Every compact needs project management expertise, and most MCAs buy some of it through a consultant contract. The most important decision in that contract is one that many terms of reference never state plainly: how much authority does the consultant have? When the answer is unclear, the consultant waits for approvals the MCA thought it had delegated, or acts on decisions the MCA thought it had kept. IPM has published two template terms of reference that make the choice explicit.
The Program Manager (PM) template hires the consultant as the Program Manager, working under delegated authority with MCA and MCC oversight. The Project Management Consultant (PMC) template hires an advisor. The MCA keeps every decision, and the consultant supports, recommends, and assists.
Both are editable Word documents with the same work package structure, from kick-off and the Program Management Plan through schedule management, quality, and cost control. Placeholders are marked XXXX, and guidance notes show where compact-specific details go.
Get the TOR templatesThe scope is the same in both templates. What changes is who decides. The table shows where the two models differ most.
| Dimension | Program Manager | PMC |
|---|---|---|
| Authority | Delegated decision-making within its mandate, at program and project level. | No independent authority. The MCA approves every decision. |
| Employer role on FIDIC contracts | Acts as the Employer’s delegated representative. | The MCA acts directly as Employer. The PMC supports. |
| Project plans | Develops and owns the project management plans. | MCA Project Leads develop plans with PMC support. The plans stay MCA documents. |
| Contract management | Manages each contract and reviews deliverables directly. | Supports the MCA. Only the MCA gives feedback to service providers. |
| Key Experts (minimum) | Five, including a Team Leader with a program of works over US$250 million. | Two, including a Team Leader with a project over US$100 million. |
Most compacts need something in between, and the templates are built for that. The calibration tool is the verb. A PM “shall manage” and “shall ensure.” A PMC “shall support” and “shall advise.” Go through the scope one work package at a time, choose the verb that matches the authority you intend, and update the Roles and Responsibilities table to match. The consultant can manage the schedule while only advising on contract matters. The point is that the TOR says so.
Both templates use the same payment structure: a 12-month base period, 12-month option periods, and quarterly invoices. Each invoice is triggered by MCA approval of the Quarterly Progress Report and the deliverables due in that period. That is the principle from Issue 7 in contract form. You pay for accepted outputs, not hours.
There is one clock to watch. If the MCA sends no comments within 5 working days of receiving the draft report, the report is deemed approved. As Issue 8 put it, every clock needs an owner. Name the reviewer before the first report arrives.
Good project management deserves to be seen. See where your program stands on Program Management Excellence, or nominate a colleague for Excellence in Action.
Both TOR templates require a Program Management Plan and a program dashboard. The PPMM shows how to build both. Download it — or reach out to IPM to talk through which model fits your program.