Experiences of the use of the New Engineering Contract Available to Purchase

This paper examines the early experiences of the use of the New Engineering Contract (NEC) based on research at the University of Birmingham. It starts with a brief description of the research methodology before giving an overview of the extent of use of NEC, both in the UK and overseas, and the choices of contract strategy options which have been made. The third and main part of the paper concerns the experiences of the contract in use. The impact of the NEC on contract preparation is assessed followed by a review of the effectiveness of the new contract procedures and their implications. The changes in the roles and staffing that are required in the NEC are then considered and this leads to a discussion of the changes in culture and attitude which are stimulated by NEC. An emphasis has been put on the practical issues which a new user of the NEC will need to consider. Before concluding, the paper briefly presents the findings on whether the NEC is achieving its aims of improved clarity.