Civil Engineering March 2021 | Vol 29 No 2

68 March 2021 Civil Engineering Research The International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) publishes a group of construction contracts that are used extensively for construction and engineering works. The Conditions of Contract for Construction or ‘Red Book’ is their most widely used contract and is specified for building and engineering works designed by the employer. FIDIC published a revision to their popular 1999 Red Book contract in December of 2017. A common industry reproach of the programme required by the construction contract was that the requirements for the content and form of a programme were not well defined (Briggs, 2013). The programme is a contract management tool for managing time in the construc- tion process. It also plays a vital role in establishing extension of time claims and records construction progress earned through the project lifecycle. According to FIDIC, the 2017 second edition of the Red Book contains revisions to increase clarity and certainty as well as reflect current best practice in industry. This is achieved by more detailed and prescriptive step-by-step requirements on the employer, the contractor, and the engineer during a project. The changes to the programme clause are one of the methods used to bring about better contract management practice, while changes relating to industry best prac- tice place a greater emphasis on proactive and engaged contract management. A 20-question survey was sent out to SAICE members, as well as other South African built environment professionals, in mid-2020 focused on the changes to programme clause in the Red Book under Clause 8.3. The aim was to appraise the impact of the programme clause changes on the other parties to the contract. The survey comprised four subsections: respondent background, terminology, programme content, and obligations of the parties. A brief synopsis of the results and discussion on the role of the programme in construction project management follows. SURVEY RESULTS Respondent background Most of the respondents have a tertiary education and hold either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the built environment field. Most are registered with a profes- sional body in the built environment, with SACPCMP and ECSA being most prevalent. More than 80% of respondents have 10 years’ work experience and work for an organisation that is either a contractor, professional services firm, or an employer. Terminology This subsection focused on newly defined terms in the 2017 edition, namely programme and review. Respondents indicated that the definition of a pro- gramme marginally assists the parties in contract administration. Respondents also confirmed that the definition of the engineers’ review duty will impact how engineers review the programme. Two questions in this subsection focused on the use and specification of programme software. Respondents confirmed that the software specification will increase the administrative duties of the engineer and contractor. The software selection quandary will also Assessing programme clause changes in the 2017 FIDIC Red Book Willem Brink Planner Stefanutti Stocks 1673516@students.wits.ac.za The second edition of the FIDIC Red Book was unveiled in December 2017 and contains significant amendments aimed at increasing clarity and certainty to reduce disputes and create more successful projects. A recent survey was sent out to assess the impact of the programme clause changes.