GVE's team win 2024-2025 Publishing Award

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GVE's team wins prestigious industry award for second time

We are celebrating another publishing accolade as GVE’s managing quantity surveyor, Jamie McKenna has won the 2024-2025 CICES Publishing Award in the commercial management category for his article, Misuse of amendments to standard forms of contract. The article featured in the November 2024 edition of the Civil Engineering Surveyor Journal published by the CICES (Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveying).

The article examined the misuse of amendments to standard forms of contract within the construction industry, particularly in efforts to tailor contracts to specific project requirements. It focuses on the NEC, JCT, and FIDIC suites of contracts, which are widely adopted across various sectors and jurisdictions.

The primary objective of the article was to underscore the importance of responsible and transparent contract drafting. While amendments can serve a legitimate function in addressing the complexities and bespoke needs of construction projects, they also carry the potential to undermine the core principles and risk allocations embedded in the original standard forms. The article highlights that such modifications must be approached with mutual understanding and clarity among contracting parties to avoid ambiguity and unintended consequences. Inappropriate or excessive amendments may distort the intended contractual balance, effectively negating the rationale behind the selection of a particular standard form.

This is the second time GVE’s team have won the award in recent years following GVE’s associate director and NEC specialist Andrew Wooldridge-Irving, and consultant surveyor, Alex Tolson winning the award in the same category for their series on X Options which ran from May 2022 - January 2023.

Jamie is currently on assignment as a commercial manager on the Heathrow H7 Framework, leading the terminals and tunnels commercial team. This role encompasses a wide-ranging portfolio, including cladding works on the main tunnel, retail space optimisation, water treatment initiatives and upgrades to PRS Host Areas, amongst other projects.

GVE Commercial Solutions are NEC and JCT contract practitioners, committed to producing accessible resources for construction professionals. We write and contribute regular articles in industry press including Civil Engineering Surveyor and the NEC newsletter to support continued professional development within the NEC community and encourage correct use of the contract.

Look out for our piece on Commercial Pitfalls to Avoid presented by GVE’s managing director, Steve Goodwin at the June 2025 CICES Commercial Management conference - coming soon!