Construction Project Managers often referred to as just project managers; supervise and coordinate ample collection of projects which

includes all sorts of buildings commercial, residential, industrial structures, bridges, roads, power plants, hospitals etc. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2012). The Construction Project Managers superintend over personnel and specialized contractors, coordinate and schedule all design and construction procedure ensuring productive and safe working environment above all re-presents the client in the management of contracting and procurement activities in the construction project. In order to carry out these activities effectively and efficiently, the Construction Project Manager has to have vast knowledge in procurement, contracting, construction disputes and their legal implications (Shaker, 2007 and Levy, 2010). Knowledge in this area as it were will assist the Contract Project Manager in guiding against disputes. Levy (2010) opined that no matter how hard one tries in avoiding disputes on construction projects, one way or the other these disputes are still likely to occur but will become a formal claim if they are left unresolved noting that the goal here will be for a complete avoidance of disputes that lead claims however complex the design/construction process might be. Nevertheless, Jergeas and Hartman (1994) and Levy (2010) avow that disputes and claims are as a result of omissions, ambiguities and errors in plans and design specifications, improper coordination of plans and inaccurate or incomplete responses to questions/problems for which clarifications are sought. Others are unwillingness in complying with intent of design drawings, conditions of site which might be different from the documentation presented, changes in condition, contract breaches, delays caused by other parties, insufficient funds on the part of the contractor, subcontractors or the owner, change in scope etc. In preparing for the responsibilities of Construction Project Manager, avoiding contract disputes and guiding against dissatisfaction of his clients, should be paramount in the mind of the Construction Project Manager and as such I will recommend that the Construction Project Manager notes the following areas which will assist him in guiding against disputes since he will be in a position to review his clients documents prior to the execution of the construction project: i) Contract Knowledge: Disputes and Claims in itself depend on the precise terms of contract that govern the project execution. According to Jergeas and Hartman (1994), contractors in most cases hardly read contract documents before they bid and this is even carried on to the execution of the documents. If this is the case, then the Construction Project Manager should ensure that the contractor fully reviews the contract document ensuring that they fully understand the requirements of the project. This will go a long way in helping to avoid disputes since the grey areas will then be ironed out.

ii)

iii)

In a maintenance project I was involved in with my former employers, a clause read make good surrounding afterwards an argument later ensued because the contractor claimed that the clause did not include painting of the area involved even though provision was made for painting in the contract hence the need to fully understand the contract. Planning and Scheduling: it is generally believed that planning is the mainstay of the entire project and as such it is an area in which disputes and claims are likely to occur. In other words the Construction Project Manager must ensure that the planning is based on objectives of the project which are clearly defined. In accordance with Jergeas and Hartman (1994), when planning is properly done, adequate time is allotted to each activity, enough resources are provided at the right time, every activity begins as at and when due especially in complex projects when the different professionals are scheduled for different activities on site. This will help in guiding against downtime disputes from different contractors on site. In keeping with the thoughts of Levy (2010), one must all the time be alert to the events that might invent delays as this can lead to claims by a contractor noting that the exploration of construction delay process should begin with contractor related quasi-legal terms. Being Proactive: A Construction Project Manager should be proactive in his dealings especially in the management of a construction project in other to be able to properly protect the interest of his client and reduce liability (Jergeas and Hartman, 1994). The Construction Project Manager should place himself in a position to be able to respond very quickly to all complaints that arise on site however minor they tend to be. He should anticipate issues and request for appropriate time extension if need be stating terms of the extension with a clearance of who pays the cost of the extended time. In being proactive, the Construction Project Manager should take his time to go through all minutes of meetings and correspondences recording promptly any disagreements and resolving them before they create problems for the project (Jergeas and Hartman, 1994).

Conclusion: It is pertinent to note that avoidance of claims disputes cannot be guaranteed on a construction site. However, an understanding of causes and effects of disputes and claims on a construction site will go a long way in helping to minimize its occurrence. Fenn et al (2010) in their conclusion on the subject of dispute and claims in construction, recommends the need do a further study the construction industrys disputes and claims with the hope of generally reducing it as it is having negative effect on the industry.

References: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. (2012). Construction Managers Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, [Online] Available from: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/construction-managers.htm (Accessed 30 November 2012). Fenn, P., Lowe, D and Speck, C. (1997): Conflict and dispute in construction, Construction Management and Economics, 15:6, 513-518. [Online] Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/014461997372719 (Accessed 1 December 2012). Jergeas, G. F. and Hartman, F. T (1994). Contractors Construction-Claims Avoidance Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 120(3), pp. 553-560 [Online] Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(1994)120:3(553) Accessed 1 December 2012 Levy, S.M. (2010) Disputes and claims. In: Construction process planning and management. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, pp.251-276 [Online]. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/science/book/9781856175487 (Accessed: 29 November 2012). Levy, S.M. (2010) The construction contract. In: Construction process planning and management. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, pp.137-163 [Online]. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.liv.ac.uk/science/book/9781856175487 (Accessed: 29 November 2012). Shaker, R. J. (2007). The Construction Project Manager, [Online] Available from: http://www.construction-pm.com/The_Construction_Project_Manager.pdf (Accessed: 28 November 2012).