Philippe SchulerSenior Instructor/Lecturer in Project/Program/Account PMO Management| Independant ConsultantLes Choux, France
Very good point that leads often to big troubles during project execution. This is typivcally what we call a "Contractual Deliverable" in addition to the "Solution Deliverables" that are the tangible results. We have put in place a process named Contractual Deliverables Management (CDM) to insure all stakeholders (internal and Customer) get a common understanding of the contract, get an agreement on the roles and responsibiles for both Contractual and Solution Deliverables, get an agreement on the acceptance criteria and kill any misunderstandings or ambiguities that can occur. This is a continuous process from Day 1 up to the project end. All involved stakeholders meet formally periodically to review contractual deliverables status and action plan. In your case at least you should agrese on what is NOT in the submittals list and progressively agree on what is in. If necessary any update could lead to a formal Change Request.
Of course this is a heavy process that is recommended mostly for large or complex contract but as we have avoided a lot of mistakes up to now, I can say it is efficient. Saving Changes...
Anton OosthuizenSenior Business Analyst / Project Manager| Self EmployedPretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Lets assume that there are 5 submittals listed and it is found that there are actually 10, what triggers the change process? While I have any 'etc.', 'not limited to' or 'non-exhaustive' in my scope I really don't have a baseline. Saving Changes...
ROBERTO CARLANDOArchitect| Studio Architect Roberto CarlandoMilan And Trieste, Italy
It's very interesting this scope because suggests that the project it's very complex.
For example:
if we need to project and build a new building, we of course need to verify every phases of project like every phases of construction in relation at the scope of the project, because some time new factors make you change the project in course of project and/or construction, like for example:
- Earthquakes;
- Natural disasters;
- New regulations and standards that occur;
- Changes of market prices of materials of construction (steel, copper, etc.)
- delays in the supply of materials e subcomponents;
- Failure of companies which produce materials e subcomponents;
- Changing of provider;
- Even insolvency of commitment;
- etc.
This suggests that the time is not static, but during the progress of time of project and construction many factors may change.
The more complex, the more challenging and exciting really. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
It's very interesting this scope because suggests that the project it's very complex.
For example:
if we need to project and build a new building, we of course need to verify every phases of project like every phases of construction in relation at the scope of the project, because some time new factors make you change the project in course of project and/or construction, like for example:
- Earthquakes;
- Natural disasters;
- New regulations and standards that occur;
- Changes of market prices of materials of construction (steel, copper, etc.)
- delays in the supply of materials e subcomponents;
- Failure of companies which produce materials e subcomponents;
- Changing of provider;
- Even insolvency of commitment;
- etc.
This suggests that the time is not static, but during the progress of time of project and construction many factors may change.
The more complex, the more challenging and exciting really. Saving Changes...
Anton OosthuizenSenior Business Analyst / Project Manager| Self EmployedPretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Agree Roberto. This why it is common for construction projects to be divided into 30,60 and 90% completion where the deliverable are progressively build on towards final completion. But this statement was taken from an IT project. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
I faced this situations lot of times where I must transform into reallity what sales people sold. And I think I understood your point from a business analysis perspective. Key here is to put clear the life cycle process to follow. And MORE critical is to understand that the project manager is in charge of project requirements where that mean that the project manager is in charge to create project scope (work needed), project time (schedule), project cost (perhaps to make it in detail when the scope and time is defined) and project quality (assure that the project will create the defined product/service/result as defined) AND the business analyst must provided all needed to the project manager to do that. What the information you provide it seems to me that you have to agree into an iterative-incremental project life cycle including it all related to planning. And when you have a lot of uncertainty do not forget to take a look to Barry Bohem`s Cone of Uncertainty which is created from software but is aplying for lot of other industries. Saving Changes...
What a good question, well although the scope as you say turns out to be a non-finite list and you need to prepare and present the documents during the execution phase of the project, I think it is very important to know what the client wants and that we must deliver, for That would be a good meeting with the interested parties and to be able to define very well the scope and of being necessary to make a modification to the contract. Saving Changes...
Does the contract include verbiage for how additional submittals will be identified, approved, and paid for? If this is an open ended contractual requirement, I would push for an addendum that stipulated an approval process for any additional work that included provisions for cost increases for the additional work.
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1 reply by Anton Oosthuizen
Apr 06, 2017 12:49 PM
Anton Oosthuizen
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Unfortunately not, I suspect it is one of those 'get a foot in the door' contracts that will turn out to be very costly. I suggested that they enter into a scoping exercise with the stakeholders to get an agreed baseline.
The submittal clause is sadly not the only place where 'non-exhaustive' is used.
Saving Changes...
Anton OosthuizenSenior Business Analyst / Project Manager| Self EmployedPretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Apr 06, 2017 12:12 PM
Replying to Aaron Porter
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Does the contract include verbiage for how additional submittals will be identified, approved, and paid for? If this is an open ended contractual requirement, I would push for an addendum that stipulated an approval process for any additional work that included provisions for cost increases for the additional work.
Unfortunately not, I suspect it is one of those 'get a foot in the door' contracts that will turn out to be very costly. I suggested that they enter into a scoping exercise with the stakeholders to get an agreed baseline.
The submittal clause is sadly not the only place where 'non-exhaustive' is used.
...
1 reply by Aaron Porter
Apr 06, 2017 3:20 PM
Aaron Porter
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Time and material, fixed price, or something else?
I worked for a company where my predecessor prepared a contract that basically committed the company to pay for services on a schedule, even if we didn't receive the services. I was able to show the CFO that we were bleeding money and our CEO basically forced a renegotiation of the contract.
Hopefully you have a T&M contract, not fixed price. If it's T&M, do your best to identify what will be required and build it into your execution plan. Okay, you'll have to do this, anyway, but at least with T&M you can bill for the extra work.
Unfortunately not, I suspect it is one of those 'get a foot in the door' contracts that will turn out to be very costly. I suggested that they enter into a scoping exercise with the stakeholders to get an agreed baseline.
The submittal clause is sadly not the only place where 'non-exhaustive' is used.
Time and material, fixed price, or something else?
I worked for a company where my predecessor prepared a contract that basically committed the company to pay for services on a schedule, even if we didn't receive the services. I was able to show the CFO that we were bleeding money and our CEO basically forced a renegotiation of the contract.
Hopefully you have a T&M contract, not fixed price. If it's T&M, do your best to identify what will be required and build it into your execution plan. Okay, you'll have to do this, anyway, but at least with T&M you can bill for the extra work.
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1 reply by Anton Oosthuizen
Apr 12, 2017 1:53 AM
Anton Oosthuizen
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It is fixed price, well for the customer at least, for the vendor not so fixed ;)
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