NEC ECC - Time Risk Allowance and Changes to Critical Path

NEC3 and NEC4 Contracts Compensation Events
#1

ECC Opt A;

Coming to the end of a couple of jobs where CE’s have altered the critical path on the programme for acceptance.

For example, what used to be critical was a concrete hard standing that was weather dependent. Now, due to changes in the WI the landscaping duration has increased and become critical.

The original critical path through the concrete hard standing would have had risk identified in it as the TRA. Prior to it becoming critical landscaping had no TRA identified.

Now that it is critical is it unreasonable to add a time risk to it ? Or should each individual task on previous programmes have an element of TRA identified in case they become critical ?

Specific example possibly not relevant as there isn’t much risk to the landscaping but in principal if the specific tasks were altered, how should this be managed ?

#2

Yes individual items on the programme should have had TRA considered and demonstrated in case they become critical and to demonstrate that it is a practical realistic programme. It is not only the critical path that should consider TRA, as you have demonstrated critical paths have a (nasty) habit of changing!

A Contractor can change items on the programme during the project which could be to increase TRA that they previously though was missing or light, but you will have a hard job getting that agreed if you suddenly do it to an item that is now becoming critical.