Construction Management Guide

By Dr Samer Skaik

Very recently, I have launched a channel on Youtube. This channel aims to provide integrated, handy and focused

educational materials for those interested in developing their competencies in construction project management, professional practice and leadership. My aim is to help raise the bar by providing sound, solid and up-to-date knowledge for students, graduates and professionals in the construction sector. The channel, in addition to the videos, includes other interesting educational playlists. You can display the playlists chronologically if you are keen to develop a robust understanding in the field and advance progressively towards mastering the subject. The playlists include:

1. My Videos (short lectures)
2. Managing projects
3. Doing Research
4. Construction Management
5. Professional Development

You are kindly invited to visit the channel, subscribe, share and provide feedback and ideas for improvement.

Samples of uploaded videos:

(Read more..)

We are very delighted to launch the Inaugural Mentoring Programme targeting graduates and early-career professionals in the construction industry.

This is a free service initiated and operated by CMGuide and led by CMGuide Founder (Dr Samer Skaik). The mentoring programme is targeting ambitious graduates and early-career professionals in the construction industry. The programme is only available in Australia. We encourage prospective and interested mentors in Australia who have the experience in any of the mentoring areas to join our ‘Mentors Panel’ ASAP so we can serve and enrol more mentees in the programme. Interested mentors should mention the mentoring area and availability arrangement so we can properly match mentees (protégé) with appropriate mentors. It is completely up to the mentors and mentees once to discuss and agree the mentoring arrangement during the mentoring year such as mentoring duration (not less than 6 months), communication method, frequency of meetings, level of support, etc.  (Read more..)

By MATTHEW SHOWLER and PARNIKA CHATURVEDI

The UAE is one of the fastest-growing economies, where the construction industry is the third-largest sector after oil and trade. More than 6,000 construction companies operate in the country, with most construction activities taking place in the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The emergence of the industry in the UAE dates back to the 1950s in Dubai when Sheikh Saaed bin Maktoum, together with his son Rashid, decided to transform the emirate into a ‘permanent haven for coastal shipping’ and launched the Dubai Creek improvement project. The construction industry’s growth rate is expected to remain positive, as a result of increased government expenditure on developing infrastructure and industrial construction in the country. (Read more..)

By STUART JORDAN

In the eyes of many people in our industry, the Middle East construction industry is old fashioned and not very open to new ideas. This view implies that new ideas are good ideas – which isn’t always the case.
Certainly, in the case of construction procurement models, the Gulf remains quite attached to single-stage competitive lowest price tender selection. Everyone knows where they stand and, as between employers and contractors, they stand quite far apart from each other! Relationships tend to be arm’s-length and driven by the formalities of the tender process. And the terms of the contracts formed in this way tend also to be tougher on contractors than we see in other parts of the world. (Read more..)

You can benefit from the FIDIC Contracts Committee’s direct guidance by attending this year’s official FIDIC International Contract Users event. They’ll be joined by world-class lawyers, top engineers and contract users from a range of leading companies to make sure that delegates go away with a comprehensive and balanced understanding of the latest contract developments. (Read more..)

By Samer Skaik

In complex high rise projects, employers tend to fast track works where construction can begin while design is still incomplete following three main phases of procurement. Shoring system and piling are firstly procured and awarded to an enabling contractor. Upon completion of enabling works, main design and traditional tendering of the second phase can be concluded in order for main construction works to commence on site. While main work is progressing, design of specialist packages will be completed and nominated subcontractors are appointed in a timely manner shaping the third phase of procurement. Such common phased construction usually results in substantial time saving in project life cycle. However, many fast track projects suffer time and cost overruns due to inherent risks of fast tracking such as design deficiencies and ambiguities in risk allocation between involved parties. This paper aims to investigate pros and cons of fast track procurement approach for complex high rise projects and examine how relevant risks are allocated among enabling contractors, main contractors, nominated subcontractors and project consultants in theory and practice. (Read more..)

By By Vasanth Kumar
It is understandable that no construction project is risk-free as risk is inherent in the contracting business. Project risks could arise from factors such as natural, political, social, economic, legal, and general behaviours. Whilst risks can be managed, minimised, shared, transferred, or accepted, they cannot just be simply ignored.

The common ways of handling risks in construction contracts are by means of due diligence, insurance, quantifying damages, indemnity, and enforcing liability caps of parties. (Read more..)

By STUART JORDAN

The future is adjudication. Its benefits are being seen in more regions globally, and governments everywhere are enacting legislation for a mandatory right of adjudication in construction disputes.

Well, not quite everywhere.

In the Gulf region, we have not seen much take up of adjudication as is provided for in standard Fidic (Fédération Internationale des Ingénieurs-Conseils, French for International Federation of Consulting Engineers) contracts nor enactment of the statutory version. (Read more..)

Samer Skaik, the CMGuide Founder delivered 30 minutes oral presentation in “Mastering Complex Projects Conference” at Melbourne convention 2014 which was organized by Engineers Australia.  The Convention is the largest engineering event ever held in the southern hemisphere. Convention bring together all areas of the engineering profession, with national and international keynote speakers exposing delegates to megatrends and thought leadership that will influence the future direction of engineering in Australia. (Read more..)

It’s time for FIDIC’s 27^th International Contract Users’ conference, your team’s annual opportunity for best practice advice on using the contracts, insights on recent and upcoming amendments, guidance for managing major projects and for resolving disputes – delivered directly by more than 40 of the world’s foremost FIDIC experts.

And you can get a 10% saving with this posting, just quote VIP code: FKW82487CMGP (Read more..)