| ABSTRACT |
The invention relates to a method and system for early identification and management of dispute risk in construction projects, particularly public construction projects administered under standard contractual frameworks. Conventional dispute management mechanisms are typically reactive and are initiated only after disputes have formally arisen, resulting in increased costs, delays, and adversarial 10 relationships. The present invention addresses these limitations by providing a proactive dispute early-warning mechanism that operates prior to the crystallization of disputes. In accordance with the invention, project administration data generated during the execution of a construction project are collected and analyses to identify predefined dispute indicators associated with contractual, administrative, technical, and operational aspects of the project. Each dispute indicator is assigned a weighted value reflecting its relative contribution to dispute risk. The weighted indicators are processed to compute a dispute early-warning index that represents a quantified level of dispute risk. The computed dispute early-warning index is categorized into predefined dispute risk levels based on predetermined threshold values. Upon classification into a particular risk level, the system automatically triggers predefined management actions, enabling timely intervention to mitigate potential disputes before escalation into formal claim, adjudication, arbitration, or litigation processes. The invention further provides for continuous updating of the dispute early-warning index and storage of historical dispute data to support ongoing improvement of dispute risk management practices. Advantageously, the invention transforms routine construction project information into actionable dispute-risk intelligence, enhances construction governance, reduces dispute escalation, and improves efficiency, transparency, and predictability in construction project management environments.
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