NEC and Risk Management with Richard Patterson

NEC and Risk Management with Richard Patterson

NEC contracts: best practice tools for risk allocation and management
 
BY RICHARD PATTERSON, BA(Cantab), MBA, CEng, MICE, procurement and NEC specialist, Mott MacDonald

NEC contracts provide an ideal basis to allow and encourage appropriate risk allocation and risk management through all stages of any project or service provision. This paper explains how NEC contracts can
•    reflect the particular risk allocation intended by the parties to the contract, and
•    help the parties manage risk after the award of the contract. 
Partly because they are good for risk management, NEC contracts have anecdotally helped avoid disputes. 

This paper includes an update of one published in November 2008  to include for the effect of NEC4 that was published in 2017. The fundamental NEC principles are not affected but ECC4 changes some language and clause numbers. NEC has also been drafted to be ‘gender neutral’ and that principle has been carried through into this paper.

Read the full article here

Recent Projects

Recent news

Professional Service Contract extends Hong Kong’s localised NEC editions across the project lifecycle

Professional Service Contract extends Hong Kong’s localised NEC editions across the project lifecycle

The Hong Kong Edition of the NEC Professional Service Contract (PSC) was officially launched on 18 June at the NEC Annual Conference 2026 and Martin Barnes Awards in London.

Read more
NEC Annual Conference 2026: scaling excellence in a new age of delivery

NEC Annual Conference 2026: scaling excellence in a new age of delivery

More than 250 industry professionals gathered at the NEC Annual Conference 2026 to explore collaboration, innovation and excellence in project delivery.

Read more
NEC4 Project Alliance Contract (PAC): a major step forward for collaborative contracting

NEC4 Project Alliance Contract (PAC): a major step forward for collaborative contracting

NEC Contracts has announced the NEC4 Project Alliance Contract (PAC), the next generation of NEC alliancing contracts.

Read more
View all news