Conceptual Framework for Evaluating Consultant Engineers Knowledge Related to Conflict Issues of Contract Management

Abstract

Conflict in construction projects was inevitable. Construction conflict can be divided into two main root causes, which are contract documents and management of contract. Firstly, conflict from contract documents may be occurred from the terms of a contract are incomplete, unclear and contract documents are contradictory. Secondly, conflicts from contract management are often occurred from deliberate and unintentional breach of contract. The deliberate breach of the contract is uncontrollable, but the unintentional breach of contract may result from negligence or lack of understanding to execute a contract. Contract management is an important duty of consultant engineers who must understand to execute a contract and advice to the employers. The objective of this research is to present a conceptual framework for evaluating consultant engineers’ knowledge related to conflict issues of contract management. The research began with the analysis of conflict issues related to contract management and contract documents that cause conflicts between employers and contractors during the construction period. Knowledge evaluation tool were developed from conflict issues that collect information from the administrative court judgment documents. The preliminary result found conflict issues related to contract documents were related to the terms of the contract, amendments to the terms of the contract, bond, construction period, wages, payment of wages, liquidated damages, contract termination, punishment and penalty. While the level of understanding uses the concept of solo taxonomy as a framework for questioning the measurement. The conceptual framework for evaluating the level of understanding of consulting engineers on conflict issues will assist the human resource department to train engineers and involved persons.