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NEC4 programme & change hub

Free, practical tools for planners, commercial managers and Project Managers working under NEC4 ECC. Use them, share them, and call us when a deadline is close.

The programme regime

How clauses 31, 32 and 60–66 fit together

The Accepted Programme is the main reference document of an NEC contract. It sets the baseline against which compensation events are assessed for time (cl. 63.5), and the Project Manager uses it to plan their own decisions. When the programme regime fails, the change regime fails with it.

Key point: a programme submitted with a CE quotation is not the new Accepted Programme. Only a programme accepted under cl. 31.3 (or deemed accepted) becomes it. Keep your cl. 32 revisions flowing alongside your quotations.

This summary is for guidance only and is not legal advice. Periods shown are NEC4 ECC defaults; your Contract Data, Scope and Z clauses may change them.

Contract Data

First programme (cl. 31.1)

Submitted within the period stated in the Contract Data, unless a programme was identified in the Contract Data at award.

Until submitted

Retention of one quarter of PWDD (cl. 50.5)

Applies until the Contractor submits a first programme showing the information the contract requires.

≤ 2 weeks

PM accepts or gives reasons (cl. 31.3)

Reasons for non-acceptance: plans not practicable, required information missing, plans not represented realistically, or does not comply with the Scope.

+1 week after notice

Deemed acceptance (cl. 31.3)

If the PM fails to reply, the Contractor may notify the failure. If the PM still does not reply within a further week, the programme is treated as accepted.

Contract Data interval

Revised programmes (cl. 32.2)

Showing actual progress, its effect on remaining work, how delays will be dealt with, and proposed changes.

≤ 8 weeks

Notify compensation event (cl. 61.3)

From becoming aware of the event. Late notification can lose the entitlement unless the PM should have notified it.

≤ 3 weeks

Submit quotation (cl. 62.3)

Including changes to Prices, delay to Completion Date and Key Dates, and alterations to the Accepted Programme (cl. 62.2).

≤ 2 weeks

PM replies to quotation (cl. 62.3)

Instruction to revise, acceptance, or notice that the PM will make their own assessment (cl. 64).

Free tool

Compensation event timescale calculator

Enter the dates you know. The calculator fills in the next NEC4 deadlines and the deemed-acceptance routes.

NEC4 ECC timescales

Default periods in weeks · calendar days
DeadlineClauseDue dateStatus
Enter at least one date above.

Preparing the quotation itself? Download our free NEC4 CE quotation template (PDF).

Guidance only. The calculator does not account for agreed extensions (cl. 61.4 / 62.5), public holidays or amended Contract Data. Today is taken from your device's date.

Free tool

Is your programme ready for acceptance?

Tick what your programme shows today. The first group is clause 31.2 content; the second is the schedule quality a Project Manager (or an expert) will test.

CLAUSE 31.2 CONTENT

SCHEDULE QUALITY

FAQ

NEC4 programme questions we're asked most

Should non-implemented compensation events be shown on a revised programme?

NEC4 removed the NEC3 requirement in cl. 32.1 to show the effects of implemented CEs, which has caused debate. Industry guidance (for example CECA's NEC4 bulletins) generally supports showing the effects of notified events transparently. We agree, and we show them clearly identified so the Project Manager can see the Contractor's realistic plan.

What is the difference between terminal float and time risk allowance?

Time risk allowance is the Contractor's own allowance for risk within activity durations or as distinct activities; it is owned by the Contractor and is not float. Terminal float is the gap between planned Completion and the Completion Date. Under cl. 63.5, CE delay is measured on planned Completion, so the Contractor keeps the benefit of terminal float.

Does a programme submitted with a quotation become the Accepted Programme?

No. The alterations submitted with a cl. 62.2 quotation show the effect of that event. A programme becomes the Accepted Programme only through acceptance under cl. 31.3 (or deemed acceptance).

What happens if there is no Accepted Programme when a CE is assessed?

The Project Manager may assess the CE (cl. 64.1), and where there is no Accepted Programme the assessment may be made using the PM's own assessment of the programme for remaining work (cl. 64.2). This usually works against the Contractor.

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