Well it’s that time of the year, and some of jca’s social group are again running a tipping competition through the AFL’s NAB footytips website.

Administered online by our “Princess Sparkles”, the competition is open to all staff, clients and associates.

To join the JCA competition it costs $2 per round, payable upfront as a lump sum or week by week (contact Kilee for payment details on kg@jcalogic.com). Remember if you aren’t financial the jca social group will not payout any JCA prizes.

There will be a weekly prize as well as end of year prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd with last place getting their money back. Also by joining, you may be up for $45,000 worth of prises from NAB as the competition host.

click to join the JCA competition -

JCA are please to confirm that it has commenced Project planning/controls services on the expansion of the Bluewaters Power station just outside Collie in WA, directly for Griffin Energy.

A team of planners lead by JCA Project Planning has today started the process of building Griffin’s Energy’s project schedule and project controls reporting system.

Griffin had recently approached JCA, after being convinced of our expertise and abilities (though other JCA clients).

JCA is exicted to be involved in this project, and extremely happy to be working with Griffin Energy direct.

JCA have teamed up with Logic Recruitment to build the team to support this projects expansion.

It is with a very heavy heart that we write this blog.

Seeing the news reports of the scale of destruction and witnessing the human emotion resulting from the bushfire disaster toll over the last days, has provided a sobering reality check of the value of life.

The fires have been so far spread and so vicious, that it is not surprising that there been 173 reported deaths to date. This truly is a tragedy.

As our country’s most devastating disaster, we can only hope that the survivors (especially those who have lost family members) can re-assemble their lives at some point. No doubt there will be many angry people who wish to pass on their own judgement to those offenders who lit these fires (assuming they are caught and proven guilty).

The emotional outpour and support is like nothing I’ve seen in this country (and we are pretty good at helping our own in need). I even heard one of our staff say they are willing to donate their $950 from Mr Rudd to the bushfire appeal.

JCA’s staff have decided to pool a donation of cash for the fund. Those interested in joining us please call us on (08) 9322 4873.

JCA are pleased to announce that a recent assignment (including analysis and attendance at arbitration as expert witness) for a client, has resulted in a positive ruling by the arbitrator for our client potentially saving them $millions.

Our client has requested discretion at this stage so we cannot name the proceedings or parties, but can confirm that our client (a building contractor) was being pursued for liquidated damages for late delivery of the project (practical completion.) With JCA’s expert analysis, our client’s legal team has been able to prove to the arbitrator that it was delayed by the principal, and infact is now able to claim for EOT costs as a result of the principal (and it’s agents) causing those delays. The time awarded in the arbitrator’s ruling more than offset’s the time being claimed by the principal.

Our client and it’s legal counsel have been quick to thank JCA for it’s efforts both before and during the proceedings. Central to JCA’s analysis was demonstrating entitlement to Extension of time using “Impacted-As-Planned” Methodology. This methodology (save for adjustment for concurrent Builder caused delays) was vindicated by the ruling.

As JCA tradition has it, marketing (business development, public relations, or whatever you want to call it) hasn’t been a big focus of our firm. We have relied on our good reputation and excellent rapport with existing clients, to service our ever increasing list of works. Don’t get me wrong, all our consultants are good people persons who maintain great relationships with our clients, but we have never thought to actively seek out work using a marketing plan.

Well, given the market turmoil (financial crisis) we’ve decided to dip our toes and invest in a form of formal marketing.

As such JCA have decided to partly dedicate one of our groups control specialists, to explore business development opportunities for our planning and controls departments.

Jonathan Wipp has a background in the UK of running his own business and specialising in (among other things) Marketing and Business Development. We are pleased to announce this endeavour, and look forward to Jonathan making successful contacts with new and existing clientele during the next few months.

Well a happy New year to all !

With a new year, comes new goals.

In 2009, JCA’s goals are:

* to cement it’s position as the first choice project planning consultants in engineering and building construction, and;
* to expand our involvement in claims consulting for Extension of time disputes.

With a finanical crisis now affecting everyone, we understand that business (including our clients) will be creating new goals, and altering their business plans. We strongly believe that consulting services (like JCA’s) provides economic solutions for our clients, meaning they do not have to make long term employment commitments.

We look forward to this challenging year..probably more so then recent years, and remain confident that JCA can provide good, timely and beneficial services to it’s clients.

The team at JCA wishes all our clients and associates, a warm, fun filled, and relaxing holiday over christmas and New Year.

We look forward to continuing our busy work schedule with all in the new year, and hope that the Global Financial Crisis, becomes a time to take a breath, reflect on the busy year just finished, and plan out a sensible year for 2009.

The JCA Project & Forensic Planning Team is keen to building on it’s existing relationships in the new year, and will be taking time to hear how everyone else is (or isn’t) being affect by the Financial crisis.

JCA have been commissioned by the Department of Housing and Works to take over the project planning consulting duties for the +$330m Perth Arena project, reporting to the Superintendant’s Representative.

With the project now well underway, JCA’s role will be three fold:
1 - Investigate scheduling to date, and report on progress since commencement.
2 - Independantly carry out regular status inspections and report on progress in tandem with the contractor’s reporting regime.
3 - Independantly carry out Forensic analysis of current and future Extension of time claims.

JCA is currently in the early stages of the initial consultation process, and looks forward to it’s nominated lead Planning and Forensic consultants becoming an integral part of the project.

A technical issue that the JCA Forensic team is often asked to consider is, “What is the most appropriate methodology to adopt when analysing a delay to a project”.

This is NOT an easy question to answer, and will depend on a number of factors.

However one very imporatant factor in selecting one of the main methodologies (ie impacted-as-planned, or Collapsed-as-built, or as-planned v as-built, or time-impact, etc) is the form of contract used on the project between principal and contractor.

ie some forms of contract provide the contractor entitlment to relief from delay (EOT) only where the contractor can prove actual delay to completion. Whereas other forms allow for relief for the “likely effect of a delay risk event”.

JCA would normally consult with their clients legal team (where available) to assess the relevant form of contract before finalising a delay analysis methodology.

Other matters to consider prior to deciding on a methodology, include:

Factual material available
Nature of proof required
Complexity of the delay event(s)
Quantum of Delay events

JCA have noticed an increase in projects progressing to Arbitration due to disputes over late project completion over the last 12 months. We beleive that many of these projects, in the past, most probably would not have escalated to such dispute level.

With a lack of resources, both contractor’s and client’s designers/superintendants, have had their work cut out to complete works in the nominated timeframe. Although JCA try NOT to get involved in the legitimacy of the claims, we do provide independant analysis of the effect of delay events on critical path/completion.

We wonder whether the current global financial crisis (fall out from SubPrime Loans) will increase these delays risks and occurence of time related disputes. One thought is, that as companies try to find savings in expenditure and cut costs (such as employment costs), that their ability to resource projects effectively may be further punished. We have already seen anecdotal evidence that business’s are holding off on employing new personnel (even though they have needed additional staff and continue to need additional staff).

Only time will tell of course!