Delay analysis and extension of time support
What delayed the project, who carries it and what the records show, set out so the analysis can be followed and tested by the other party or a tribunal.
Who this is for
- Contractors preparing extension of time and prolongation claims
- Owners, engineers and programme management consultants assessing claims they have received
- Parties in negotiation, mediation or arbitration who need the schedule analysis behind their position
- Project teams who want records kept claims-ready while the project is running
The problem it solves
Claims fail on records and method more than on merit. Notices are missed, as-built dates are not recorded, and the analysis method chosen does not fit the records that exist. The remedy is a method chosen for the records available, an as-built programme that can be evidenced, and a report that a reader can follow without the author in the room.
Scope and deliverables
Each assignment is scoped to the dispute and the records available, with the method and the deliverables agreed in writing before the analysis starts.
- Choice of analysis method with reasons, by reference to the SCL Delay and Disruption Protocol: time impact, windows, as-planned versus as-built, collapsed as-built
- As-built programme reconstruction from daily reports, correspondence, photographs and payment applications
- Delay analysis report with the schedule evidence organised and referenced
- Extension of time and prolongation claim narrative and submission
- Independent assessment and response for employers and engineers
- Early warning, notice and record management during the project
- Support to your lawyers and commercial team through response rounds and negotiation
What we need from you
- The contract, including the clauses on programme, notices and extension of time
- All programmes and updates in their native form
- Daily reports, meeting minutes, correspondence, notices and photographs
- Payment applications and progress reports
- A contact who knows the project history and can answer questions
How the work runs
- Records review. What exists, what is missing, and what that means for the method.
- Method. Chosen for the records and the contract, with the reasons written down.
- Analysis. Programmes rebuilt or impacted as the method requires; every date traceable to a record.
- Draft report. Reviewed with you and your advisers before it is finalised.
- Response rounds. Support through the other party's response, negotiation or the dispute process.
- We prepare the analysis and the schedule evidence. Legal advice, contract interpretation as a legal opinion, and the quantum of money claims beyond prolongation time come from your lawyers and quantity surveyors; we work alongside them.
- Expert witness appointments are outside the standard scope and are considered case by case.
- We do not act for both parties on the same dispute, and we disclose any prior involvement with a project before accepting an assignment.
Experience and demonstrations
Delay analysis, contract milestone administration and claims-ready record keeping on Saudi and Gulf projects are part of our lead consultant's experience, on both the contractor and the owner side.
The experience behind this service is the professional record of our lead consultant from more than 20 years on Saudi and Gulf projects, gained before Expert Systems was formed, not work contracted by Expert Systems. References for assignments contracted by the firm will be published with each client's consent as they become available.
Demonstrations, all built with sample data: milestone register, schedule review findings.
Common questions
Which method will you use?
It depends on the contract and the records. A time impact analysis needs reliable contemporaneous updates; a windows or as-planned versus as-built analysis can work from records alone. We state the choice and the reasons in the report.
How long does an analysis take?
It varies with the number of delay events and the state of the records. We give a programme for the analysis itself in the proposal, after a short look at the records.
Can you work with our lawyers?
Yes. The report is written to be read by lawyers, engineers and tribunals, and we support your advisers through the response rounds.
Can you help before there is a claim?
Yes. Notice management, early warnings and a milestone register kept during the project make any later claim far easier to prove, and often avoid it.
Do you assess claims for employers?
Yes, independently. We do not act for both parties on the same dispute.
Facing a delay claim, or preparing one?
Tell us the contract, the stage of the dispute and roughly what records exist. Documents follow after confidentiality terms are agreed. We aim to reply within one working day. We confirm the scope and fee once we have the information needed to assess the work.