12 BUSINESS AND TRAINING
Communication and Documentation
by Uwe Putlitz
Uwe Putlitz is a registered professional Architect and Construction Project Manager , a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors ( RICS ) and is a visiting lecturer at the School of Construction Economics and Management at the University of the Witwatersrand . Having recently retired as the Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Building Contracts Committee ( JBCC ) he specialises in the avoidance of construction disputes by way of lectures , technical articles dealing with aspects of contract administration for various industry publications arising from the use of Standardform Contracts including the Federation Internationale des Ingenieurs-Conseils ( FIDIC ), the General Conditions of Contract ( GCC ), the JBCC or the New Engineering Contract ( NEC ) to find an acceptable settlement without resorting to legal processes , where possible .
More info : info @ buildstrat . co . za
" The hierarchy of who is authorised to sign certain documents is determined in the Companies Act ."
Uwe Putlitz walks us through the communication and documentation involved in project management .
Project management , and for that matter many other activities , rely on effective communication to achieve the purpose or action required by and from the participants .
Over the last decade the emphasis when drafting construction contracts has been to use short words in short sentences grouped in short paragraphs to express information concisely with the companion goal to avoid disputes , for example :
• Regular and open consultation between the Parties and the Contract Administrator is encouraged .
• Confirm that the participants are comfortable and competent in the use of English or another agreed language .
• The initiator of a communication must consider the recipient ’ s competence to achieve the intended purpose .
The objective of the communication must be clear to all involved , taking into consideration any medical impairments or , if applicable , cultural traditions or levels of training or of competence .
Where two or more participants are talking to one another , is this conversation to be recorded , and if so , what medium is appropriate - an audio / video recording on a smart phone , and / or in writing ?
You should consider that in the event of a subsequent dispute the accuracy and completeness of oral evidence may be queried . Therefore , it is preferable that such information is recorded in writing and noted as correct by both parties .
The recording of minutes at a meeting should follow an agenda , allowing for relevant items to be added at the discretion of the chairperson . At the start of a subsequent meeting the attendees must confirm the accuracy of such minutes , and / or record corrections before the chair signs a record copy of the minutes – which may be evidence should a dispute arise in future .
For efficient project communication a plan - appropriate to the nature and location of a project and its executants - should be developed considering some or all applicable criteria , for example :
• Does the communication involve the use of industry specific technical terminology ? If so , can such text be readily understood by all project participants ?
• How should such information be communicated ? If in writing , should documentation follow corporate or an industry standard format ?
• Should illustrations or other visual information be included ?
Documentation must be logically organised and paginated and , if applicable , cross referenced using embed hyperlinks to open such document without having to search for it elsewhere in the document . Photographs should explain their purpose and should be supplemented with explanatory text .
Some industries or businesses may have a ‘ house style ’ for the compilation of documents using accepted phraseology and / or vocabulary presented in an agreed format and / or by completing relevant templates . For example , templates may be created as a standard format of letters or e-mail communications , reports , instructions , test reports , meeting minutes , etc .
The specification of branded software products - and graphic standards for the preparation of CAD / BIM - for the preparation of technical reports , drawings or illustrations may be appropriate for the end user provi9ded they are compatible with its continuing managerial procedures .
Projects are typically uniquely identified with a number under which all communications are filed under appropriate subheadings – alphabetically or numerically – in date or sequential order .
The purpose of proforma documentation is to maintain uniformity within an organisation using
www . plumbingafrica . co . za @ plumbingonline @ plumbingonline @ PlumbingAfricaOnline February 2025 Volume 30 I Number 12