Outsourced planning and monthly reporting
We act as your planning department for an agreed list of projects: baseline and recovery schedules, weekly and monthly updates, and progress reports written for submission, at a fixed monthly fee.
Who this is for
- Contractors with several live contracts and no in-house planner, or one planner stretched across too many sites
- Design consultants who must submit design programmes and progress reports under their appointment
- Subcontractors asked for Primavera P6 programmes and reports they cannot produce in-house
- Firms that want submission-ready documents without recruiting a senior planner
The problem it solves
Construction and consultancy contracts commonly require a baseline programme soon after award, an updated programme with each payment application and a progress report in a set format, and the exact obligations differ from contract to contract. Missing or weak submissions slow payment certification, weaken extension of time entitlement and attract notices from the engineer. A full-time senior planner costs more than most small and mid-size firms can justify for the hours actually needed each month.
Scope and deliverables
Each retainer is defined in the proposal: the projects covered, the deliverables and their frequency, your inputs, the turnaround and the meeting allowance.
- Baseline programme for each new contract, prepared to the programme specification in Primavera P6 or Microsoft Project
- Resource and cost loading, histograms and cash flow where the contract requires them
- Weekly and monthly schedule updates from your site data, with the native files returned to you
- Weekly and monthly progress reports in your format or the client's, with the narrative drafted for your review
- Four-week lookaheads and critical path commentary
- Revised and recovery programmes when the plan changes
- Delay notifications and schedule narratives drafted for your review and signature
- Attendance at progress meetings on your behalf, within the agreed monthly allowance
- A submission calendar for every project, with reminders ahead of each contractual date
What we need from you
- Contract documents and the programme specification for each project
- Drawings, bill of quantities and method statements for the baseline
- Weekly site progress by an agreed day: quantities, dates, daily reports and photographs
- Subcontractor and procurement status
- Client and engineer comments on each submission, and the approvals you receive
- One named contact per project who can answer questions within a day or two
How the work runs
- Onboarding, about two weeks. For each contract we read the programme and reporting clauses and confirm what is actually required: the baseline submission and its deadline, the update and report frequency, the formats, the submission dates and the notice periods. Projects are listed, templates agreed, calendars fixed and existing programmes taken over.
- Monthly cycle. Your inputs arrive by the agreed day; the draft comes back within the agreed number of working days; you review; we finalise for submission.
- Changes. A new project, a recovery programme or a claim is priced before the work starts, as an addition or as a separate assignment.
- Quarterly review. The project list, the turnaround and what is working are reviewed together, and the fee is adjusted if the list has changed.
- We prepare and update programmes and reports under your name and direction. The submission remains your document and your responsibility to your client.
- We do not provide design or engineering services, certify progress or sign as engineer of record.
- Site visits beyond the agreed meeting allowance are quoted separately.
- If inputs arrive late, the submission date moves. We say so the day we see it, with the effect on the date.
Experience and demonstrations
Baseline, revised and recovery programmes, periodic updates and the reports that go with them are the core of our lead consultant's working life, from tender planning to programme-level reporting.
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: weekly report extract, milestone register, schedule review findings.
Common questions
How many projects does a retainer cover?
As many as the proposal names. Each project is listed with its deliverables and frequency. Adding or removing a project changes the fee by an amount stated in the proposal, so there are no surprises.
What turnaround can we expect?
It is agreed in writing and counted in working days from the day your inputs arrive. A typical monthly update and report is turned round within a few working days; a new baseline takes longer and is scheduled when the contract is added.
Which software do you use?
Primavera P6 as standard, with the native files remaining yours. Microsoft Project where the client requires it, Excel for reporting, and Power BI if you want a dashboard across your projects.
Can you attend meetings with the engineer?
Yes, as your planner, within the monthly allowance in the proposal. Additional meetings or site visits are charged by the day.
Is there a minimum term?
Terms are set in the proposal. A short initial term lets both sides test the arrangement before committing to a longer one.
Tell us about your projects
List the projects, the contract formats and what is due each month. We aim to reply within one working day. We confirm the scope and fee once we have the information needed to assess the work.