Building Services Sector Backs Industry Prequalification Standard

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31 March 2021

Companies from the building services sector are encouraging the construction industry to embrace the new Common Assessment Standard, following the announcement of a data-sharing agreement between the scheme’s providers. 

Both CHAS, the supply chain risk management body and Actuate UK, the umbrella body for the engineering services sector, have expressed their support for the revitalised prequalification Common Assessment Standard.

The Common Assessment Standard was launched in 2019 by Build UK, with the support of CECA, Actuate UK member bodies and a range of industry stakeholders aims to remove wasteful commercial and public sector prequalification through the adoption of widely specified common assessment prequalification (PQ) questions. 

CHAS was the first Recognised Assessment Body to offer the Common Assessment Standard which has fast become the industry’s gold standard for pre-qualification. 

 

"We encourage public sector and commercial clients and other buyers to adopt the Common Assessment Standard in their procurement processes, giving suppliers a widely recognized route to cost-effective supply chain prequalification."

–Rachel Davidson

Certification Director at BESA

Data Sharing

Significantly, a new data-sharing solution has been introduced, enabling contractors and clients to obtain key PQ responses from any Recognised Assessment Body. Data sharing is expected to increase the specification of the Standard by main contractors and other buyers and increasingly, suppliers will only need to be certified by one Recognised Assessment Body, saving time and money.

The prequalification system is currently overseen by an Interim Cross-Industry Body including public and private sector clients, contractors and trade associations. According to Paul Reeve, CSR Director at Actuate UK member ECA and deputy chair of the Cross-Industry Body:

“We welcome the introduction of ‘data sharing’ to the Common Assessment Standard. Data sharing paves the way for increased specification by main contractors and other buyers and offers suppliers more choice about who carries out their prequalification assessment. It will also help to deliver the savings and efficiencies that the supply chain has long been looking for, by reducing the need for multiple PQ questionnaires and schemes.”

Rachel Davidson, Certification Director at BESA, another Actuate UK member, and member of the Standard’s Questions Review Group added:

“With the introduction of data sharing, an industry-wide solution to prequalification waste is now in sight. We encourage public sector and commercial clients and other buyers to adopt the Common Assessment Standard in their procurement processes, giving suppliers a widely recognized route to cost-effective supply chain prequalification”.   

Picture: a photograph of Ian McKinnon

CHAS Managing Director Ian McKinnon also added: “The data-sharing agreement for the Common Assessment Standard is a major step forward for the construction industry and comes as positive news after what has been a challenging period for so many. 

“We now need the industry to continue to embrace the scheme and we hope the efficiencies offered by the data-sharing agreement will provide further incentive for everyone to do so. We urge contractors and clients to contact CHAS today to find out more about the benefits of adopting the Common Assessment standard and how CHAS can help.” 

Picture: a photograph of a person welding

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 31 March 2021

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