Summary of Experience Write Up - Technical Competencies Flashcards
(21 cards)
DESIGN ECONOMICS AND COST PLANNING - On the Misk project what advice did you give?
On the Misk project I provided estimates for external works.
- Took off from the design as per NRM2
- Costed it using rates held in house
- Provided cost models showing certain elements in and out, i.e. shade structures in and out
- Assessed risk associated to particular elements where scope was unclear, i.e. misting system for shade structures.
- Advised the client to seek budget with risk allowance due to unclear scope.
DESIGN ECONOMICS AND COST PLANNING - On the TEAM2100 project what advice did you give for the revetment refurbishment project?
On the TEAM2100 project I provided 3 option estimates on the estimates I produced for the revetment refurbishment project.
- 3 options were measured and quantified using CESSM4:
- Foreshore sand replenishment
- Sheet pile wall flood defence wall
- Elastocoast revetment flood defence
- Costed it using rates held in house pricing book
- Created an options review report which advised on the esimates, qualifications and risks associated to each option.
DESIGN ECONOMICS AND COST PLANNING - On the TEAM2100 project what advice did you give for the inflation adjustment task you undertook?
On the TEAM2100 project I performed the assurance of the inflation adjustment calculation for the pricing book.
- Contract requires for firm indicies to be used which are published by BCIS
- I noticed that for plant and material rates in the pricing book provisional indices were used historically
- I produced an indexation model showing the usage of firm indices historically compared to what had been performed (provisional indices) and advised on the minor percentage differential in the rates which was nominal.
CONTRACT PRACTICE - What were your responsibilities at NR in relation where you applied your contract practice skills?
I was involved in the procurement of 2 signalling contracts where I checked the scope for completeness.
I also managed these contracts post award where I was responsible for payment, change management, payment notices, reviewing instructions and quotations and final accounts.
CONTRACT PRACTICE - What were your responsibilities at TEAM2100 in relation where you applied your contract practice skills?
I checked the bonds and insurances were valid as per the conditions of contract, and advised the client accordingly.
CONTRACT PRACTICE - What did you discover when working at CRL when conducting the payment assessment?
The contractor submitted a payment application with costs for IT equipment and training included. I checked these costs against the SoCC to determine whether it was a Defined Cost or not, and found that it was not and was disallowable. I advised the contractor of this and subsequently the contractor removed these costs from their application.
CONTRACT PRACTICE - How did you conduct the management of changes to the works information while working at CRL?
I reviewed the Contractor’s NCE in accordance with Clause 60.1 to determine whether there was an entitlement to a change and responded accordingly. Following this, I evaluated the submitted quotations and assessed the impact on the Defined Cost resulting from the Compensation Event. I then discussed my assessment with the Contractor, after which they resubmitted their quotation and issued an ICE. In cases where a revised quotation was not provided, I proceeded with issuing a PMA.
PROCUREMENT AND TENDERING - At HAL what procurement tasks did you undertake?
At HAL, I developed the tender documentation for the main tunnel systems integrations testing works package.
I proceeded with producing or compiling the following:
* Invitiation To Tender (ITT)
* Form of Tender - including date of returns and conditions
* Scoring Mechanism
* Format for Submission (Activitiy Schedule) - Pricing Document
* Scope of Works
* Employer’s Requirements
* Form of Contract - NEC Option A
Following the receipt of the tender returns I conducted an evaluation and produced a Tender Evaluation Report.
PROCUREMENT AND TENDERING - At NR what procurement and tendering activities did you get involved in?
At NR I was involved in the negotiated tendering of the signalling works packages. This was directly awarded due to the niche specialism of works and the existing propriety technology present.
I advised on the contracting strategy, by which the control centre upgrade works were awarded on a fixed price lump sum contract because of the scope being well defined. For the signalling trackside upgrades and interlocking works, this was awarded on a Target Cost basis as the civils and track design was incomplete.
PROJECT FINANCE - At NR what advice did you give through the production of monthly cost reports?
I collected data in the cost report through attending site, progress meetings, assessing progress against the schedule and payment applications. I monitored in month spend performance, with actual versus forecast, annual outturn cost, anticipated final cost and cost of work done.
I presented these reports where I advised on the commercial issues, risks and opportunities.
PROJECT FINANCE - At TEAM2100 what advice did you give on the Programme Cost Reports?
I identified that the Contractor was claiming costs incurred in previous financial years, which had not been accounted for in the current year’s budget and for which no accruals had been made. I brought this to the Client’s attention and recommended a comprehensive review of these historical costs to determine their validity and impact.
In a separate instance, I observed a lower-than-forecasted spend on the Tilbury Dual Function Lock Gate project, primarily due to delays in site mobilisation. I advised the Client to consider measures to recover the programme delay, such as accelerating works, engaging with the budget holder to reassess and potentially reduce the current year’s budget, or initiating early procurement of long-lead equipment and materials.
QUANTIFICATION AND COSTING - What did you do when you were requested to produce a cost estimate if the client excercised the break clause at year 7 at TEAM2100?
At TEAM2100 I assessed the cost impact if the client did not extend the contract agreement from year 7 to year 10.
I performed an assessment of the direct (mobilisation and demobilisation) and indirect (time related) costs, i.e. Office lease, business rates, service charges, utility costs and FM costs.
This information was presented under a report with assumptions, exclusions and qualifications noted.
QUANTIFICATION AND COSTING - What advice did you give at HAL when the Contractor claimed for additional QS prelims in the preparation of quotations for Compensation Events?
I reviewed the Contractor’s staff resource profile and deployment schedule, assessing their utilisation against the Target Cost allowances. My analysis confirmed that sufficient provisions had been made and that the Contractor had not increased or ‘thickened’ their resourcing.
Accordingly, I advised the Contractor that their claim was unjustified, as there was no impact on the Defined Cost arising from the preparation of the quotations. I subsequently rejected the claim in accordance with Clause 63.1.
QUANTIFICATION AND COSTING - What advice have you given when you have assessed quotations for variations?
Across the various projects I have been involved in, I have consistently reviewed Contractor quotations and provided contractually-aligned advice on several key aspects, including:
- Rates that were not in accordance with the contract agreement.
- Quoted quantities that were excessive and not proportionate to the scope of works to be delivered.
- Cost elements that did not align with the definitions of Cost or Defined Cost, or were inconsistent with the Schedule of Cost Components (SOCC), and were therefore deemed Disallowable Costs.
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES - What cost benefit analysis did you perform while working at NR?
While at Network Rail, I conducted a cost-benefit analysis comparing the use of a Relocatable Equipment Building (REB) versus multiple equipment housing boxes. Cost estimates for each solution were derived using internal cost data.
Although deploying multiple equipment housing boxes is a relatively straightforward process, it typically requires more time for installation, testing, and commissioning compared to an REB. My analysis highlighted several advantages of using an REB:
- Faster installation timeframe compared to individual equipment housing boxes.
- Requires only a single foundation base, reducing civil works and associated costs.
- Provides greater flexibility for future upgrades, allowing additional equipment to be integrated more easily.
- Offers a dry, enclosed environment for operatives, enhancing safety and working conditions.
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES - What advice did you give in connection to the VE opportunity for containing signalling cables?
At Network Rail, I identified and explored a value engineering (VE) opportunity with the project team to utilise the existing cable trough route for bedding signalling cables, rather than installing new cable hangers as originally designed. Upon presenting the proposal to the engineering team, it was confirmed that the existing trough had sufficient capacity and was only occupied by a few fibre optic cables. As a result, the project was able to avoid the additional cost and effort associated with installing new cable hangers.
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES - At TEAM2100 what advice did you give to the client relating to the incentivisation proposal related to the Duke Shore Wharf scheme?
The Contractor was incentivised to implement more efficient construction methods in place of conventional approaches. The cost savings achieved by adopting the innovative Pali Radice piling method—referred to as TCP—over the standard method (SCTP) were used as the basis for the incentivisation assessment.
However, it was determined that the use of steel tubular pile walls, which encroached onto the foreshore, could not be accepted as the SCTP baseline, as the project scope required the preservation of the existing foreshore area.
I advised the Client accordingly and developed cost models to quantify the annual incentivisation value attributable to this efficiency, along with other efficiencies and key performance indicator (KPI) metrics.
CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION - At NR what did you do following your assessment of the monthly certification of payment?
I advised the Employer’s Representative the basis behind the amount due, reasons for amounts withheld or dissalowed and prepared a pay-less notice for issuance to the contractor
CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION - What task did you undertake in connection to collateral warranties at TEAM2100?
I reviewed the contract admin system to check for Collateral Warranties for projects which have been completed. I identified various projects which did not have Collateral Warranties and advised the Service Manager accordingly. I then drafted a communication making reference to the relevant contract clause requesting the Contractor to make these Collateral Warranties available.
RISK MANAGEMENT - What risk management activities did you undertake at TEAM2100?
I have actively participated in risk workshops, contributing to the identification of risks, assessment of their potential impacts, evaluation of probabilities and severity, and the development of appropriate mitigation measures and actions. I have also been involved in conducting Quantitative Risk Assessments (QRA).
In one instance, I produced three-point cost estimates to evaluate the risk exposure associated with an erosion protection scheme. This involved estimating the minimum, most likely (median), and maximum quantities of rip rap required. The results were compiled into a report, which advised the client to allocate a contingency budget proportionate to the maximum potential cost exposure.
