Project at a Glance

• Tell me briefly what you are planning to build and why now.
• How would you describe the project's intended capacity, throughput, or processing scale? Options: <50 MW or equivalent, 50–200 MW or equivalent, 200–500 MW or equivalent, >500 MW or multi-train
• Which budget range does this project sit in? Options: <$100M, $100M–$500M, $500M–$1B, >$1B
• When do you expect to reach final investment decision or sanction? Options: Decision within 3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, >12 months
• Who are the primary internal stakeholders and what roles will they play in approval and oversight? Options: Project director, Head of procurement, CFO/finance, HSE lead, Operations director, Board representative, Other

Where the schedule most often trips up

• If current site constraints pushed the critical path by 12 weeks, what would stop you from holding to your current schedule?
• Walk me through the geotechnical, hydrological, and environmental findings that most affect foundation and civil design.
• Are there seasonal access windows, port restrictions, or weather windows that constrain construction months? Options: Seasonal weather windows, Port or marine restrictions, Permit-linked work windows, Community activity limitations, No regular constraints
• How many days per year, on average, is site access restricted by weather, permits, or community activities? Options: <30 days, 30–90 days, 91–180 days, >180 days

Who's actually running this ship

• Who on your leadership team has final authority to sign the EPC contract, and what would give them pause?
• List the functional approvers required for execution sign-off, for example HSE, finance, legal, and operations. Options: HSE, Finance, Legal, Operations, Procurement, Board or executive committee, Other
• Do you currently have a named project director and a construction manager committed to this schedule? Options: Yes, both named and committed, Named but not yet committed, Not assigned
• Name the decision gates that typically add more than one month to your timeline.

Money and pain: where commercial risk lives

• What single commercial risk in a lump-sum EPC would make you walk away?
• Choose the contract form you are most prepared to accept Options: Lump-sum turnkey, Target cost with incentive/fee, Cost-reimbursable / time and materials, Construction management at risk
• Do you require parent company guarantees, performance bonds, or letters of credit as a minimum? Options: Parent company guarantee, Performance bond, Letter of credit, No additional security required
• How much schedule contingency do you expect the seller to carry before liquidated damages apply? Options: <4 weeks, 4–8 weeks, 8–12 weeks, >12 weeks

Proof in the past: how you judge experience

• When a contractor points to past projects as proof, which outcome would make you immediately doubt their comparability?
• Tell me about up to three reference projects you would want to review, including project type, scale, and the issues you would probe.
• Which performance metrics from those projects matter most to you, schedule variance, cost growth, safety record, or startup performance? Options: Schedule variance (weeks overrun), Cost growth (%), Safety LTIF / TRIR, Mechanical completion timing, Startup performance / throughput
• How would a consistent schedule overrun pattern in references change your willingness to proceed with that contractor? Options: Withdraw immediately, Require additional guarantees, Proceed with higher scrutiny, Accept with no change

Long-lead items and supply chain pressure points

• Identify the single long-lead item that would collapse your critical path if it slipped.
• Indicate the long-lead items that are already ordered, under purchase order, or still open Options: Turbines or compressors, Transformers and switchgear, Heat exchangers, Distillation columns or towers, Large storage tanks, Modular skids or prefabricated modules, Specialty rotating equipment
• Have supplier commitment letters been issued for any items with lead times over 24 months? Options: Yes, letters issued, PO issued but not fully committed, No formal commitments yet
• How constrained are your logistics routes for oversized transport, and could any corridor permit denial stop arrival of critical modules?

The other options you're weighing

• What would have to be true about your incumbent contractor or internal team for you to keep them instead of hiring an integrated EPC?
• Indicate the alternatives you are actively evaluating Options: Incumbent contractor, Split packages across specialist contractors, Owner-led execution, Hybrid (owner + EPC), International turnkey EPC
• Has anyone inside your organization proposed executing this with internal resources alone? Options: Yes, fully internal, Yes, partial internal plan, No one has proposed internal execution
• If your internal team could produce named construction leads and supplier commitments for long-lead items within six weeks, would that end the external procurement? Options: Yes, we would stop external procurement, Maybe, depending on evidence, No, we would continue external procurement

Red flags that stop mobilization

• Pinpoint the single missing permit, approval, or resource that would force you to delay mobilization.
• List current status for EIA, construction permits, grid connection, and other statutory approvals Options: EIA approved, EIA pending, Construction permit approved, Construction permit pending, Grid connection approved, Grid connection pending
• Are your engineering files, P&IDs, and 3D models issued for construction and available in digital format? Options: All IFC and digital models available, Partial models available, No digital IFC models available
• Who will own the third-party tie-ins and are they enabled to approve interface changes onsite? Options: Owner's project manager, Third-party consultant, Not assigned yet
• How many full-time owner-allocated engineers and schedulers will be dedicated to this project during execution? Options: 0, 1–3, 4–9, 10+

How we'll know the project worked

• Name the single measurable performance metric at handover that, if missed, would block final acceptance.
• Choose the performance KPIs you will require at commissioning Options: Guaranteed capacity/output, Uptime/availability %, Emission limits, Throughput (t/hr or similar), Efficiency / heat rate, Other
• Are liquidated damages, availability guarantees, or bonus incentives expected as part of the commercial package? Options: Liquidated damages (LD) expected, Availability guarantees expected, Performance bonus preferred, No financial guarantees requested
• If performance testing shows outputs 5% below guarantees, what is your default acceptance path? Options: Reject handover and require remediation, Accept with extended warranty and holdback, Accept but open formal dispute resolution, Accept if seller funds corrective actions

If we proved the numbers tomorrow, what happens next

• If a seller proved cost and schedule in a small-scale pilot, what internal obstacle would still stop you from signing that week?
• When is your next procurement decision window or board meeting that could approve a contract? Options: Within 30 days, 30–90 days, 3–6 months, 6+ months
• Who will be the single point of contact for contract execution and commercial close? Options: Project director, Procurement lead, Legal/commercial lead, CFO/finance, Other
• Pick your readiness timeline for contract award Options: Immediate (0–30 days), Short (1–3 months), Medium (3–6 months), Longer (>6 months)
• Would your organization be prepared to sign within 30 days if the seller met all technical, commercial, and readiness checks? Options: Yes, Maybe with conditions, No

• Integrated EPC Delivery Walkthrough

• Confirm the current state and its cost
• You confirm the integrated delivery model assigns a single accountable owner for schedule, cost, and performance and eliminates the interface gaps you described.
• Deliver a tailored execution timeline, risk register, and long-lead procurement plan based on the scenario reviewed within five business days.
• Provide the current long-lead equipment list with confirmed delivery dates and any supplier commitments for the items discussed.
• Walk through the integrated EPC lifecycle mapped to your project
• You agree that the demonstrated procurement and supplier commitment approach materially reduces long-lead equipment risk to an acceptable level for your approval path.
• Prove long-lead equipment mitigation using your scenario
• You identify the remaining evidence and a timeline required to move from technical validation to commercial agreement.
• Confirm the buying committee members, approval milestones, and target decision date so the seller can align next deliverables.
• Show contract-level risk allocation and acceptance gates
• Validate this maps to what you described
• Agree remaining evidence and decision steps

• Integrated EPC Delivery Walkthrough
• Solution Experience Deck
• Solution Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) Package
• Detailed Engineering and IFC Drawings
• Procure Long-Lead Equipment and Major Packages
• Factory Acceptance Testing for Major Equipment
• Fabricate Skids, Modules, and Structural Steel
• Manage Global Logistics, Customs, and Heavy‑Lift Delivery
• Civil, Mechanical, and Structural Site Construction
• Self‑Perform Piping, Mechanical, Electrical, and Instrumentation
• Mechanical Completion and Pre‑Commissioning Execution
• Commissioning, Start‑up, and Performance Testing
• EPC Contract with Lump‑Sum and Performance Guarantees
• Project Controls, Earned Value Reporting, and Change Control
• Site HSE Management and Environmental Compliance Implementation
• Spare Parts, O&M Handovers, and As‑Built Documentation

Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) Package

• Identify which FEED deliverables you need included (select all that apply): process flow diagrams (PFDs), piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), mass and energy balances, plot plan, preliminary equipment list (P&ID-to-equipment mapping). Options: Process flow diagrams (PFDs), Piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), Mass and energy balances, Plot plan, Preliminary equipment list
• Provide the target design capacity and key process guarantees to be reflected in FEED (for example: throughput in t/h, product purity %, outlet temperature range).
• Specify the design codes and standards that must be applied in FEED (for example: ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, API 650, IEC electrical standards). Options: ASME BPVC, API standards (specify), IEC electrical standards, Local national code (specify), Other
• List site-specific constraints FEED must address: plot boundary coordinates, existing utilities locations, noise limits, seismic design category, bearing capacity from geotechnical report.
• Indicate any third-party studies that must be incorporated into the FEED package (for example: geotechnical report, hydrology, environmental impact assessment, jetty feasibility). Options: Geotechnical report, Environmental impact assessment, Hydrology/flood study, Existing utilities survey, None
• Estimate the required FEED completion milestone for EPC award (provide a date or number of weeks from notice to proceed).

Detailed Engineering and IFC Drawings

• List which issued-for-construction (IFC) documents you require as deliverables: discipline IFC drawings, isometric piping lists, cable schedules, single-line electrical diagrams (SLD). Options: Discipline IFC drawings, Piping isometrics, Cable schedules, Single-line electrical diagrams (SLD), Instrument index
• Specify the required engineering disciplines and minimum deliverable completeness (for example: 100% piping isometrics, 90% structural steel drawings).
• Which vendor drawings or supplier data must be integrated into the IFC set prior to procurement release (for example: compressor vendor data sheets, heat exchanger design package)?
• Provide required engineering review gates and approvers for IFC release (for example: process lead sign-off, civil load confirmation, third-party certifier).
• State the NDE and welding procedure specification (WPS) requirements to be reflected on fabrication drawings (for example: ASME Section IX, radiography percentage, weld map). Options: ASME Section IX, Radiography required, Surface NDT only, Specify custom WPS
• Indicate any local authority submission sets that IFC must support (for example: electrical permit set, building permit, environmental permit package). Options: Electrical permit, Building permit, Environmental permit, None

Procure Long-Lead Equipment and Major Packages

• Identify the major equipment packages you expect to be procured as long lead items (examples: gas turbine, compressors, centrifugal pumps, HRSG, cryogenic trains).
• Provide target delivery windows for each long-lead package or the milestone date by which equipment must be on site to meet the baseline schedule.
• Specify which performance datasheets or vendor guarantees must be attached to purchase orders (for example: specific speed, flow and head curves, guaranteed motor efficiency, vibration limits).
• Which inspection and witnessing rights do you require during vendor fabrication (for example: factory witness at pressure testing, witness of rotor balancing, third-party NDT)? Options: Witness FAT, Witness hydrotest, Third-party NDT, No witness required
• Indicate preferred payment milestones for major packages (for example: 30/40/30, advance payment then on shipment then on site acceptance). Options: Standard staged payments, Milestone-linked to FAT, On delivery, Custom (describe)
• State any supplier pre-qualification or manufacturing site audit requirements (for example: ISO 9001 certification, past project references, factory audit score). Options: ISO 9001 required, Factory audit required, Past project references required, None

Factory Acceptance Testing for Major Equipment

• List the equipment types that will require formal Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) prior to shipment (examples: turbines, compressors, control skids).
• Describe the FAT scope you expect for each package: functional test matrix, instrument point list, loop checks, performance run at specified load.
• Which parties must be invited to FAT witness sessions (for example: your process engineer, third-party inspector, platform integration team)?
• Provide the acceptance documents required from FAT for shipment release (for example: FAT protocol signed, calibrated instrument certificates, packed spares list).
• Indicate whether FAT must include site simulation (for example: simulated inlet conditions, control system loopback to DCS). Options: Full site simulation required, Partial simulation, Standard factory tests only
• Specify any environmental or transport constraints that affect FAT scheduling (for example: hot-testing windows, noise limits at factory, export control hold periods).

Fabricate Skids, Modules, and Structural Steel

• Identify which systems you prefer to be delivered as pre‑fabricated skids or modules (examples: control skids, pump skids, structural steel assemblies).
• State the fabrication yard acceptance criteria you require prior to transport: dimensional survey, paint/coating thickness, NDT records, lifting points certified.
• Which coating and corrosion protection standards must the fabricator follow (for example: NACE, ISO protective coatings, galvanizing spec)? Options: NACE, ISO coating standard, Galvanizing, Project-specific spec
• Describe your preference for skid-level precommissioning: full loop test at yard, partial system checks, or no precommissioning at yard. Options: Full loop test at yard, Partial checks only, No yard precommissioning
• Provide maximum module weights and transport envelope limits applicable to the route to site (for example: max axle weight, max width, max height).
• Indicate if you require traceability documents from fabrication: mill certificates, welding journals, heat treatment records. Options: Mill certificates, Welding journals, Heat treatment records, None

Manage Global Logistics, Customs, and Heavy‑Lift Delivery

• List the origin and destination ports for major packages and any inland transport constraints (for example: nearest heavy‑lift port, limited access roads, bridge restrictions).
• Provide required customs clearance documentation and any local import exemptions you expect to use (for example: temporary import bond, duty-free project import).
• Specify heavy‑lift contractor scope expectations: shore‑to‑site crane, strand jack lifts, load-out engineering, and MTO for rigging equipment.
• Indicate preferred shipping terms for major packages (for example: delivered duty paid, delivered at place, FOB port). Options: Delivered duty paid, Delivered at place, FOB origin, CIF
• State any route-specific permits or environmental limits affecting transport windows (for example: night-time movement restrictions, marine protected area transits).
• Describe contingency expectations for delayed shipments (for example: temporary storage, accelerated freight options, late delivery penalties).

Civil, Mechanical, and Structural Site Construction

• Identify the civil and structural scopes you expect included: foundations, roadworks, drainage, retaining walls, and geotechnical mitigation works. Options: Foundations, Roadworks, Drainage, Retaining walls, Geotechnical mitigation
• Provide required design parameters from the geotechnical report to be used on civil designs (for example: allowable bearing pressure, groundwater conditions, liquefaction potential).
• Which concrete and rebar standards or mix designs must be used onsite (for example: minimum f'c, chloride limits, exposure class)?
• Describe required site surveys and as-built control: benchmark network, grid coordinates, and tolerances for elevation and alignment.
• Indicate any seasonal or environmental constraints for on-site works (for example: monsoon season shutdown, frost windows, protected species breeding seasons).
• State requirements for temporary works and their approvals: temporary shelters, cribbing, haul roads, and shoring plans.

Self‑Perform Piping, Mechanical, Electrical, and Instrumentation

• List which disciplines you expect to be self‑performed (examples: piping spools, structural erection, cable pulling, instrumentation loop terminations).
• Provide the minimum skilled crew composition and trade mix you require for peak construction (for example: number of welders, certified electricians, instrument technicians).
• Specify required craft certifications and competency records to be maintained on site (for example: welder qualifications, electrical licensure, HAZMAT training). Options: Welder qualifications, Electrical licensure, Instrument tech certification, HAZMAT training
• Describe your expectations for pipework testing on site: hydrostatic test pressures, pneumatic test limits, and required hold times per system class.
• Indicate preferred welding procedures and NDT levels for critical piping and pressure parts (for example: radiography percent, ultrasonic testing zones).
• State whether you require site-based fabrication shops and spooling yards, and any required interfaces with the fabrication yard MTO. Options: Site spooling yard required, Site shop preferred, No site fabrication required

Mechanical Completion and Pre‑Commissioning Execution

• Identify the systems and skids that must reach mechanical completion before handover (for example: rotating equipment trains, utility systems, process trains).
• Provide the mechanical completion evidence you require for each system: certified NDT reports, loop check completion, calibration certificates, and closed punch lists.
• Assign a discipline owner for mechanical completion sign-off for each system (for example: process lead for train A, electrical lead for SLD verification).
• Describe the precommissioning sequence you expect on site: flushing, blowdown, fuel gas leak test, lube oil conditioning, and loop checks.
• State required NDT and certification thresholds that must be uploaded before mechanical completion is accepted (for example: 100% weld mapping, traceable mill certificates).
• Which temporary systems or utilities must be available to support precommissioning (for example: temporary power, service water, instrument air)? Options: Temporary power, Service water, Instrument air, Temporary fuel

Commissioning, Start‑up, and Performance Testing

• Provide the measurable performance acceptance criteria that will confirm the plant meets contractual guarantees (for example: rated capacity in MW or t/h, emissions limits in mg/Nm3, availability % over acceptance test period).
• Describe the scope of start-up support you expect from the delivery team: turnaround supervision, operator training, tuning of control loops, and one-month performance stabilization.
• Indicate the duration and conditions of the performance test window (for example: 168 hours steady-state at guaranteed load, ambient conditions range).
• Which emissions or regulatory monitoring must be active during performance testing (for example: continuous emissions monitoring system, stack testing protocol)?
• Specify required operator and maintenance team handover content during commissioning: O&M manuals, SOPs, training logs, and control system recipes.
• State any acceptance exceptions that are negotiable during performance testing (for example: derate allowance for ambient temperature, temporary bypass for non-critical system).

• Master EPC Agreement
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Price, Payment & Security Schedule
• Performance & Schedule Guarantees
• Change Control & Variation Order Procedure
• Governance & Steering Committee Charter
• Acceptance, Commissioning & Test Protocols
• Risk Allocation, Indemnities & Insurance Schedule
• Performance Security & Bonds
• Permits, Site Access & Utilities Responsibility Schedule
• Supply Chain & Long‑Lead Equipment Commitment
• Dispute Resolution & Termination Agreement
• Regulatory & Compliance Addendum (conditional)

• Go-live Health Check (weeks 1-4)
• First Operational Measurement (weeks 4-10)
• 90-day Warranty and Remediation Review
• Quarterly Operational Review
• Annual Lessons Learned and Closure Review

• Publish the quarterly KPI variance report with assigned remediation tasks and target close dates.
• Publish a remediation closure report with test evidence for items declared closed.
• List remaining SLA-breached items with targeted supplier actions and dates.
• Transition monitoring responsibilities and dashboards to the operations owner for steady-state review.
• KPI trends and variance analysis
• Confirm whether trailing performance meets the targets recorded in Handover & Acceptance Checklist and document corrective plans for any material variances.
• Reduce the warranty and remedial backlog through agreed prioritization and committed remediation targets for the next quarter.
• Identify any items requiring escalation and agree a timebound escalation plan.
• Re-confirm acceptance criteria from Handover & Acceptance Checklist
• Schedule required vendor interventions for top-priority backlog items and record expected delivery dates.
• Update the risk register with any newly identified operational risks and mitigation plans.
• Compile and present lessons learned
• Close the year with an agreed set of lessons learned that are assigned for institutionalization and tracked to closure.
• Agree final paths for any warranty items remaining past SLA and a timetable to resolve or transition them to long-term maintenance.
• Confirm the steady-state monitoring owners and the annual cadence for ongoing performance reviews.
• Publish the consolidated lessons learned report with assigned owners and target implementation dates.
• Produce a final backlog resolution plan for warranty items older than SLA with supplier commitments and dates.
• Handover the operational monitoring dashboard and owner list for steady-state quarterly reviews.
• All parties confirm the handover items recorded in Handover & Acceptance Checklist are understood and a short list of immediate remediation tasks is agreed.
• Named remediation tasks with owners and target close dates are documented for items that block stable operations.
• Confirm whether an incumbent system remains and the agreed wind-down approach to avoid dual-running operations.
• Publish the initial issue log with owner and target close date within 48 hours.
• Provide the operations staffing and shift roster for the next 30 days.
• If incumbent system remains, publish the decommissioning or read-only retention plan and archive verification steps.
• Present first-period performance data vs Handover & Acceptance Checklist targets
• Determine whether facility output is tracking to the performance targets recorded in Handover & Acceptance Checklist and, where not, document root causes.
• Establish a prioritized list of warranty items with remediation dates and clear owners to bring open warranty items to closure.
• Agree the date and success criteria for the next remedial measurement checkpoint.
• Deliver a reconciled performance dashboard comparing measured output to Handover & Acceptance Checklist targets within 5 business days.
• Update the warranty register with remediation owners and committed close dates.
• Schedule targeted troubleshooting sessions for each high-severity performance gap.
• Status of warranty item closure and SLA performance
• Close all warranty items that met remediation criteria, and document a remediation plan and timeline for remaining items beyond SLA.
• Validate that remedial fixes are effective through test evidence and decide which items move into steady-state monitoring.
• Agree an escalation path and dates for any warranty items requiring supplier or fabrication work beyond the 90-day window.
• Commissioning and deployment validation
• Warranty and remedial backlog review
• Backlog and warranty-after-one-year review
• Validation of remedial fixes and test results
• Warranty register review
• Operational impacts and scheduled maintenance
• Remaining high-risk items and escalation plan
• Institutionalization actions
• Root-cause diagnosis for any performance gaps
• Early operations and staffing status
• Escalations and unresolved risks
• Early issue log and immediate remediation actions
• Finalize ongoing monitoring cadence and ownership
• Operational readiness for steady-state monitoring
• Agree corrective actions and timelines
• Legacy system wind-down check
• Confirm path to remedial close and next measurement