A key recommendation arising from 2017 CIFNI Task Groups was that Government’s NEC construction works contracts should be administered by competent project managers who fully understand their duties and those of the contractor under the NEC contract.
In accordance with that, CPD, from June 1, 2019 introduced a requirement that all construction works contracts awarded by it must be managed by an NEC accredited project manager. The NEC accredited project manager course involves four days of classroom based training coupled with online exams.
While the requirement was introduced on June 1 in consultancy procurements, consultants will not be required to have the qualification in order to bid. Instead they will have to obtain it within a definitive timescale following contract award.
CPD will also accept an alternative to the NEC project manager accreditation and has consulted with the Institution of Civil Engineers which has confirmed that Module 2 of the ICE Law and Contract Management Examination and the NEC Project Manager Accreditation assess broadly similar areas of competency.
As an alternative to attaining the NEC ECC Project Manager Accreditation, CPD will accept project managers that have successfully passed the ICE exam.
