would you determine the list?
I developed a shortlist of contractors with suggestions from myself, the architect and engineers based on previous projects. We took these forward to PQQ stage to determine interest and suitability
Procurement and Tendering
What are the various sections of a tender report?
- Executive Summary
- Introduction and background
- Tender Procedure
- Evaluation process
- Financial Analysis
- Programme Analysis
- Qualitative assessment (H&S, Quality of submission, experience, team proposed etc)
- Overall scoring
- Recommendation and next steps
Appendix:
Scoring Matrix
Tender price analysis
Tender opening form
Procurement and Tendering
On Nike Live, as you mentioned cost certainly wasn’t the driver and actually programme was, how did this influence the tender report?
Programme was weighted more heavily in the evaluation matrix
The recommendation in the tender report also lent more weight to the programme, with the background section explaining the clients key driver
Project financial control and reporting
What areas would you expect to be captured in a cost report?
- Budget
- Fixed Costs
- Variable Costs
- Approved changes
- Unapproved changes
- Early Warnings
- Contingency
- Cashflow
Project financial control and reporting
When capturing change control, what details would you capture with each item?
Detail of what the change is, how it would be implemented as well as the benefits to the project, and the impacts in terms of cost and time.
Project financial control and reporting
Can you explain the difference between defined and undefined prov sums?
Defined provisional sums are where there is enough information for the contractor to allow for the works within their programme and preliminaries, but maybe the final details to allow for fixed pricing are not available.
Undefined provisional sums are where you know works are going to happen but do not yet have enough information to allow for these works within programme or preliminaries.
Project financial control and reporting
On SCB Jersey, you explained about change control and aligning decision making to client govenance, what happens when you need a decision in advance of a client meeting where they would typically make a decision?
If a decision was needed in advance of a meeting, I would provide as much information as possible and circulate by email in line with the project approval plan. I would then try to separately contact each member of the project steering committee to further explain and would ask for their decision by email.
Sustainability
Can you explain what LCA is in regards to embodied carbon?
LCA one click is a software I use to help with the assessment of embodied carbon.
I quantify materials in line with NRM, and then select EPD’s from the software which then generates the embodied carbon, taking into account factors such as production location and transport to site.
Sustainability
How did you carry out Carbon Assement on Rodney St?
This was at RIBA stage 2, so i quantified the project in line with NRM 1. I then used these quantities to input into the LCA oneclick software, selecting the correct build up and material choice based on the outline specification.
This would generate an embodied carbon value. I also received input from our sustainability team on in use metrics for operational carbon.
Risk management
How do you manage risk on any project?
First of all by identifying risk.
This is usually done in the form of a workshop to identify the risks to a project.
Then each of the risks are evaluated for impact, qualitatively and quantitatively.
A risk owner is assigned and mitigation / control strategies are set out.
These are reviewed monthly, as well as whether any new risks are present or if old risks have been closed out.
Risk management
What information is capture in a risk register?
Type of risk, description, cost / time / quality impact, Likelihood and severity, risk owner, mitigation strategy and current status.
Risk management
How do you link risks to your cost reporting?
I include risks within the early warning section of my cost report to show the likely impact of risks if they were to materialise. I update this as new risks appear and old ones are mitigated / closed out.
This is to indicate to the client the reasonable worst case scenario
Business planning
Are you involved in any type of business planning in your current role?
At this time I am not involved in business planning, but i do contribute to achieving the business strategic goals through delivering service excellence, asking for more fee when a scope is increased and raising sustainability priorities where appropriate.
Business planning
When business planning are you familiar of any analysis techniques you may use when business planning?
I am aware of SWOT analysis, as well as market and competitor analysis.
SWOT analysis looks at strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the market context and helps a business to understand what they are doing well, areas to improve, risks to be aware of and targets for the future.
Communication and negotiation
Example of a time you have negotiated?
I negotiated the final account on the ralph lauren milan project. I prepared by understanding the information around the variations and variable sums within the contract, what an acceptable and unacceptable outcome would be for the client. I also undertook my own assessment in line with the contract sum and fair and reasonable rates where the CSA did not apply, in order to build up my own assessment. I used this as a basis to negotiate a fair and reasonable final account in line with the contract.
