The Facts, the whole facts .....

Facts and proof of facts are essential to any claim, but just because we can now produce thousands of lines of data and analysis based on those facts, is that necessary or should the facts speak for themselves?

Anecdotally, thirty years ago claims could be produced on the back of a fag [cigarette] packet. Certainly, they could be produced and settled in most cases with significantly less supporting documentation than expected now.

A well-documented and supported claim does not always need to run into thousands of pages. Most will not be read. In the recipient organization it is unlikely that more than two people will read the claim and even they are unlikely to check all the supporting information (unless matters progress to a dispute).

If the facts, records and contract support entitlement to a change in Contract Price, Work Schedule and possibly Completion or Milestone Dates, then be concise in making the claim. Unnecessary waffle and analysis reduce the impact of a claim and provides more possibilities to counter or reject it.

Remember, the most important and most read part of any claim is the Executive Summary make it count.

For production of clear concise claims contact PFCL phil@pfryer.com