PhD Final Thesis April 2013.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

Appendices to Thesis Keith Gale 2013off the wall you know, mid way through if they’re really not performing. So it’s alittle bit mixed there. I would say that definitely there are more pros than cons on thatone.Q10 In your view, what are the drivers that encourage stronger and closerrelationships between parties to a construction project? Why do you think that is?Umm, I think one of the drivers recently has been the NEC and the fact that it’s theNEC contract which encourages sort of communication, honesty, fairness, andrespect amongst both the parties. If you’ve got those things, the relationships, youknow, can only get stronger. If you respect the people that you’re working withwhichever side of the fence they’re working on err then you know, its got to be agood thing. I think communication is the key in all of it to be honest.Q11 In your opinion, what are the drivers that encourage projects to be completed‘right first time’? Does the procurement help or hinder this?Again, the ‘right first time’ is a KPI indicator that helps to make sure jobs arefinished without defects. The fact that within these frameworks the contractor knowshe’s going to be marked on this means that perhaps he’s thinking about it a little bitmore clearly than he would otherwise. So I think again when you have a stand alonecontract they haven’t got that hanging over them if you like. So all the time they’vegot one eye on the KPI indicators so they know what they are being marked on fromday one, and they know what their targets are. So yeah, the right first time, againwithin the framework the system is in place to make sure they do. When comparedwith stand alone contractors, I think frameworks can be more demanding.Q12 In your opinion, which procurement method encourages longer termrelationships between parties to a construction project? Why do you think this is?I would say in most cases it’s got be the framework. Err, you know, the fact that weknow we’re going to be working with the same group of contractors for a period, itbrings familiarity. You get to know personalities, the contractor gets to know ourmethod of working, and he gets to know how we record things and how we think405