Assessing Competence within Construction Gary Plant CEng MIMechE 12 th April 2012

Why assess contractors? Can they help your business Can they deliver? Will they enhance your reputation Can they harm your business Poor delivery Poor quality Accidents and incidents Reputation Commercially sound? Supervision Remedial work Why?

Who? Who should you assess? Risk £ Tactical Low risk, low spend Tactical Profit Low risk, high spend Strategic Security High risk, low spend Strategic Critical High risk, high spend

What should you assess? Consider: - What will they be doing? What risks will that expose you to? What rules and regulations are applicable? Legislation Client Site What existing certifications, management systems and approvals do they hold and do any of them provide the assurance you need? Track Record For you For others What?

When should you assess? When in doubt – don’t leave it to chance Before it’s too late Pre-contract Before work starts Before something goes wrong! Warning signs As often as necessary to maintain assurance When?

Where should the assessment take place? Desktop verses On-site On-site only if it is impossible to do remotely Where?

How do you do the assessments? Competent resources Consistency Appropriateness Keep up-to-date Records 3 rd Party service providers Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP) Scope? – don’t assume they cover everything you need Cost effective How?

Don’t leave it to chance Target assessments where they’re needed Keep them appropriate Don’t leave it too late Do as much as you can without visiting site Get as much assurance as you can from existing sources In short

Thank you