Last week, our Director David Feehan had the privilege of presenting at the IBEW Singapore event, sharing insights on “The Hong Kong Experience with NEC Contracts.”

Between 2009 and 2019, Hong Kong embraced NEC, with over 400 public works contracts valued at HK$250 billion delivered under this collaborative framework. It is now the default procurement method for public works projects.

The journey hasn’t been without challenges. From adapting risk models to managing compensation events and overcoming entrenched adversarial mindsets, success requires more than just adopting a new contract form – it demands a fundamental shift in culture and collaboration.

The key takeaways? NEC has brought real benefits, but to realise its full potential, we must build capability, resist over-amending with Z clauses, and most importantly, foster trust between all parties.

The lively panel discussion brought together experts with perspectives from developers, clients, consultants and contractors to expand on the benefits and challenges of collaborative contracts.

A big thank you to Danna Er and the Society of Project Managers for organising the session, and to everyone who joined the discussion. It was an excellent opportunity to reflect on how Hong Kong’s experience can help Singapore as they move towards NEC adoption.

Contract Dispute Consultants have been engaged on numerous NEC3 and NEC4 projects in Hong Kong advising contractors on all aspects of the contract including NEC processes, disputed compensation events, quotation preparation, acceleration proposals and dispute resolution.