Suitability of FIDIC Contracts for Post-disaster Reconstruction of Infrastructure Projects

The Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) standard form of construction contract (SFCC) is among the most used construction contracts globally. It is also highly favoured by international developers, funding agencies, and aid organisations for post-disaster reconstruction projects. However, considering the distinctive nature of post-disaster reconstruction projects, the suitability of FIDIC in such projects raises many questions. Due to limited studies on the performance of infrastructure reconstruction, the impact of FIDIC and other SFCCs on post-disaster reconstruction goes unnoticed. This paper uses content analysis of literature to examine the challenges and applicability of using FIDIC in post-disaster reconstruction. The main findings of this study indicate that traditional contractual practices, including using FIDIC SFCCs, have contributed to increased project complexity and administrative obstacles in post-disaster reconstruction contexts. The evolving nature of post-disaster reconstruction projects presents significant possibilities for variations. However, managing these variations becomes challenging using lengthy administrative procedures inherent in SFCCs such as FIDIC. Furthermore, modified contracts based on FIDIC become even more challenging to comprehend, a significant concern as disasters predominantly impact developing nations where English is not the primary language. The study’s contribution to knowledge comes in twofolds; one is the identification of inadequacies of currently available contracts used in reconstruction, and the second is providing future research direction for developing tailored construction contracts for use in post-disaster infrastructure reconstruction.