Dashboards got better. Entitlement didn’t follow. Most of the time and money we see lost on NEC4 jobs in 2026 goes in the gap between what the controls team reports and what the contract needs to see. 5 shifts close it.
1. The programme is a contract document
Under NEC4 the Accepted Programme drives the time assessment of every compensation event. Delay is measured against planned Completion on the Accepted Programme current at the dividing date (63.5). A programme that hasn’t been accepted, or hasn’t been revised at the interval in the Contract Data (32.2), hands that assessment to the Project Manager (64.2).
2. Time risk allowances shown, where the PM can see them
31.2 asks for provisions for float and time risk allowances. Padding hidden inside durations can’t be seen, so it can’t be accepted, and it muddies every delay analysis that follows.
3. Early warnings given early
The early warning register is a management tool (15). It also has teeth. If the Project Manager decides the Contractor didn’t give an early warning an experienced contractor could have given, the compensation event is assessed as if it had been given (61.5, 63.7).
4. Records built for a 28-day clock
An adjudicator has 28 days to decide. What survives that timetable is a native P6 file at each revision, dated progress, and an event log tied to each notification. A retrospective rebuild rarely does.
5. Commissioning and energisation shown as logic
On energy, grid and data-centre work the critical path usually runs through connection dates, long-lead power equipment and Level 1–5 commissioning. Show them as a single bar at the end and the programme can’t support a claim when they slip.
The VERTX view
Tools help. Entitlement still comes down to a programme the Project Manager has accepted, revised on time, with each event notified inside the clock. That is the work we do.
Talk it through with the director: info@vertxprojectcontrols.co.uk, or book a consultation.
More insights
- Ten Things That Blow a Hyperscale Data-Centre Programme
- Why Clause 31 Programmes Get Rejected, and How to Get Acceptance First Time
- How to Mitigate Risk in Large-Scale Projects: A Guide for Project Directors
- The Senior Practitioner’s Checklist: Safeguarding the Project Lifecycle
- Boutique vs. Large-Scale Consultancies: Choosing the Right Partner for Your Project