合同变更后费用控制和风险管理的重要性

合同变更在项目建设中是司空见惯的,合同变更后如果管理不善,将不利于成本的降低和绩效的提高。合同变更管理在合同起草及谈判之初就应该给予足够的重视,前摄合同不仅可以强化项目绩效,而且可以消除合同双方的沟通障碍。在合同签订之前,对项目范围和其它关键合同条款进行详细界定是非常重要的。承包方和业主方通常都依赖通行的标准合同条款来制约彼此,但即使是标准合同条款,采用时也必须慎重,合同双方必须充分明确由谁来承担变更发生后的费用和风险,明确进行变更的条件以及索赔、变更通知的方式等。此文通过对两份标准合同文本（菲迪克“银皮书”和欧洲工程学产业协会2003版总承包通用条款）中关于变更的部分条款进行分析和比较,可以看出即使是标准合同文本,在维护合同双方的利益上也有倾向性,而且没有提供详细的变更控制程序,因此,合同双方在谈判中应该考虑到这一点,并明白无误地确定变更控制的具体事项。

Importance of cost control and risk management after contract alteration

Contract alteration is a matter of common occurrence in project construction.After the contract is varied,it will not be favorable to cost reduction and results improvement in case of poor management.Importance should be attached to the management of contract alteration at the inception of contract drafting and negotiations.Proactive contract can not only strengthen the project results but also clear the obstacles in communication between both parties.Before contract signing,it is of vital importance defining in detail the scope of project and other contract terms.Generally the contractor and the employer both rely on the established standard contract provisions to bind each other.One should be extremely careful to adopt contract terms even if they are standard ones.It must be made very clear to the contracting parties who should bear the cost and assume the risks incurred from contract variations;the conditions for contract changes and the mode of claims making and of advising the other party of the alteration.Through the analysis of and comparison between the alteration clauses(General conditions for general contractors,2003 edition of "Silver Paper" of F.I.D.I.C and of the Orgalime) in the two standard contract texts,it can be seen that standard as they are,the texts have a tendentiousness in maintaining the interests of both parties.In addition,a detailed alteration control program is not provided.Therefore,this point should be taken into account in course of contract negotiations by both parties,who should unmistakably determine the specific items governing the alteration.