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

Appendices to Thesis Keith Gale 2013hard because well err the local authorities employees have far more rights thanprivate employees. So that side of things, you don’t guarantee that you get the bestrelationships within the framework.Q17 Which method (traditional verses framework) do you think allows financialcontrol of a project to be used most effectively? Why do you feel this is so?Financial control of a project to be used most effectively… um… well, the thing isthat the use of a framework doesn’t guarantee that the finances are controlled. Wehave frameworks that are scheduled on rates, we have frameworks that are on umm acost reimbursable basis, and we have frameworks that are mixtures of them both. Wehave frameworks where you provide mini tenders every time umm.. so I don’t thinkyou could generalise and say any framework per se allows better financial control. Imean it depends on the methods of measurement, the schedules you know, and theway that people agree costs under that framework. Um, if it is all based on… in aperfect world with a very complete schedule then in theory it would be very closelycontrolled. In the real world I mean in civil engineering and especially highwaymaintenance, with anything involving existing infrastructure or below ground, theparameters are just too wide to be able to accurately schedule things… or to actuallyrate things on schedules covering all possible ramifications. So then you really areinto intelligent people being enlightened and making reasoned judgements based ontrust and communication. I suppose we’re back to that again.Umm, it comes down to the people involved. I don’t think the framework umbrellanecessarily makes it any easier or harder. I think it comes down to the attitude of thepeople involved. I’ve experienced attitudes within frameworks which are very goodand I’ve experienced attitudes where they’re not so good. I suppose one positivething is that through the jostling of bids or negotiations its not uncommon forproblems to be ironed out during the course of the framework so that financialcontrol will become easier based on previous agreements.Q18 Do you feel that we should continue the use of frameworks In the future whenthe current ones expire in 2012?428