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

Appendices to Thesis Keith Gale 2013What other than the relationships and the understanding that it important to us to starton time? Yes, I think we can do things. Well, through the framework we only usecontractors who we know have a realistic view on projects and who know itsimportant to us to start on time and have tendered the work on that basis. They mightnot necessarily know the exact start date we may give an indication but as a client wetend to move the goalposts quite a bit anyway. So its better to have a contractor thatunderstands us and therefore we may be more flexible on other schemes. Otherelements are important to us and the suppliers begin to understand this through longterm relationships. You won’t necessarily penalise the contractor if you’ve got amutual agreement or whatever if they don’t start on the prescribed date.Q9 In your opinion, do you think that frameworks encourage accurate start andfinish dates more than traditional procurement method? Why do you think that is?Yeah, they can doWhy do you think that is?Well, flexibility with the old procurement method is not necessarily selectingcontractors who are performing. If you look back through traditional contractors thatwe use, I don’t think we put much weight against their performance, we were verymuch geared towards price and did not take past performance into account – on someschemes that caused problems. I think the framework is now geared towards that, andthe contractors are aware and very focused on their performance indicators. Thesuppliers are very keen to get the right scores.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?Its not really a framework issue really. I don’t think the framework has made anydifference at all to that relationship. But I think it’s a partnering approach is what’simportant. Err both parties recognising each others drivers and needs and being fairand reasonable. These are the only thing that contractors seem to exclude these daysand I think important decisions from them need to be based on fair and reasonable.410