Sultan Qaboos University And Teaching Hospital ,Oman

D.G. Jones & Partners' specialist knowledge and experience in negotiating the contract price of large projects with international contractors was particularly useful on the Sultan Qaboos University and Teaching Hospital.

The university itself, was completed in 1986, provides faculties for education and islamic science, agriculture, engineering, science and medicine together with a library, conference centre, administration building, mosque, 2,000 seat amphitheatre, sport and recreational facilities as well as student residences and staff housing.

D.G. Jones & Partners had an appointment directly with the Oman Government as quantity surveyors and construction cost consultants to negotiate on their behalf and were the only independently appointed consultants. Full quantity surveying services for both the pre-contract and post-contract stages were included.

Following six months of price negotiations between the firm (on behalf of the Government) and Cementation International Limited of the United Kingdom, a contract was signed in March 1982 between the Government and Cementation for the design and construction of the university, with YRM International of the United Kingdom carrying out the design.

The university contract price comprised seven 'target prices' for separate packages of the work, each of which in turn had to be designed in detail and a 'final' lump sum price negotiated and agreed. After almost two years of intensive price negotiations between Cementation and D.G. Jones & Partners, the price for the final package was agreed. Construction on site was completed in 1986.

In 1983 negotiations commenced for the addition to the University Contract of a 500 bed teaching hospital. A target price was agreed in November 1983, the teaching hospital design was finalised and a lump sum price negotiated and agreed in November 1984. Construction of the hospital was completed in early 1988.

The final accounts for the university and teaching hospital packages respectively were within 1 % of the original negotiated contract prices.