Artificial Surfaces
commencement planning conditions that need dealing with and pre-start logistics agreed, such as access issues etc. The industry at large tends not to be over contractual and prefers to work on a more informal basis whereby the client and contractor have a good working relationship. Larger main contractors tend to adopt a more formal stance, and contracts tend to be more meticulous.
It is true to say that, if contracts have to be continually referred to and or quoted, then it is reasonable to question the working relationship you have with the contractor anyway and the methodology used to appoint the contractor. Strained relationships do not make for good contract works, in my experience, and it is always best to start off on the right foot. If you are fair to a good contractor then they will be fair in return and build a sustainable cost effective facility on your behalf.
I would always try to notify contractors when they are unsuccessful for a tender, but try to keep the information brief, as I have been asked on previous occasions for detailed explanations as to why an appointment has been made. Some governing bodies and larger organisations, including quantity surveyors, use more formal feedback systems whereby more detail is provided. Also, headline details of pricing can be made available to all parties. Scoring systems, as already mentioned, can be used to grade and allocate a contract to a contractor and this information can be made public as well.
Local authorities tend to have formal systems in place to follow legislation because they are publically accountable and, as such, a methodology will need to be adopted which is suited to your organisation.
108 I PC APRIL/MAY 2015
Personally, nearly all of my work is in the private sector and, therefore, objectivity and fairness is the stated aim in the context of available resources and client requirements.
Contracts
It is not unusual within the sports construction industry to use standard building contracts as a formal agreement between contractor and client. Typically, JCT or NBS contracts are used with some element of contractor’s design. The client would prepare a tender stage package, including preliminaries and a detailed set of employer’s requirements and supporting documentation. This will allow the contractor to fully understand the requirements of the client as set out in the tender documentation that they are asked to price against.
I believe that this is a useful compromise between setting out what the client wants in detail, and the contractor having the design responsibility, experience and opportunity to impart their own ideas for delivering the completed facility on behalf of the client. Ultimately, the design risk lies with the contractor, but you will find that most contractors are happy with this as it gives them the advantages, as stated already with the surety, that they have the opportunity of building a sound design solution. Ambiguity in terms of design is best avoided as this can lead to complications and conflicts on site as the project develops. Thereby, a detailed employer’s brief is useful and, I would suggest, necessary. The more detail you can give the contractor, the more accurate the price becomes and the greater clarity that is achieved with the agreed design solution leading to fewer delivery issues on site.
The contracts themselves can be prepared by an experienced consultant or quantity surveyor and would normally be signed by hand by both the client and contractors, with copies held by both parties accordingly. Any supporting documentation that becomes part of the contract form would be held with the form of contract itself and prepared by the external consultant or employer’s agent, depending upon the exact contract procurement route.
Industry specialists can always give you advice on the best form of contract. This will be dependent upon contract complexity and value, but a formal contract is not unusual in industry. For small scale projects, or if felt necessary, letters of agreement can form a contract between client and main contractor and can work well where the contractor is known to the client or for low value contracts.
Project management - site monitoring
This is, without doubt, one of the most important tasks that a consultant undertakes. Regardless of any
documentation in place, what takes place on site on an ongoing basis during the construction works is fundamentally important and should be observed and recorded on a regular basis. I really feel that I earn my money in this department, and it is imperative that we can make a commitment to regular visits to site.
Aside from all the logistics and
organisation that needs to be undertaken as part of formal contract meetings, regular site visits allow you to understand the works that have taken place. It also allows you to partake in ongoing dialogue with the contactor as to who is on site and what works are scheduled, and to record them
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