EPCM Project Controls and Delivery Management Course

Course Introduction

Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) projects require sophisticated coordination between the project owner, engineering consultants, procurement specialists, construction contractors, suppliers, and other delivery partners. Unlike an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) arrangement, where a contractor typically assumes integrated responsibility for delivering a defined facility, EPCM generally involves a professional management organization coordinating engineering, procurement, and construction on behalf of the owner, while construction contracts are often placed directly by the owner. The EPCM Project Controls and Delivery Management Course equips professionals with the frameworks, practical techniques, and management capabilities needed to coordinate these interfaces, control project performance, and achieve reliable delivery outcomes.

Effective EPCM delivery depends on the integration of project scope, engineering deliverables, procurement schedules, construction packages, cost forecasts, risk registers, and contractual commitments within a coherent control environment. Fragmented information, inconsistent progress measurement, delayed technical decisions, and weak coordination between contractors can undermine productivity and compromise project objectives. This course examines how to establish an integrated project controls framework that supports accurate planning, disciplined execution, timely decision-making, and transparent reporting. Participants will learn to connect project objectives with measurable performance indicators, establish reliable baselines, and develop early-warning mechanisms that identify emerging delivery problems before they escalate.

Engineering management is a central element of EPCM performance because design maturity, technical coordination, document approvals, and timely information release directly influence procurement and construction readiness. The programme explores engineering work breakdown structures, deliverable registers, design schedules, technical query management, interdisciplinary reviews, constructability assessments, and configuration control. Participants will examine how to manage dependencies between engineering teams, equipment suppliers, construction contractors, and asset owners while reducing design rework and interface disputes. Particular attention is given to coordinating engineering progress with procurement commitments and construction work fronts so that approved technical information is available when required.

Procurement and construction management in an EPCM environment require careful attention to commercial interfaces, supplier performance, contractor coordination, and the allocation of responsibilities between the owner and its management consultant. The course covers procurement planning, bid evaluation, purchase order administration, supplier expediting, logistics, contract administration, construction packaging, and contractor performance monitoring. Participants will explore how to manage variations, claims, schedule delays, cost growth, materials shortages, and competing contractor priorities through transparent processes and evidence-based decisions. The programme also emphasizes owner accountability, clear delegation of authority, contract compliance, and reliable documentation to support sound commercial management and audit readiness.

Modern EPCM project controls increasingly depend on integrated digital systems that provide timely, consistent, and verifiable information across engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning. Participants will examine the application of integrated master schedules, earned value management, cost forecasting, risk analytics, common data environments, building information modelling, digital twins, and performance dashboards. Emerging capabilities such as artificial intelligence-assisted forecasting, automated reporting, predictive schedule analysis, and digital materials tracking can strengthen early-warning systems and improve resource coordination. The course also addresses data governance, cybersecurity, interoperability, responsible AI use, and human oversight to ensure that digital tools support dependable project decisions rather than amplify inaccurate or incomplete information.

By the end of the programme, participants will be better equipped to establish integrated project controls, improve delivery coordination, strengthen owner oversight, and manage the complex relationships that characterize EPCM projects. The learning approach combines practical planning exercises, project control simulations, procurement and construction scenarios, risk assessments, commercial case studies, and performance reporting activities. Participants will develop actionable methods for controlling costs and schedules, monitoring engineering and contractor performance, managing delivery interfaces, and supporting commissioning and operational handover. These capabilities can be applied across energy, mining, oil and gas, water, industrial facilities, manufacturing, and major infrastructure programmes.

Duration

10 days

Who Should Attend

• EPCM project directors and project managers responsible for integrated engineering and construction delivery.

• Project controls managers overseeing planning, scheduling, cost control, forecasting, and performance reporting.

• Engineering managers coordinating multidisciplinary design teams, technical reviews, and engineering deliverables.

• Procurement managers responsible for purchasing strategies, supplier coordination, expediting, and materials availability.

• Construction managers coordinating contractors, site activities, work packages, and construction readiness.

• Planning engineers and schedulers developing integrated master schedules and monitoring critical project milestones.

• Cost engineers and financial controllers managing budgets, commitments, cash flow, and estimates at completion.

• Contract administrators and commercial managers handling construction contracts, variations, claims, and disputes.

• Project management office professionals responsible for governance frameworks, reporting standards, and delivery assurance.

• Risk managers and assurance specialists overseeing project risks, control effectiveness, and corrective actions.

• Quality assurance and quality control professionals responsible for technical compliance and construction quality.

• Supply-chain, logistics, and materials management specialists supporting engineering and construction activities.

• Owner representatives and asset development teams overseeing EPCM consultants and construction contractors.

• Commissioning managers and operations personnel preparing facilities for testing, acceptance, and handover.

• Digital project controls and information management specialists implementing integrated systems and reporting dashboards.

• Professionals working in mining, oil and gas, power, renewables, water, manufacturing, and industrial infrastructure.

• Finance, audit, and compliance professionals supporting expenditure control, contract governance, and audit readiness.

• Senior executives and investment sponsors seeking improved visibility and accountability across complex capital projects.

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Design an integrated EPCM project controls framework that connects engineering deliverables, procurement commitments, construction activities, cost performance, schedule milestones, risks, and commissioning requirements.

• Establish clear governance arrangements, responsibility matrices, decision rights, reporting protocols, and escalation procedures for owners, EPCM consultants, contractors, and suppliers.

• Develop integrated master schedules that coordinate engineering deliverables, procurement lead times, construction work packages, contractor mobilization, and commissioning activities.

• Apply cost engineering methods to establish reliable budgets, monitor commitments and expenditure, forecast final project costs, and manage contingency and cash-flow requirements.

• Monitor engineering performance through deliverable registers, design progress measurement, technical query tracking, approval workflows, and structured management of design interfaces.

• Strengthen procurement controls through purchasing schedules, supplier qualification, technical and commercial evaluation, expediting, logistics coordination, and materials availability monitoring.

• Implement construction delivery controls covering work-front readiness, contractor productivity, resource utilization, field progress verification, quality requirements, and interface coordination.

• Apply earned value management, critical-path analysis, trend forecasting, and performance dashboards to detect emerging cost and schedule deviations and initiate corrective actions.

• Manage commercial and contractual interfaces through disciplined change control, variation assessment, claims administration, contractor performance monitoring, and documented decision-making.

• Establish integrated risk management processes that assess technical, commercial, supply-chain, safety, environmental, financial, and schedule uncertainties across the project lifecycle.

• Use digital project management systems, common data environments, BIM, predictive analytics, and responsible AI-supported tools to improve information quality and delivery visibility.

• Strengthen commissioning readiness, project closeout, operational handover, and lessons-learned processes to verify that project outputs meet defined technical and contractual requirements.

Comprehensive Course Outline

Module 1: EPCM Delivery Models, Roles and Responsibilities

• Fundamental principles of EPCM delivery and its distinction from EPC contracting, design-build arrangements, and traditional construction management models.

• Allocation of responsibilities between the project owner, EPCM consultant, engineering disciplines, procurement teams, construction contractors, and suppliers.

• Establishment of project governance structures, delegated authorities, responsibility matrices, communication protocols, and decision-making arrangements.

• Identification of EPCM delivery risks, including fragmented contracts, unclear accountability, interface failures, owner resource constraints, and inconsistent performance reporting.

Module 2: Project Definition and EPCM Execution Planning

• Development of project objectives, scope boundaries, execution assumptions, technical requirements, success criteria, and owner expectations.

• Preparation of EPCM execution plans covering engineering, procurement, construction, project controls, quality, safety, risk, and commissioning.

• Establishment of work breakdown structures, deliverable registers, responsibility assignment matrices, execution schedules, and interface management plans.

• Assessment of front-end engineering maturity, constructability, project readiness, site constraints, regulatory requirements, and organizational delivery capacity.

Module 3: Project Governance and Owner Oversight

• Design of governance arrangements linking owner leadership, EPCM management, engineering authorities, procurement functions, contractors, and independent assurance.

• Definition of decision rights, approval thresholds, delegated commercial powers, reporting obligations, and escalation procedures for material delivery issues.

• Establishment of project steering committees, management reviews, decision registers, issue logs, and corrective action tracking mechanisms.

• Strengthening owner oversight through independent challenge, evidence-based reporting, transparent performance reviews, and documented accountability for delivery decisions.

Module 4: Engineering Management and Deliverable Control

• Coordination of multidisciplinary engineering activities across process, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, and control disciplines.

• Development and monitoring of engineering schedules, deliverable registers, design review cycles, technical specifications, and document approval workflows.

• Management of technical queries, requests for information, interdisciplinary conflicts, design changes, and dependencies on vendor documentation.

• Application of constructability reviews, design verification, value engineering, configuration control, and digital engineering coordination to reduce rework.

Module 5: Integrated Planning and Schedule Management

• Development of integrated master schedules linking engineering releases, procurement activities, equipment manufacturing, construction work packages, and commissioning milestones.

• Application of critical-path analysis, schedule logic validation, resource loading, milestone planning, and baseline development procedures.

• Coordination of long-lead equipment, vendor drawings, site readiness, construction sequencing, contractor mobilization, and external approval dependencies.

• Use of look-ahead schedules, schedule risk analysis, milestone trend analysis, progress verification, and delay forecasting to protect delivery commitments.

Module 6: Cost Engineering and Project Financial Controls

• Preparation of project cost estimates covering engineering services, procurement packages, construction contracts, indirect costs, logistics, commissioning, and contingencies.

• Establishment of cost breakdown structures, approved budgets, commitment registers, expenditure tracking, cash-flow forecasts, and estimates at completion.

• Application of earned value management, cost variance analysis, trend forecasting, productivity measurement, and cost-to-complete assessments.

• Management of contingency drawdowns, budget revisions, inflation exposure, currency fluctuations, owner-controlled costs, and financial approval requirements.

Module 7: Procurement Planning and Supplier Management

• Development of procurement strategies, purchasing schedules, sourcing plans, package specifications, tender documentation, and commercial evaluation procedures.

• Application of supplier prequalification, technical bid evaluation, commercial comparison, due diligence, and transparent procurement decision-making.

• Administration of purchase orders, vendor data requirements, manufacturing schedules, inspections, expediting activities, and supplier performance reviews.

• Coordination of procurement deliverables with engineering release dates, construction priorities, logistics requirements, and commissioning needs.

Module 8: Materials Management, Logistics and Supply-Chain Risk

• Establishment of materials registers, inventory visibility systems, material requisition processes, warehouse controls, and site distribution arrangements.

• Coordination of freight, customs clearance, import documentation, oversized equipment transportation, preservation, and delivery sequencing.

• Management of supplier delays, materials shortages, quality rejections, geopolitical disruption, price volatility, and alternative sourcing arrangements.

• Application of digital tracking, automated notifications, predictive analytics, and supplier risk monitoring to strengthen supply-chain resilience.

Module 9: Construction Management and Contractor Coordination

• Planning and coordination of construction work packages, contractor mobilization, site access, workforce requirements, equipment availability, and work-front readiness.

• Monitoring of contractor productivity, field progress, resource utilization, construction sequencing, daily reporting, and subcontractor performance.

• Management of construction interfaces, site instructions, technical queries, temporary works, design clarifications, and material availability constraints.

• Application of workface planning, lean construction, modularization, off-site fabrication, and constraint removal to improve productivity and reduce rework.

Module 10: EPCM Project Controls and Performance Reporting

• Integration of scope, schedule, cost, procurement, engineering, construction, risk, and commissioning data into a coherent project controls environment.

• Development of key performance indicators, executive dashboards, milestone reports, progress measurement rules, and exception-based reporting arrangements.

• Application of earned value analysis, critical-path monitoring, forecast completion dates, trend analysis, and performance variance investigation.

• Establishment of data validation procedures, baseline change governance, management reporting calendars, audit trails, and corrective action accountability.

Module 11: Contract Administration and Commercial Management

• Understanding the owner’s contractual responsibilities across multiple engineering, supply, construction, inspection, and commissioning agreements.

• Administration of contractual notices, payment applications, change orders, extension-of-time requests, claims submissions, and commercial correspondence.

• Assessment of variation impacts on scope, budget, schedule, quality, risk allocation, and contractual completion obligations before approval.

• Application of negotiation, dispute avoidance, claims substantiation, mediation, and appropriate dispute resolution mechanisms to protect project value.

Module 12: Risk Management, Quality and HSE Controls

• Establishment of integrated risk registers covering technical, financial, commercial, schedule, supplier, construction, environmental, and operational uncertainties.

• Application of risk scoring, quantitative cost and schedule analysis, scenario testing, mitigation planning, contingency assessment, and risk ownership.

• Integration of quality assurance, inspection and test plans, nonconformance management, occupational safety, and environmental compliance into delivery processes.

• Monitoring of risk indicators, safety incidents, audit findings, corrective actions, residual exposure, and compliance obligations across project interfaces.

Module 13: Change Control and Interface Management

• Establishment of formal procedures for managing scope revisions, engineering changes, procurement substitutions, construction modifications, and commissioning adjustments.

• Assessment of proposed changes against cost, schedule, technical performance, safety, quality, environmental obligations, and operational requirements.

• Maintenance of interface registers, decision logs, technical query trackers, requests for information, and action registers across contractors and disciplines.

• Strengthening change governance through impact analysis, approval thresholds, configuration control, contemporaneous records, and clear accountability for implementation.

Module 14: Digital EPCM Controls, AI and Emerging Technologies

• Application of integrated project management information systems, common data environments, BIM, and digital twins to improve coordination and information consistency.

• Use of automated progress reporting, drones, geospatial monitoring, digital inspections, and computer vision to verify construction activities and site conditions.

• Application of predictive analytics, machine learning, and responsible AI-assisted forecasting to identify schedule threats, cost pressures, and procurement delays.

• Governance of cybersecurity, access controls, data quality, interoperability, digital records, and human validation of technology-supported project decisions.

Module 15: Commissioning Readiness, Handover and Project Closeout

• Development of system completion plans, mechanical completion procedures, pre-commissioning checklists, inspection records, and acceptance documentation.

• Coordination of integrated testing, equipment commissioning, performance verification, punch-list resolution, and technical acceptance by the owner.

• Management of as-built drawings, vendor manuals, warranties, spare parts, asset registers, operating procedures, and maintenance documentation.

• Completion of final accounts, contract closeout, outstanding claims resolution, handover approvals, and structured lessons-learned reviews.

Module 16: Advanced EPCM Performance Improvement and Future Trends

• Evaluation of project performance against approved cost, schedule, quality, safety, operational, and commercial objectives using verified delivery evidence.

• Application of root-cause analysis, project health checks, benchmarking, and continuous improvement methods to address recurring execution weaknesses.

• Integration of modular construction, digital twins, automation, predictive maintenance, energy efficiency, decarbonization, and climate resilience into future project strategies.

• Development of organizational capability roadmaps covering project controls maturity, data governance, supplier collaboration, knowledge management, and delivery assurance.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com Tel: +254 721 331 808

Training Venue 

The training will be held at our Upskill Training Centre. We also offer training for a group (at a discount of 10% to 50%) at requested location all over the world. The Onsite course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, buffet lunch, airport transfers, Upskill gift package, and guided tour.

Visa application, travel expenses, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Upskill certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com, +254 721 331 808

Terms of Payment:

Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 3 working days before commencement of the training so as to enable us to prepare better.