Course Curriculum
INTRODUCTION
1. Laying the Groundwork
a. Government construction — special features
b. Comparisons with private construction
c. Need for modification mechanism
d. Development of modification techniques
2. Types of Changes and Claims
a. Changes in work
b. Differing site conditions
c. Delays in work
d. Suspensions of work
e. Acceleration of performance
f. Interrelationships and comparisons
CHANGES IN WORK
3. Changes Clause Coverage
a. The language and its evolution
b. Clause scheme and clause techniques
c. “Within the [contract’s] general scope”
d. The “cardinal change” doctrine
e. Contract breach vs. contract change
f. Deductive change vs. convenience termination
4. The Contracting Officer (C.O.) and
Changes Authority
a. C.O.’s role and control
b. C.O. authority — scope and limitations
c. C.O. representatives — their powers
d. Authority delegations — express and implied
e. Apparent authority — myth and misadventure
f. C.O. ratification — a saving grace
g. Contractor protection techniques
h. Need for written directives
5. Formal Change Orders
a. How change orders originate
b. Types of formal change orders
c. Processing and issuance
d. Contractor protests
e. Government duty to clearly direct
f. Contractor’s duty to perform change
6. Constructive Changes/General
a. Explanation of the doctrine
b. Its mechanics and results
c. Contractor notice requirements
d. Contract administration guidelines
7. Constructive Changes/Applicability
a. Constructive orders for extra work
b. Government interference with work
c. Defects in specifications and drawings
d. Contract interpretation problems
e. Impossibility/impracticability of performance
f. Government misrepresentation or
nondisclosure
g. Acceleration of performance
h. Contract administration guidelines
DIFFERING SITE CONDITIONS
8. General Analysis
a. The problem and its permutations
b. General legal principles
c. Development and pattern of the clause
d. Definition of site
e. Time of condition’s occurrence
f. Man-made vs. natural conditions
9. Recovery for Misrepresentation
a. Relief when conditions and contract differ
b. What is “indicated” in the contract
c. Misrepresentation vs. no representation
d. Information outside the contract
e. Contractor’s right to rely
10. Recovery for the Unanticipated
a. The elements of relief
b. “Unknown physical condition”
c. “Unusual nature” of condition
d. Condition not “ordinarily encountered”
e. Contractor site investigation duty
f. Off-site information
g. Government’s superior knowledge
11. Operating Problems
a. Variation in estimated quantities
b. The stop work problem
c. Effect of Government disclaimers
d. Contractor notice requirements
DELAYS IN WORK
12. Impact and Consequences
a. Cancer effect on job performance
b. Inexcusable delays — default and damages
c. Excusable delays — relief possibilities
d. Concurrent delays — who gets what
e. Treatment in modification clauses
13. Excusable Delays
a. Acts of God
b. Public enemy
c. Government acts
d. Weather
e. Strikes
f. Labor supply
g. Financial difficulty
h. Subcontractor delays
SUSPENSIONS OF WORK
14. Clause Evolution
a. Causes of suspensions and stoppages
b. Blame and burdens
c. Breach of contract remedy
d. Development of the special clause
15. Suspension Relief Factors
a. Ordered suspensions
b. Constructive suspensions
c. Requirement of Government fault
d. The sovereign immunity problem
e. Reasonable vs. unreasonable delay
f. The profit pinch
g. Relief under other clauses
h. Contract notice requirements
ACCELERATION
16. Basics of Acceleration
a. The theory of acceleration
b. Acceleration vs. expedited performance
c. The acceleration/delay relationship
d. “Changes” clause relief
e. Ordered accelerations
f. Constructive accelerations
17. Constructive Acceleration
a. Contractor’s excusable delay
b. Notice to Government of delay
c. Government denial of time extension
d. Government acceleration order “request”
e. Contractor preservation of rights
PRICE AND TIME ADJUSTMENTS
18. Types of Relief
a. Entitlement vs. quantum
b. Time extensions
c. Price increases
d. Release from liability
19. Calculation of Time
a. Sources of data
b. Reasonable time factor
c. “As bid” vs. “as built” charts
d. CPM and other scheduling techniques
e. Concurrent delay calculations
f. Acceleration calculations
g. Measuring effect on progress; examples
20. Disruption/Impact Costs
a. Scope of recovery
b. Types of recoverable costs
c. Applicable contract clauses
d. Reservation of rights to recover
e. Project reporting
f. Documentation
g. Necessary support materials
21. Calculation of Dollars
a. Equitable adjustment principles
b. “Objective” vs. “subjective” adjustments
c. Contractor’s reasonable costs
d. Detailed proof
e. “Jury verdict” proof
f. “Total cost” proof
22. Major Pricing Elements
a. Labor costs
b. Equipment costs
c. Material costs
d. Bonding costs
e. Subcontractor costs, overhead and profit
f. Inefficiency and idle labor factors
g. Cumulative impact
h. Special delay and standby factors
i. Special acceleration factors
j. Cost escalation factors
k. Claims processing costs
l. Overhead — home office and jobsite
m. Profit
23. Deductive Modifications
a. Determining price reduction
b. Unbalanced bidding effects
c. Loss of “learning curve” benefit
d. Unabsorbed overhead
e. Profit adjustment
f. “Truth in Negotiation” requirements
24. Claims Presentation and Defense
a. Contracting Officer, Board and Court
b. Comptroller General
c. Extraordinary relief possibilities
d. Early recognition
e. Documentation required
f. Reservation of rights
g. Claims preparation and certification
h. Necessary elements of proof
i. Claims defense strategies
j. Negotiation factors
k. Settlement considerations
25. Claims Litigation
a. Before the Boards
b. Before the Courts
c. Procedures
d. Strategies
