Align drawings, access and contract
For an Egyptian building or infrastructure project, compare signed scope, drawings, program, access and payment schedule. Identify who can approve design and site instructions. If the physical site differs from the documents, record the discrepancy before relying on a price or date based on the old plan. Keep a register of issued-for-construction drawing versions and record when site access, utilities and permits were actually available. Reconcile each milestone with the party responsible for a dependency, not just the headline program.
Keep an evidence trail for variations
Log request, instruction, approval, quantities, photos and cost or time effect at the moment work changes. Mark what remains disputed. A verbal direction on site may later be difficult to prove; have the team use a documented route consistent with the actual contract. Each proposed change needs an identifier, scope, drawing reference, issuing person, cost basis, schedule effect and status. Preserve daily site records, marked-up drawings and the notice itself. Do not roll an unapproved change into a progress claim without distinguishing its disputed status.
Analyze delay rather than assign it by instinct
Build a dated sequence of access, design release, procurement and performed work. Check concurrent causes and the notices required by the contract. Review subcontracts and insurance together so the party reporting a problem has the records needed to address it. A delay file should pair the planned activity and actual progress with the event said to affect it. Keep meeting minutes, correspondence, delivery logs and updated programs in their original dated sequence; a retrospective summary is not a substitute for contemporary records.
Treat completion as a process
Specify testing, acceptance, defect lists, as-built documents, retention and maintenance. Have Egyptian specialists review current requirements for the actual site and work. Keep open defects and unsettled variations on a list after handover rather than assuming one certificate settles every issue. Set an owner for commissioning tests, snag items, warranties, handover documents and final account negotiations. Compare the contract’s certificate and notice mechanics with the actual handover; have qualified local counsel check any statutory or public-project overlay.
Project record to keep current
- Signed scope, drawing register, program and access or permit log.
- Variation register showing request, approval status, price and time effect.
- Dated progress and delay records with required contract notices.
- Testing, defects, handover and final-account status with named owners.
See our construction and infrastructure practice and dispute resolution practice for related work.