Scheme to Improve Public Sector Procurement in Construction Launches

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01 November 2023

Constructing Excellence and King’s College London have launched a verification scheme to improve public sector construction frameworks.

The scheme, “Constructing the Gold Standard” aims to help clients and suppliers identify what questions they should ask when creating and implementing construction frameworks, what answers they should expect and how they can make informed decisions.

It will help to verify claims made by framework providers and provide a “measure of quality” for clients who use frameworks and for suppliers who bid for frameworks.

The scheme is being piloted by the Ministry of Justice, Environment Agency, SCAPE, CHIC, LHC, Places for People and Crown Commercial Service.  

All public sector providers of construction frameworks and all public sector clients who procure their own frameworks and alliances are eligible to apply to the scheme. 

"In order for public sector construction to make best use of limited funds, to deliver safe and high-quality outcomes and to tackle the climate crisis, all clients and supply chain members should adopt the Gold Standard recommendations."

–Professor David Mosey CBE

Professor of Construction Law, King's College London

 2021 Professor Mosey CBE Review

“Constructing the Gold Standard” is the result of 2021’s Independent Review of Public Sector Construction Frameworks, conducted by Professor David Mosey CBE. He found that over 2,000 public sector construction frameworks are currently active, with varying degrees of success.

As stated in the review: “Significant cost and time are wasted by public sector clients and bidders procuring multiple, speculative construction frameworks that are not connected to specific pipelines of work. Review participants report average bid costs for each major framework of over £247,000 for contractors and over £130,000 for consultants, with a maximum of up to £1 million in each case. 

“These costs, and the procurement costs incurred by clients, will be substantially reduced if government and industry clarify the scope of each framework and if they adopt a new Gold Standard for selection questionnaires, evaluation criteria, framework contracts, outcome-based performance measures and incentives.”

“Constructing the Gold Standard” sets out 24 recommendations, one of which is to avoid wasted procurement costs and improve supplier commitments by ensuring that frameworks offer sustainable pipelines of work.

Professor Mosey said: "In order for public sector construction to make best use of limited funds, to deliver safe and high-quality outcomes and to tackle the climate crisis, all clients and supply chain members should adopt the Gold Standard recommendations. Integrated framework alliance contracts, the application of digital information management and the implementation of urgent action plans under existing long-term contracts are among the recommendations that the construction sector and its clients should  implement to achieve the Gold Standard.”

Picture: a photograph of a tall, glass-fronted building shot from below. Image Credit: Pexels

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 01 November 2023

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