An NEC planner's programme is a contract document as well as a management tool. It sets the dates that the Client's side is measured against, and it is the baseline for pricing delay. The contract never mentions a planner by name, but much of what the Contractor has to do under clauses 31 and 32 lands on the planner's desk.
This guide is for planners new to NEC, or those who have used it only in passing. It focuses on NEC4 ECC, with the same structure in NEC3 ECC unless noted. For the formal rules, see the NEC programme guide.
How NEC differs from what you may be used to
| Common assumption | Under NEC |
|---|---|
| The programme is mainly for internal use | Once accepted, its dates can trigger compensation events |
| The baseline stays fixed for the job | The baseline is whichever version was most recently accepted |
| The latest update replaces the old one | Only once accepted. An unanswered update leaves the old one in force (NEC3), or may be treated as accepted later (NEC4) |
| Delay is worked out at the end | Each event is forecast when it happens, event by event |
| Commercial handles compensation events | Time is half of each quotation, and it comes from your programme |
Your responsibilities
- First programme. Prepare it to the requirements in clause 31.2 and the Scope. A missing item can mean a 25% deduction from the Price for Work Done to Date.
- Revisions. Prepare them at the Contract Data interval, recording progress, delays and proposed changes. See clause 32.
- Float and time risk. Keep these visible and consistent. Our guides on float and time risk allowances explain how each affects a later claim for time.
- Quotation support. Produce the time assessment for each compensation event, using the method for assessing events through the programme.
- Early warning input. You often see trouble first. If the programme shows a Key Date or Completion at risk, tell whoever issues early warnings so it can be raised under 15.1.
- Records. Keep native files, status dates, submission and acceptance dates, and short notes explaining logic changes.
A routine for each period
- Collect progress up to a fixed status date, using site records, not just recollections.
- Update and check the logic before changing anything else.
- Review open compensation events with the QS or commercial lead: what has been notified, quoted, implemented, and what should the programme show?
- Check Client-side dates: what do you need in the next period, and have those needs been shown and raised?
- Check Key Dates, Completion and float. If anything has changed, ask why, and whether it needs an early warning or a recovery plan.
- Write the narrative: changes, reasons, the critical path and points for attention.
- Submit it for acceptance, or for information if it isn't a formal revision, and record which is which.
- Track the reply. Under NEC4, flag when the two weeks expire, so your project team can decide whether to notify under 31.3.
Whom you need to work with
| Person | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Commercial manager or QS | Aligns programme and cost in quotations, and the Activity Schedule link under Option A |
| Site manager | Gives real progress, realistic durations and sequencing |
| Project Manager's planner, if any | Agreeing data formats and level of detail early can head off later rejections |
| Subcontractors and suppliers | Their dates feed your programme, and you may have to accept their programmes under an ECS |
Mistakes that cost the most
- Delaying the first programme for perfection. It is usually better to submit a complete, good programme quickly than an excellent one late.
- Over-writing old files. When a quotation needs the programme in force at the dividing date, you have to be able to produce it.
- Adding date constraints that break the logic. They hide float, and they make your event analysis hard to defend.
- Hiding float at the end. See terminal float.
- Showing dates you know are wrong. The programme has to represent your plans realistically. A false date can also weaken your position on the next compensation event.
- Treating compensation events as a commercial matter only. Quotations are due within weeks, so time analysis needs to start on the day the event is instructed or notified. The compensation event process sets out the timetable.
If you work for a subcontractor
Under the ECS, the programme clause numbers match, but the Contractor takes the role of the Project Manager, with three weeks to reply and a further two after notification under NEC4. Your dates are tied to the main contract's dates, so check what the Contractor has shown there before you commit to a sequence.
Related guides
- The NEC Programme: A Complete Guide
- Using the Programme to Assess Compensation Events
- NEC Programme Review Checklist
See how this works in practice
Click through Contract Status with sample contracts: raise the notice, reply to it, and watch both sides of one record.
Take the guided tour Book a demo
Try the planner role-play, use the free NEC tools or download free NEC templates.
This guide is general information in our own words, not legal advice. Your contract and its Contract Data always govern. NEC, NEC3 and NEC4 are trade marks of Thomas Telford Ltd; Contract Status is not affiliated with or endorsed by NEC.