Contract Scheduling Clause

What, from the owners perspective, is essential in a contract scheduling clause?

The following provisions of the schedule clause appear to me to be essential to protect the Owners interests:- At the start of the job, the submission of the detailed work time schedule (level 3), resource loaded, to the owners APPROVAL(resource loading the work time schedule is essential to the Owners review, so that the Owner is in a position to understand and challenge the critical paths etc.)- It would be good to link the APPROVAL of the above to a term of payment, as an incentive- Monthly up-date of the detailed work time schedule (level 3), reflecting any delay that may have occured and its impact on the schedule. This will force the Contractor to immeditaley highlight any delay. The Contractor will forfeit its right to an EOT if it does not. This indeed forces the Contractor to do a Time Impact Analysis every month.- The rule for the determination of an extension of time, such as the sole impact of an event originating from the Owner on the Critical Path of the schedule, net of any concurrent delayCan you thing of any thing else the Owner should have in the schedule clause to protect its interests?

Others will have more to add, but lets start with the following:  1. Define and date all milestones (often just the completion) that are essential to the business case for the project.  2. Request that the contractor (or bidder) provide a time schedule in sufficient detail to demonstrate feasibility of meeting the business case milestone(s), backed with proposed staffing and applicable resources.  3. Request that the contractor submit for owners approval a transparent, collaborative and proactive working schedule process that will clearly support the business case milestones and provide continuous visibility of the status.

 Scheduling process should address baselines and change orders. For example, how long does the contractor have, after purchase order issuance, to submit the schedule for baseline approval? Also, how do they track the scope and impacts of change orders within the schedule?

Nothing.  A lot of owners seems to think the more they know the better, in real fact it is the less they know the better. (Speaking contractual)  In Short it depends on what contract style. It is also good to review your general T&C of the contract, I would however recommend the following.  1) Approved Baseline (With all client interfaces highligted)  2) Monthly schedule update  3) EOT can only be claimed if client interfaces impact the Critical Path)  4) Recovery of any slippage caused by the client.  5) Concurrent delays  I would however suggest you look at the construction claim disputes (Various website in UK on this subject to understand what the issues are also always remember contractual presedance.)