EPCM Project Planning and Controls Course

Course Introduction

Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management projects require sophisticated planning and controls because the owner, engineering consultants, procurement teams, construction contractors, suppliers, and specialist service providers operate within a highly interconnected delivery environment. Effective EPCM planning creates the structure needed to coordinate these parties while maintaining control over scope, cost, schedule, resources, risks, interfaces, and project objectives.

This course provides a practical framework for planning and controlling EPCM projects from early definition and engineering through procurement, construction management, commissioning, handover, and closeout. It examines the distinctive characteristics of the EPCM model, including distributed responsibilities, multiple contracts, owner involvement, consultant coordination, contractor interfaces, procurement dependencies, and the need for strong management information.

Participants will learn how to establish EPCM project execution strategies, work breakdown structures, integrated master schedules, cost baselines, procurement plans, engineering deliverable schedules, construction packages, risk registers, change-control systems, and performance reporting frameworks. Particular emphasis is placed on connecting planning systems across engineering, procurement, construction, commercial management, and project governance.

The course addresses the practical application of project controls within complex EPCM environments, including progress measurement, earned value management, cost forecasting, schedule analysis, resource planning, trend management, change control, risk monitoring, procurement tracking, contractor performance, and management reporting. Participants will explore how reliable data and integrated controls can provide early warning of emerging delivery problems.

EPCM projects are increasingly affected by supply-chain uncertainty, inflation, labour constraints, digital transformation, climate requirements, sustainability expectations, cybersecurity risks, and complex stakeholder environments. The course therefore incorporates modern approaches such as Building Information Modelling, digital twins, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, automated reporting, advanced schedule analytics, modular construction, and digitally enabled project controls.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to develop integrated EPCM project plans, establish effective project control systems, coordinate multidisciplinary delivery interfaces, monitor contractor and consultant performance, manage cost and schedule risks, strengthen change and risk controls, and produce decision-ready project information. The programme provides practical capabilities for improving predictability, transparency, accountability, and delivery performance across complex EPCM projects.

Duration

5 days

Who Should Attend

• EPCM project managers and project directors

• EPCM project planning managers and engineers

• Project controls managers and specialists

• Engineering managers and discipline leads

• Procurement and supply chain professionals

• Construction management professionals

• Cost engineers and cost controllers

• Planning and scheduling engineers

• Commercial and contract management professionals

• Risk management and project assurance specialists

• Project management office professionals

• Quantity surveyors and cost management specialists

• Owner’s representatives and project management consultants

• Engineering consultants and technical specialists

• Construction contractors and subcontractor management professionals

Course Objectives

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of EPCM project planning principles, delivery structures, responsibilities, interfaces, controls, and management processes across the complete project lifecycle.

• Equip participants with practical methods for developing EPCM execution plans that integrate engineering, procurement, construction management, commissioning, commercial activities, and owner requirements.

• Strengthen the ability to develop integrated master schedules that connect engineering deliverables, procurement milestones, construction activities, commissioning requirements, interfaces, and project completion objectives.

• Develop practical capabilities for establishing cost baselines, cash-flow forecasts, commitments, contingencies, cost controls, earned value systems, and reliable project cost forecasting mechanisms.

• Enhance participants’ ability to coordinate multiple contractors, consultants, suppliers, engineering disciplines, and project stakeholders through structured interface management and integrated planning processes.

• Strengthen project controls capabilities through schedule analysis, progress measurement, earned value management, trend analysis, forecasting, variance management, change control, and corrective action planning.

• Develop practical approaches for managing EPCM procurement planning, long-lead equipment, supplier schedules, technical documentation, expediting, logistics, inspection, and procurement-related schedule risks.

• Improve participants’ ability to identify, assess, monitor, and respond to technical, commercial, procurement, construction, contractual, resource, environmental, and schedule risks within EPCM delivery environments.

• Equip participants to establish effective project reporting systems, dashboards, key performance indicators, management information, data-quality processes, and escalation mechanisms for informed project decision-making.

• Prepare participants to apply emerging EPCM planning and controls technologies, including artificial intelligence, digital twins, Building Information Modelling, predictive analytics, automated reporting, and advanced project-control platforms.

Comprehensive Course Outline

Module 1: Foundations of EPCM Project Planning and Controls

• Understanding the EPCM delivery model, its contractual and organisational characteristics, stakeholder relationships, responsibilities, interfaces, and differences from EPC and other delivery approaches.

• Examining the EPCM project lifecycle from concept development and engineering through procurement, construction management, commissioning, handover, and project closeout.

• Identifying the role of project planning and controls in coordinating multiple consultants, contractors, suppliers, engineering disciplines, owner teams, and project governance structures.

• Recognising common EPCM challenges including fragmented responsibilities, interface gaps, design changes, procurement delays, contractor performance issues, cost uncertainty, and schedule disruption.

Module 2: EPCM Project Execution Planning and Work Breakdown

• Developing EPCM project execution plans covering scope, objectives, engineering strategy, procurement approach, construction management, project controls, governance, risk, quality, and stakeholder requirements.

• Establishing work breakdown structures that divide complex EPCM scope into manageable engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, commercial, and project management work packages.

• Developing responsibility assignment matrices that clarify accountabilities among owners, EPCM consultants, contractors, suppliers, engineers, project controls teams, and other delivery participants.

• Establishing planning procedures, information flows, reporting calendars, decision processes, document controls, approval requirements, and escalation arrangements for effective project coordination.

Module 3: Integrated Engineering Planning and Design Controls

• Developing engineering schedules that cover design deliverables, calculations, drawings, specifications, reviews, approvals, technical queries, procurement inputs, and construction support requirements.

• Coordinating multidisciplinary engineering activities and managing interfaces between civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, process, instrumentation, architectural, and specialist technical teams.

• Managing design maturity, constructability, technical changes, engineering deliverable status, document control, configuration management, and design approval processes.

• Linking engineering progress with procurement and construction requirements to ensure that design information is available when needed for purchasing, fabrication, installation, and commissioning.

Module 4: Procurement Planning and Supply Chain Controls

• Developing procurement schedules that integrate requisitions, tendering, technical evaluation, commercial evaluation, purchase orders, manufacturing, inspection, expediting, logistics, and delivery milestones.

• Identifying and managing long-lead equipment and critical materials whose procurement schedules can influence construction sequencing, commissioning, and overall project completion.

• Establishing procurement performance controls covering vendor documentation, manufacturing progress, inspections, factory acceptance testing, delivery forecasts, quality, and supplier risks.

• Managing supply-chain disruptions, logistics constraints, customs requirements, material shortages, transportation risks, supplier capacity limitations, and changing market conditions.

Module 5: Construction Planning and Contractor Interface Management

• Developing construction management plans covering work packaging, construction sequencing, site logistics, resources, temporary facilities, productivity requirements, quality, safety, and contractor interfaces.

• Coordinating construction contractors, subcontractors, engineering teams, suppliers, site management, project controls specialists, and owner representatives through integrated planning processes.

• Establishing reliable methods for measuring physical progress, productivity, work completion, site constraints, technical issues, resource utilisation, and construction performance.

• Managing contractor interfaces, access requirements, workfront availability, engineering releases, material availability, construction dependencies, and site coordination challenges.

Module 6: EPCM Cost and Schedule Controls

• Establishing integrated cost and schedule baselines that connect engineering, procurement, construction management, commissioning, indirect costs, resources, contingencies, and project milestones.

• Applying critical-path analysis, schedule forecasting, float analysis, progress measurement, earned value management, productivity assessment, and schedule performance indicators.

• Developing cost-control systems covering commitments, actual expenditure, accruals, forecasts, trends, variations, contingency usage, cost-to-complete, and final cost projections.

• Managing deviations through variance analysis, trend registers, change-control processes, recovery planning, reforecasting, corrective actions, and escalation to appropriate project authorities.

Module 7: Risk, Change, and Commercial Controls

• Establishing EPCM risk management frameworks covering engineering uncertainty, procurement risks, construction risks, commercial exposure, contractor performance, schedule threats, and external factors.

• Developing structured change-control processes for scope, design, cost, schedule, procurement, construction, contractual requirements, and project assumptions.

• Managing commercial interfaces among owners, EPCM consultants, contractors, suppliers, and subcontractors while maintaining clear responsibilities, records, approvals, and commercial controls.

• Applying early-warning indicators, risk trends, quantitative analysis, scenario planning, contingency assessment, and recovery strategies to protect project performance.

Module 8: Progress Measurement, Reporting, and Performance Management

• Designing integrated progress measurement systems that combine engineering deliverables, procurement milestones, construction quantities, commissioning activities, cost data, and schedule performance.

• Developing management dashboards covering cost, schedule, engineering, procurement, construction, risk, changes, contracts, resources, quality, safety, and key project performance indicators.

• Applying earned value management, trend analysis, forecasting, variance analysis, productivity indicators, schedule health assessments, and performance indices to identify emerging problems.

• Establishing reporting governance that ensures data quality, consistent definitions, timely submissions, clear accountability, exception reporting, management actions, and effective escalation.

Module 9: Project Assurance, Recovery, Commissioning, and Closeout Controls

• Applying project health checks, assurance reviews, schedule reviews, cost assessments, risk audits, technical reviews, and independent assessments to strengthen EPCM delivery confidence.

• Diagnosing troubled projects by analysing root causes of cost growth, delays, productivity problems, design issues, procurement failures, contractor performance, and interface breakdowns.

• Establishing controls for commissioning readiness, system completion, testing, punch lists, performance verification, operational handover, documentation, defects, and asset acceptance.

• Conducting closeout activities including final cost forecasting, commercial reconciliation, lessons learned, contractor performance assessment, records completion, and project performance evaluation.

Module 10: Emerging Issues and the Future of EPCM Planning and Controls

• Applying artificial intelligence, machine learning, predictive analytics, digital twins, Building Information Modelling, automated progress measurement, and integrated digital project-control platforms.

• Exploring advanced planning techniques using real-time data, predictive schedule analytics, automated dashboards, geospatial information, remote monitoring, and connected construction technologies.

• Integrating climate resilience, sustainable engineering, low-carbon procurement, circular economy principles, environmental performance, and lifecycle considerations into EPCM planning and controls.

• Preparing EPCM organisations for supply-chain volatility, geopolitical disruption, cybersecurity threats, workforce shortages, technology dependencies, regulatory changes, and increasingly complex project interfaces.

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.