NEC PROGRAMME COMPLIANCE
NEC Clause 31 and 32 programmes that get accepted and stay accepted
Programmes built to meet Clause 31.2 first time, with the PM's likely reasons for rejection answered before submission, then kept compliant through delivery.
Sample one-off review on a demo project. Opens full size.
NEC ACCREDITED
APMG QUALIFIED
P6 / MS PROJECT / ASTA
NEC / JCT / FIDIC
WHY PROGRAMMES GET REJECTED
Three reasons programmes fail under Clauses 31 and 32
Clause 31.3 gives the Project Manager four reasons for not accepting a programme. Most rejections come down to the first two below, not the dates. The third catches programmes after acceptance.
The required information is incomplete or missing
Clause 31.2 lists specific information the programme must show. If float, time risk allowances, order and timing of work or other planned dates are absent, the PM has contractual grounds to withhold acceptance. The programme may be technically competent but still non-compliant.
CLAUSE 31.2 INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS
The logic does not support the dates
Open-ended activities, hard constraints masking float, missing predecessor/successor relationships and calendars that do not reflect working patterns. The PM reviews the logic, not just the Gantt chart. If the logic does not support the sequence, the programme is not practicable under Clause 31.3.
CLAUSE 31.3 PRACTICABILITY
The programme has not been revised at the required intervals
Clause 32.2 requires revisions at intervals no longer than those stated in the Contract Data. A programme accepted at mobilisation that has not been revised in 3 months is technically accepted but commercially useless for CE assessment. The baseline drifts and Clause 64.1 exposure increases with every missed revision.
CLAUSE 32.2 REVISION INTERVALS
Clause 32 compliance maintained through delivery. On a £50M+ NEC3 gas infrastructure package, programme compliance was maintained through monthly Clause 32 revision cycles from baseline to Completion, with accepted programme status preserved throughout for CE assessment purposes. View case study
WHAT THE CONTRACT REQUIRES
The nine things Clause 31.2 says your programme must show
Each of these is a specific information requirement. If any are missing, the Project Manager has grounds to withhold acceptance under Clause 31.3. Our compliance review checks every one.
REQUIREMENT 1
Starting date, access dates, Key Dates and Completion Date
The dates the contract sets, shown as the Contract Data states them. A missing or wrong contract date is a reason not to accept.
REQUIREMENT 2
Order and timing of the Contractor's operations
The programme must show the intended sequence: what comes first, what follows, what runs in parallel. Logic links must support the sequence, not just the bar chart layout.
REQUIREMENT 3
Float, time risk allowances, health and safety requirements and procedures
Float and time risk allowances must be visible, together with the health and safety requirements and the procedures the contract sets out.
Most common rejection trigger
REQUIREMENT 4
Planned Completion
The date the Contractor forecasts the works will be complete. It can differ from the Completion Date. The gap between the two is terminal float.
REQUIREMENT 5
The work of the Client and Others
The order and timing of their work, as last agreed with them or as the Scope states. Their dates drive yours.
REQUIREMENT 6
Dates for provision of information and other things
Dates when the contractor needs information, access, materials, approvals or other things from the client or third parties. These establish the interface obligations that drive change discussions.
REQUIREMENT 7
Other information required by the Scope
The Works Information (or Scope) may require additional programme content specific to the project, such as commissioning sequences, testing phases or sectional completion dates.
REQUIREMENT 8
Dates for meeting Conditions for Key Dates
Where Key Dates are specified in the Contract Data, the programme must show when and how these will be met. Missing Key Dates is a compliance gap with direct commercial consequences.
REQUIREMENT 9
How each operation will be done
For each operation, a statement of how the Contractor plans to do the work and the principal Equipment and other resources it will use. A statement, not a resource-loaded programme, unless the Scope asks for one.
WHAT WE PRODUCE
Outputs that get the programme accepted and keep it compliant
Each output is structured to satisfy Clause 31/32 requirements and withstand PM scrutiny.
REVIEW OUTPUT
Compliance review and findings
A concise findings note identifying every gap that affects acceptance: Clause 31.2 information requirements, logic integrity, constraint behaviour, calendar alignment, baseline status and narrative consistency.
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Gap-by-gap assessment against Clause 31.2 requirements
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Logic and constraint integrity check
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Calendar, float and time risk allowance review
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Priority actions ranked by acceptance risk
CORRECTION OUTPUT
Submission-ready programme improvements
Targeted corrections to logic, constraints, calendars, WBS structure, activity naming and milestone behaviour. The programme is brought to a standard that satisfies acceptance criteria before submission.
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Logic repair and constraint clean-up
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Calendar alignment to actual working patterns
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Float and time risk allowances made visible
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Reviewed by an NEC Accredited Project Manager before submission
NARRATIVE OUTPUT
Programme narrative matched to the schedule
A concise written basis of schedule covering assumptions, constraints, key dates, sequencing rationale, interfaces and baseline status. Written to match the programme logic so both documents tell the same story at submission.
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Assumptions and constraints explicitly documented
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Sequencing rationale traceable to the logic
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Submission-ready format for PM review
ONGOING OUTPUT
Update rules and revision discipline
Defined update rules that keep the programme compliant through delivery: data dates, cut-offs, progress rules, revision cadence and minimum evidence expectations. So Clause 32.2 compliance is maintained, not just achieved once at mobilisation.
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Update cadence aligned to Contract Data intervals
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Cut-off and progress rules documented
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Revision cycle embedded for Clause 32.2 compliance
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CE implementation reflected at each revision
WHO IT'S FOR
Contractors whose programmes have been rejected, are at risk of rejection or need to stay accepted through delivery
Particularly valuable where programme acceptance has stalled, Clause 64.1 exposure is increasing or the team needs to establish a revision cycle that satisfies Clause 32.2 intervals.
WORKS FOR
HOW IT WORKS
Assess, correct, embed the rules
Scope confirmed in writing before any chargeable work begins. Can run as a one-off review or as retained compliance support through delivery.
STAGE 01
Assess and align
Confirm the contract form (NEC3/NEC4/JCT/FIDIC), client submission requirements, programme purpose and how it is used in reporting and change. Agree what the programme must show to satisfy acceptance.
WRITTEN SCOPE BEFORE BILLING
STAGE 02
Correct and strengthen
Apply targeted improvements to logic, constraints, calendars, baseline status and progress rules. Align the narrative so the submission and programme tell the same story and satisfy Clause 31/32 expectations.
SENIOR REVIEW BEFORE SUBMISSION
STAGE 03
Embed the revision cycle
Define update rules that keep the programme compliant through delivery: data dates, cut-offs, progress rules, revision cadence. So Clause 32.2 compliance is maintained at every interval, not just at mobilisation.
RETAINED OR ONE-OFF
PRICING
One-off review or retained compliance support
Pricing reflects programme complexity, the number of compliance gaps and whether this runs as a one-off review or retained support through delivery cycles.
ENGAGEMENT STRUCTURE
FIXED-FEE OPTIONS
Fixed fee where scope allows, otherwise a defined upper limit. Confirmed before any chargeable work begins.
SCOPE CONFIRMED IN WRITING
Outputs, fee and timeline confirmed before chargeable work begins.
INITIAL SCOPING AT NO CHARGE
A short call to confirm fit, scope and next step.
MINIMUMS AGREED UPFRONT
Any monthly cycle or minimum period is confirmed before work starts.
ONE-OFF REVIEW
From £950 + VAT
COMPLIANCE CHECK + FINDINGS
Your programme checked against Clause 31.2 and the Scope, with written findings on what would stop acceptance.
REVIEW & CORRECTION
From £1,950 + VAT
FIX TO ACCEPTANCE STANDARD
The check, then the corrections made in the native file, ready to resubmit.
RETAINED COMPLIANCE
Scoped
ONGOING CL.32.2 SUPPORT
Clause 32 revisions every cycle, so the Accepted Programme stays current for compensation events.
Retainer pricing confirmed after project review. See full pricing
FURTHER READING
Practical guidance on NEC programme compliance
CLAUSE 31
NEC Clause 31 Programme Acceptance: The Complete Guide
What the accepted programme protects, how deemed acceptance works and why a programme accepted at mobilisation provides almost no commercial protection by month six.
CLAUSE 32
What a clause 32 programme revision actually needs to show under NEC
What Clause 32.1 says a revised programme must show, when Clause 32.2 requires one and how to get it accepted.
TIME RISK
Terminal float in NEC: who owns it and why it isn't time risk allowance
How time risk allowances interact with programme acceptance and CE assessment and why showing them is a Clause 31.2 requirement.
PROGRAMME RESOURCE
Before your Clause 31 or Clause 32 submission, check this list
A practical pre-submission checklist for NEC4 programme acceptance. Built for contractor teams who need to check Clause 31.2 completeness, programme logic and submission risk before issue.
Direct PDF download, no email required.
PDF DOWNLOAD
NEC4 PROGRAMME ACCEPTANCE CHECKLIST
The pre-submission gate. What to verify in your P6 or MS Project file before you press submit.
A working list of the contract-data, Clause 31.2, logic-integrity and submission-package checks that decide whether a programme is ready for acceptance. Written for the person preparing the submission. Useful to planning managers, commercial teams and project leads who need to know where the risk sits. Includes the Clause 31.3 time-bar machinery that is often missed.
✓ Single page A4
✓ Clause 31.2 / 31.3 / 50.5
✓ Print or screen tick