Conflict avoidance
Projects are usually long-term transactions with high uncertainty and complexity, and it is impossible to resolve every detail and foresee every eventuality at the outset. As a result, situations often arise that are not clearly addressed by the contract. The basic factors that drive the development of conflict are:
- Uncertainty,
- Contractual problems
- Behaviour.
Conflict can lead to the deterioration of relationships, a breakdown of trust, delays, additional costs and ultimately to breaches of contract and claims for damages.
For more information see: Construction disputes.
Conflict avoidance strategies can be used to manage these factors. Some of the most common conflict avoidance approaches include:
- Effective management. Potential problems can be analysed and managed by proactively planning future work and raising issues of concern early.
- Ensuring clear contract documents. Conflicts can arise from ambiguities in contract documents.
- Partnering and alliancing. Closer co-operation between project stakeholders can improve teamwork.
- Client management. A proper and full understanding of the client’s objectives can help avoid conflict, as can liaising with the client and managing expectations regularly.
- Progress assessment. Regularly assessing project progress, costs, and other key performance indicators and liaising with the main contractor to deal with any problems.
- Design team management. Ensuring timely provision of comprehensive and coordinated information both within the design team and from them to the contractor.
- Maintaining records. Conflict can often be avoided by keeping proper and detailed records of agreements, instructions, variations, labour, plant, materials, and so on.
- Payment practices. Establishing and adhering to proper payment practices.
- Stakeholder consultation and stakeholder management. Keeping all stakeholders up to date with regular reports on objectives risks, cost, progress and quality.
- Third party dependencies. Identifying and assessing third party dependencies and putting in place strategies to mitigate, transfer, avoid or accept risks.
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