Monthly Archives: May 2016

Exercising Expert Judgement We have been reading some project management literature. In a section on procurement, it refers to tools and techniques and includes the term “expert judgement.” There is no explanation for what it actually means, but it does say it is available from many sources, including consultants. It fails to emphasise that procurement […]

Construction Manager at Risk – Part 1 What is it? It is an approach to construction management, very much under the radar in the United Kingdom. A definition is “A project specific delivery method for large capital construction projects.” The cm-at-risk provides technical assistance during the design phase and has a cost-capped feature. The cm-at-risk […]

  A cold freeze on the way! Outsource and be damned – A political hot potato Our research is never ending, not only to keep up with procurement developments but to share information with you fellow professionals. We promise not to mention the general election but you will recall that more than one political party […]

ICT PROJECTS CAN DAMAGE YOUR HEALTH! This is not a tongue in cheek (no pun intended) poke at ICT projects, it is a serious outline analysis of another IT project that has failed. An authoritative report has been issued by the Victorian Auditor General in Australia, “Clinical ICT systems in the Victorian Public Health Sector”, […]

“Weak policies and procedures have led to questionable procurement practices, mismanagement and a lack of overall accountability.” The OIG Audit report AV-2013-006, issued Nov 1, 2012 in regard to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) is compelling reading. Any alert organisation will ask a rhetorical question, “Could this be happening to us?” Some will find […]

The invoice payment process in any organisation carries potential risk. A topical story is the former Labour minister, Denis MacShane who wrongly claimed at least £7,500 in expenses. A Parliamentary committee observed after work by the Parliamentary Commission for Standards concluded that between 2004 and 2008 MacShane submitted 19 invoices totalling £12,900 for ‘research and […]

We’ve tendered the requirement, undertaken due diligence, sought and obtained executive approval, awarded the contract and debriefed the unsuccessful contractors. Job done? No – it’s only just begun. Now the Contract needs to be managed. I recently heard a Contractor state that his first action on being awarded a contract was to open a Claims […]