Oliver Barnes

Oliver Barnes is a Managing Director of Secretariat. Secretariat specializes in providing independent expert advice on construction projects in the areas of programming/scheduling (delay and disruption) contract review, programme assessment, cost/damages, and productivity/inefficiency.

Mr. Barnes has over 25 years of experience in the construction industry engaged in projects and advising clients on matters involving claim preparation, delay, disruption, work front and productivity analyses. Through his circa 10 years of experience formerly as a site engineer, construction programmer/scheduler and subsequently 15 years as an expert delay analyst, Mr. Barnes has developed a comprehensive understanding of construction, scheduling and project controls. He has been engaged by multinational clients, joint ventures, and contractors on many significant domestic and international construction disputes such as the Sage Music Centre, Ras Lafan LNG Plateau Maintenance, Qatar, the Elefsina Refinery Upgrade, Greece, the SIDRA Hospital, Qatar and the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh. Mr. Barnes has also been involved with several high-profile infrastructure and energy disputes related to Coal Fired and Nuclear Power Plants together with International electricity interconnectors between countries.

Mr. Barnes’s straight forward independent approach to difficult scheduling issues, is achieved by applying his knowledge of construction and a practical application to the matter at hand. He has testified twice as an independent expert witness in, Europe under the following forums: ICC, and to a DAB in South Africa. He has also given written evidence in the Technology and Construction Court (TCC – London). Mr. Barnes has experience in the following sectors: oil and gas, power, nuclear, rail, highways/bridges/airports, hospitals, stadiums, high-rise commercial/residential, education, processing facilities, manufacturing facilities and Luxury Yacht building.

Mr. Barnes has a degree in Building Management (Design & Construction) from the University of Northumbria. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building, a Member of the Academy of Experts and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.