Overview

This seminar focuses on project management and monitoring, including team building and leadership. It sets the Context for Contract Management; Managing the Project Life Cycle and Hierarchy of Objectives; Contract Terms, Legal Aspects, and Performance Criteria; Investigating and Preventing Fraud and Corruption; FIDIC Contracts; Dispute Resolution; Contract Restructuring; Procurement from a Contract Management Perspective; Change Order Management/Implementing Change in Contracts; Managing Works and Contractor Performance; Managing Consultant Contracts; Practical Issues: the Mechanics of Payment and Delivery Contract Management and Implementation; Negotiations: Process, Skills, and Techniques; Performance-Based Acquisition.

It is especially designed for managers of developing country projects and for persons responsible for implementing such projects. Past participants have come from government, utilities, corporations, international organizations and NGOs. The seminar will examine crucial issues and steps in project management. Participants are encouraged to bring an example of a project that they can relate to the seminar for discussion.

Format

The seminars are currently offered both in-person and online simultaneously, at the choice of the participant. This choice must be indicated at the time of registration. A small number of courses are scheduled to be delivered exclusively in person or online, and are indicated as such in the 2024 schedule. In-Person Only seminars usually start at 9:30 am Washington D.C. time. Daily sessions usually end at 4:00 pm. Breaks (including the lunch break) are allocated as appropriate. Online Only seminars will be delivered through five (for 1-week course) or ten (for 2-weeks course) live online sessions via videoconferencing platform. Each session will last approximately 3.5 hours and will be scheduled to start within a time window of 7:00 am – 8:30 am Washington D.C. time. Hybrid In-Person/Online seminars will start at a time most convenient to both in-person and online participants, and will generally follow the In-Person seminar format. We expect the classes to be highly interactive and can include presentations, case studies and exercises.

Course Outline

Crucial Issues and Steps in Project Management

• What is Contract Management?
• Purpose – maximizing financial and operational performance and minimizing risks
• Defining objectives (logframe)
• Process – systematic and efficient management
• Managing the project environment
• Phases: (i) contract creation; (ii) execution; and (iii) analysis
• The project life cycle
• Project identification, preparation and approval
• Financial and economic analysis
• Project financing
• Team building and leadership
• Organization alternatives
• Communication, motivation
• Managerial styles
• Conflict resolution
• Role of project managers
• Implementing change
• Work breakdown structure (WBS)
• Critical path method
• Project scheduling (MS Project Software)
• Cost control
• Risk analysis
• Reporting and control
• Monitoring
• Database management systems (MS Access Software)
• Introduction to procurement
• Key activities:
  – Establishing (negotiating) the terms and conditions of contracts;
  – Planning activities;
  – Controlling Implementation;
  – Reporting progress;
  – Making payments;
  – Managing variations that may arise during the implementation phase;
  – Documenting and handling claims;
  – Preventing and resolving disputes

Course Advisor

Veljko Sikirica has over forty years’ experience in Engineering, Project Design, Management, Implementation and Procurement. He has extensive experience as staff of the Inter-American Development Bank the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and in the last two years, as consultant on UN Development Program Projects. He has been part of the permanent faculty Teaching Staff and continues to teach at the International Master in Public Procurement Management (IMPPM), University of Rome Tor Vergata. He is also a permanent faculty, member of the teaching staff and Executive Committee at the above Belgrade University Master Programme. Mr. Sikirica holds a Graduate degree in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering from “Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico” and a Masters degree in Finance from University of Maryland, USA.