BESA to Help Cut Red Tape for Contractors

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04 May 2021

The Building Engineering Services Association has become the first trade body to adopt a new industry agreed prequalification standard that promises to cut expensive and time-consuming "red tape" for contractors.

The new Common Assessment Standard, developed by Build UK and endorsed by the Construction Leadership Council, means suppliers will only need to be certified once a year by a single recognised assessment body before tendering for work with contractors and clients who specify it.

The standard has been made possible thanks to a data-sharing agreement with the three recognised assessment bodies: Achilles, CHAS and Constructionline.

Costs Construction Industry £1 Billion Every Year

Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) notes that this is a significant improvement on the current system where different clients insist on their own prequalification questionnaires being completed meaning contractors are forced to duplicate time and effort.

Build UK estimates this wasteful process costs the construction industry as much as £1 billion every year.

BESA Chief Executive David Frise said the new approach would transform the prequalification process and make it work better for both suppliers and clients.

“By streamlining the process and linking it to a pan-industry agreed standard, it will be quicker and simpler for good quality firms to demonstrate their business credentials and clients will get the reassurance they need,” he said.

Build UK Deputy Chief Executive Jo Fautley said the new system was “a huge step towards more efficient working, which is more important than ever in the current challenging economic climate”.

Assessing Competence 

BESA has also recognised the new standard as a way of deeming to satisfy the business management section of its own Competence Assessment Standard (CAS), which companies must achieve to join the Association or remain in membership.  Any company that deems to satisfy business assurance by reaching the new standard will save a significant amount of time and duplication of effort because they will also be meeting BESA’s requirements. 

However, the Association stressed that it would continue to assess the technical competence of its members.

“It is important that individual trade bodies continue to take responsibility for the specialist technical aspects of assessing competence,” said Frise. “Our organisations are best placed to oversee whether companies are keeping up with advances in technology and working practices while also investing in training to ensure their workforces are properly equipped to carry out high quality work.

“Being able to streamline the business assurance element of pre-qualification will have the added benefit of giving them more time and resource to focus on these technical aspects. This should lead to even more improvements, including better productivity, for clients.”

Picture: a photograph of a red construction workers protective helmet

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 04 May 2021

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