Sound contract management key to sustainable development projects — Procurement Specialist

Businesses that sign up to undertake development projects have been encouraged to prioritise sound contract management practices to ensure the successful delivery of those projects.

This is because sound contract management practices do not only reduce delays and enhance compliance, they help to improve collaboration across departments.

The World Bank Senior Procurement Specialist and Procurement Hub Coordinator for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Lina Tutunji, who gave the advice, stressed that contract management was not only about applying rules, it is also about judgment, negotiation and practical problem-solving.

Ms Tutunji gave the advice during a four-day training workshop on Contract Management under the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) conditions of contract.

Capacity building

The training was organised for professionals working on World Bank-financed projects in West Africa.

Fifty participants drawn from Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cape Verde and Gambia took part in the workshop, held at the Engineering Centre at Roman Ridge. 

It focused on the FIDIC Red Book and was aimed to build the capacity of project staff in contract administration and dispute resolution.

The workshop was coordinated in partnership with the Ghana Consulting Engineers Association (GCEA), and this is the second year of its implementation and was facilitated bya Chartered Civil Engineer, Abdel Hafiz Abdel Moniem, who has over 27 years expertise.

Milestone training

Ms Tutunji described the training as a significant milestone in the ongoing collaboration between the World Bank and partner governments to enhance the quality, efficiency and resilience of infrastructure projects across the sub-region.

“As many of you know, sound procurement and contract management are fundamental to the success of any development project,” she said.

“Contingent upon a properly planned and executed procurement, contract management ensures not only that projects are completed on time and within budget, but that they achieve the high standards of quality and sustainability that our communities rightly expect,” she added.

The procurement specialist explained that the FIDIC conditions of contract, a globally recognised standard, play a central role in the contractual frameworks used by the World Bank.

This follows an agreement signed in 2017 between the World Bank and FIDIC for the adoption of standard forms of contract as part of the Bank’s procurement documents.

She further stated that understanding the structure, philosophy and mechanisms provided by the FIDIC contract model was essential to delivering smooth and efficient infrastructure projects, particularly in managing risk and resolving disputes.

In his address, the President of GCEA, Kwabena Bempong, said the training would enable participants to better manage contracts and interpret clauses correctly for improved project outcomes.