Multi Outcome Construction Policy (final report)

commented that the 10% Training Policy has not necessitated the creation of a fulltimeposition with the Department. Rather it has been associated with small,additional administrative tasks for existing employees. The following extract from asection of the interview that explored the staff costs associated with the policyillustrates this point.Policy Officer: “[It’s] very difficult to boil that down to full-time equivalentsbecause it’s just a very small part of the whole process.”Interviewer: “I suppose it’s just part of the contract process.”Policy Officer: “There is no-one devoted to; it’s not really a full-time positiondevoted to the administration of this policy; there will besmall parts of the people’s duties that I have mentioned likethe PQC registrar, superintendents and their reps….”Interviewer: “So just in very general terms, do you think it would pose a largeburden or a very small burden or a mentionable burden on theadditional processing?”Policy Officer: “It’s a pretty small burden….”A contracting agency: The Department of Main RoadsA similar assessment of the implementation costs of the 10% Training Policy emergedin the discussions with representatives from the Department of Main Roads. Staffcosts were identified as the main category of costs and were seen to derive, first, fromthe requirement to include the policy provisions in its tender documents. TheDepartment is also required to communicate to contractors a threat to terminate theirpre-qualification status if they are identified by DETA as non-compliant. However,apparently, it has never got to the stage where a contractor has had its prequalificationstatus terminated.The assessment of the policy officer we interviewed was that these tasks only created“very minimal” additional demands on the Department’s staff resources.Head Contractors and SubcontractorsThe head contractors and subcontractors that we interviewed typically associated the10% Training Policy with the minimal additional costs caused by tasks involving thecompletion of paperwork on training undertaken. The small estimate of costs79