News and events

AACEi Peru | Presentation by Ernst Hechenberger (FOUR-C Experts)

The 13th AACE-Peru Congress took place on November 7 and 8, preceded by a Virtual Pre-Congress held on November 6, in which our CEO, Ernst Hechenberger, participated with a presentation titled “How the Quality of Contemporary Information Influences Forensic Analyses of Linear and Non-Linear Project Schedules.”.

During his presentation, our CEO highlighted the fundamental role that information quality plays in forensic scheduling analyses and in the defense of contractual rights within construction projects, both linear (railways, roads, pipelines, or transmission lines) and non-linear (refineries, power plants, and industrial facilities).

🔹Differences and Challenges

Linear projects require space-time scheduling methods, such as the Linear Scheduling Method (LSM) o Line of Balance, while non-linear projects rely on complex networks of activities, modeled using tools such as Primavera  o MS Project..

Our CEO emphasized that methodological differences are not always recognized in contracts, which leads to disputes and difficulties in demonstrating impacts due to time extensions (EdT) and/or loss of productivity (PdP).

🔹 Common causes of deviations

Among the most frequent factors that compromise the quality of scheduling, the speaker mentioned:

• Insufficient technical training.
• Limited resources for planning.
• Unclear contractual terms.
• Lack of documentation of changes and updates.
• Misplaced expectation that the owner will assume program management.

🔹 Impacts on claims and forensic analysis

The lack of timely, structured information increases the difficulty of proving cause-and-effect relationships between interferences and delays, affecting the accuracy of forensic analyses.

Mr. Hechenberger noted that the burden of proof lies with the contractor, and that facts must be documented in a clear and verifiable manner.

🔹 Strategic Recommendations

Our CEO proposed several courses of action:

• Develop a high-quality baseline program from the start of the project.
• Define clear responsibilities for planning and monitoring.
• Ensure timely and quantified notifications of impacts.
• In program updates, distinguish between current status, entitlement to EdT and accelerations to avoid confusion in forensic analysis.
• Adapt contractual clauses to the type of project (linear, non-linear, or mixed).

🔹 Impacts on claims and forensic analysis

Finally, he urged the AACEi to develop new Recommended Practices (RPs) focused on linear and mixed projects, including a specific version of the Time Impact Analysis (RP 52R-06) and specific guidelines for forensic analysis in this type of project.

“Disputes are not lost in arbitration, but rather by ignoring recommended practices in program management and change control”, he stated.

Our CEO concluded by emphasizing that the technical competence of the time scheduler is crucial for upholding the contractor’s rights and recovering costs associated with impacts.

FOUR-C Experts reaffirms its commitment to technical excellence and the promotion of best practices in the management and resolution of disputes in construction projects, and we congratulate AACEi Peru on its outstanding event.