The World Bank, in partnership with the Ghana Consulting Engineers Association (GCEA), has held a four-day training programme in Accra to strengthen contract management skills among engineers and project teams within the West African sub-region.
The training, held at the Engineering Centre at Roman Ridge with a focus on improving the delivery of infrastructure projects, brought together participants from Ghana, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Cape Verde and Liberia.
It centred on the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Conditions of Contract, which are standardised international agreements for construction and engineering projects, providing balanced risk allocation between employers and contractors.
The training was facilitated by Abdelhafiz Abdelmoniem, a certified FIDIC Contract Manager, who led participants through practical sessions on contract administration and dispute avoidance.
Global standards
Addressing the participants, the Vice-President of the GCEA, Festus Adametey, said the programme was aimed at equipping professionals with the knowledge required to properly administer contracts and avoid disputes in project execution.
Mr Adametey said the FIDIC Conditions of Contract served as a global standard for managing engineering and construction agreements.
He explained that the training focused on helping participants understand the clauses, obligations and structures within the contract framework.
He said the sessions specifically addressed the “Red Book”, which is commonly used for construction projects, while noting that other contract types, such as the Yellow, Silver and Green Books, are applied depending on the nature of the project.
“Engineers and project managers needed to understand the details of these contracts so they could apply the right clauses and manage relationships between parties effectively,” he said.
Reducing disputes
Mr Adametey said improper use of contract conditions often led to disputes, cost overruns and project delays.
He noted that building capacity in contract management was essential to reducing litigation risks in infrastructure delivery.
He said the GCEA, in collaboration with FIDIC, organised such training programmes regularly based on demand from institutions and project sponsors.
“When the right contract conditions were not applied, projects faced unnecessary challenges that affected timelines and costs,” he said.
Ensuring efficiency, accountability
Senior Procurement Specialist and Procurement Hub Coordinator for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone at the World Bank, Lina Tutunji, said the institution prioritised contract management as part of its project financing strategy.
Ms Tutunji said the World Bank partnered with GCEA to train project implementation teams on FIDIC standards to ensure efficiency and accountability in infrastructure projects funded by the Bank.
She said effective contract management played a key role in ensuring that projects delivered value for money and met agreed timelines.
The World Bank financed infrastructure projects across the region, and strong contract management was necessary to ensure successful delivery,” she said.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh