| Semester 1, 2023 Springfield On-campus | |
| Units : | 1 |
| School or Department : | School of Surveying & Built Environment |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
| Course fee schedule : | /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules |
Staffing
Course Coordinator:
Requisites
Pre-requisite: LAW1101 or LAW1500
Overview
Contract administration is essential for effective management of construction projects and requires the establishment, administration and monitoring of construction contracts. This course provides an introduction into contract administration in the building construction industry and will prepare students for the administrative and contractual interactions that occur between the contractors and sub-contractors during a project.
This course aims to provide students with the basic principles and practice of contract administration for building construction projects in accordance with the conditions of contract. Common industry standard form contracts are presented including the principles and practice for administration of a construction contract. In particular, conditions of contract, role and responsibilities of parties to the contract, variations to the contract, adjustment to the contract, delays, defects, practical completion of the works and dispute resolution procedures are covered.
Course learning outcomes
The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course. On completion of this course, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of contractual concepts and terminology relating to various standard form contracts for building construction projects.
- Assess and implement the necessary administrative procedures required to manage various types of construction contracts.
- Apply their knowledge of common standard form contracts – including obligations of various parties under the contract – to ensure the smooth running of the contract.
- Assess and implement the necessary document control techniques and systems, to ensure ease of access to information – especially when assessing claims for loss, additional expense or time.
- Analyse and report on-site administration problems and issues that may arise during the running of a construction project and determine strategies to successfully overcome these, especially in relation to disputes and options for dispute resolution.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Introduction to various types of standard form contracts | 10.00 |
| 2. | Contract definitions | 7.50 |
| 3. | Roles and obligations of the parties under the contract | 10.00 |
| 4. | Communication and document control | 10.00 |
| 5. | Administration of and contract requirements for claims – i.e., Notices, forms, procedures, claim content, etc | 10.00 |
| 6. | Variation claims | 10.00 |
| 7. | Extension of Time claims | 10.00 |
| 8. | Administrative and contract requirements for disputes | 7.50 |
| 9. | Dispute resolution procedures and options | 7.50 |
| 10. | Breach of contract and common remedies | 10.00 |
| 11. | Practical completion, defects liability period and discharge of contract | 7.50 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
Student workload expectations
To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.
Assessment details
| Description | Group Assessment |
Weighting (%) | Course learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report 1 | No | 25 | 1,2 |
| Report 2 | No | 35 | 3,4 |
| Report 3 | No | 40 | 1,2,3,4,5 |