The contractor is responsible for producing a programme for construction for the job, though he must comply with any special requirements laid down in the contract documents. Under the ICE conditions the contractor must submit his proposed programme within 21 days of being awarded the contract (Clause 14(1)). Within a further period of 21 days (see Section 9.5 Item 4), the engineer must accept or reject it, or call for more information on it; if not, he is deemed to have accepted it (Clause 14(2)). If the engineer calls for more information, the same time limits are repeated.
The programme for construction may therefore have been agreed before the resident engineer goes to site. But the resident engineer needs to check what it requires with respect to (1) the provision of further drawings and information to the contractor, and (2) the provision of any materials or services to be supplied by the employer under separate contracts he has entered into, or which are to be obtained by the contractor from nominated suppliers.
The delivery times for nominated suppliers and sub-contractors should have been quoted in the main civil engineering contract, requiring the contractor to allow for them when drawing up his programme. It is prudent to add margins of safety to the delivery times quoted in the contract because (a) the contractor can only place orders with them after he is awarded the contract, and (b) the nominated firms might not deliver on their promised time, causing a delay to the contractors programme enabling him to claim for delay.
Hence the resident engineer should check the current delivery times quoted by nominated firms and advise the contractor of the latest times he must place orders.