Contract Management in International Projects
Projects begin with a sense of hope. A reasonable profit for the seller and a first-class project for the buyer – both are planned. All too quickly, however, the planned margin starts to erode, extra engineering effort is required, suppliers unexpectedly raise prices, currency values shift, delays strike production or the buyer announces that he expects more for his money. Every experienced project manager, particularly those involved in EPC and turnkey contracts, knows such scenarios. This seminar shows you how to bring the threat to margin under control. The lessons learned from many loss-making projects are transformed into procedures and institutionalized as one of the keys to successful project management and profitability.
Target Audience
The participant will normally be a manager from any stage of the project: bid manager, contract, finance, or technical expert, procurement manager, sales engineer, project manager, lead engineer, production, erection or commissioning engineer or claims manager.The participant will typically represent the contractor in an installation focused project, often in the shape of an EPC or turnkey contract.
Past Participants' Level of Responsibility
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Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States
Key Topics
Working step by step through the project, the seminar examines:
Bid phase: launching the project
- Negotiating an offer
- Identifying the baseline: contract, public law, private law, expectations
- Putting a turnkey contract together
- Risk management during the bid phase
- Six vital issues: baseline, payment, approvals, delay, defects, change
- Control of time
- Control of change: variation orders, claims, ordered changes to schedule
Claims and close-out phase: holding down loss
- Settlement of disputes
- Making and rejecting claims: burden of proof, putting a claim together
Take-Home Value
If your job is part of the project process at any stage, from opening enquiry documents to closing claims, you will gain new perspectives, a more coherent under standing of the project process and specific techniques for improving the working practices of your department. You will be able to identify more sources of margin erosion and you will know how to block them off. Your projects will simply generate more profit. You will have the chance to discuss your issues with experienced faculty and learn from others in similar situations.Meet the Faculty
Franziska Frank (Program Director)Dr. jur. Franziska Frank is Head Business Development Russia and Eastern Europe as well as program director at ESMT. She received her BA and MA in Cambridge and her law degree in Munich where she also completed her PhD on “Franchising in Russia”. After working for The Boston Consulting Group for six years, she joined ESMT. She runs numerous German, English, and Russian programs and teaches on negotiations, decision making, and cross-cultural issues.
Hans-Christoph Atzpodien
Dr. jur. Hans-Christoph Atzpodien is CEO of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and Member of the Board of ThyssenKrupp Technologies AG. His far-reaching experience equips him with a broad knowledge of contractual pitfalls and the effect they can have on the company.
James Pinnells
Dr. James Pinnells, is a renowned expert for international contract, claim and risk management. His many years of work as an independent consultant for companies all over the world not only give him the legal expertise, but also a wealth of examples to teach from.




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