The Association of Consulting Engineers, Sri Lanka (ACESL) is to conduct Two 2-Day FIDIC Contracts Workshops, the first on Practical Use of FIDIC Conditions of Contracts providing essential contractual know-how for working on today’s international projects and the second on Management of Claims, Dispute Resolution, Dispute Boards and Adjudication under FIDIC Contracts for the construction industry on 22nd to 25th September 2014 at the Waters Edge, Battaramulla. The programme is supported by ADB–AusAID South Asia Development Partnership Facility and conducted by FIDIC Accredited Trainer, Engineer Geoffrey Smith. The ACESL is the Sri Lanka member association of FIDIC, The International Federation of Consulting Engineers.
Immediate Past President of the ACESL and Chairman of the Workshop Committee Malith Mendis said that these subjects have become all the more important due to the large number of infrastructural projects being carried out in Sri Lanka. The workshop will be examining the everyday use of the Contract Documents and the concepts of Variations, Adjustments, Claims, Processing of claims, Dispute Boards and various other matters to do with contracts.
Mendis said “This is not another Dispute Resolution Workshop, here, we intend to look at ways of best use of Contract documents, dispute avoidance, to help you to prevent problems and prevent claims escalating to disputes. We have intended here to have a large number attend this programme in order to broadbase knowledge of FIDIC Contracts, alternative dispute avoidance and resolution procedures. This was because ACESL feels that Contract clauses and Dispute Boards are misunderstood in Sri Lanka.”
Dispute Boards are now practiced in projects world-wide and ACESL promote standing dispute boards rather than ad-hoc dispute boards. Standing boards have the capacity to know a project well, and has a role in Dispute Avoidance, Prevent Problems becoming Disputes, and prevent hostilities amongst parties to a contract.
ACESL, as the Member Association of FIDIC, the International Federation of Consulting Engineers strive to impart professionalism and good, best practice in the profession. ACESL has a List of FIDIC Trained Adjudicators to provide dispute avoidance and resolution services. ACESL also promotes the enactment of a “Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act” in Sri Lanka to facilitate problematic payment scenario currently suffered by the construction industry and to give adjudication legal teeth.
Mendis also said, “We had a high demand for this type of workshop in the past, and we have been turning down those who wanted to participate due to all spaces taken up. We hope that those interested will take up this opportunity, as the cost has been heavily subsidized”.
