Gerald Nash
Question:285. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the review of the capital works management framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18891/20]
View answerTuesday, 28 July 2020
Questions (285)
Written answers
The Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF) represents the tools that a public body must use to procure and manage the external resources necessary to deliver a public works project that is to be delivered under the Exchequer-funded element of the National Development Plan.
A review of the policies and practices deployed in the procurement of public works projects commenced in March 2019. The focus of the review is on improving the delivery of construction projects in terms of quality, timely delivery and cost outcomes.
The review will deliver significant changes to the CWMF over the coming years. The review process involves extensive engagement led by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP), both with industry stakeholders, and with the public bodies charged with the delivery of public works projects on a broad range of issues such as:
- price variation;
- risk management;
- creating a better quality: price balance in the award of contracts;
- adoption of BIM on public works projects;
- liability, indemnity and insurance requirements;
- performance evaluation;
- encouraging collaborative working.
A high-level strategy has been developed with the Government Contracts Committee for Construction (GCCC) to guide the implementation which will be addressed primarily through the progressive refinement and enhancement of the CWMF.
Whilst the onset of Covid-19 has impacted on the conduct of the review, progress is being made on a number of fronts.
- The initial focus is on the engagement of consultancy services, which is aimed at driving better project definition, in order to provide greater certainty for all those engaged in the construction stage. Overall improvement in project definition is required through establishing minimum standards for information at the different stages of a project’s development. A consultation paper was published in May 2019 setting out four measures that will improve the service provided:
1. Setting minimum standards for Project Briefs;
2. Establishing standard definitions for the scope of services required from the main consultancy appointments;
3. Linking the fee makeup to the scope of services;
4. Introducing clear reporting lines for each member of the design team with a particular focus on cost reporting.
Work is ongoing on the detailed implementation aspects which will be delivered throughout 2020 by means of changes to the template tender documents, publication of new guidance material and exploring digital solutions to the presentation of 2) and 3) above.
- A review of the price variation mechanisms used in both the CWMF consultancy and construction contracts is currently underway.
- Extensive engagement has taken place with the NSAI and other stakeholders in developing technical standards which will enable public bodies to procure Building Information Modelling services in a consistent manner across the NDP. An implementation plan for the adoption of BIM will be launched shortly setting out dates for a phased adoption of BIM.
- The OGP is engaging with key stakeholders on the issue of liability, indemnities and insurance and is also reviewing broader aspects of the required terms in the contracts used to engage design teams and contractors. A number of meetings have been held in February/March with further engagement necessary before a position paper is prepared for consultation purposes.
- Engagement is ongoing in developing standard metrics for life cycle costing and life cycle analysis that can be applied to the evaluation of projects’ cost of use in service and full life cycle analysis, including the carbon impact of individual projects. The OGP is liaising with the GCCC and the Irish Green Building Council in developing these metrics. A position paper will be published in Q4 of 2020 for public consultation.
- The Cost Control Templates published under the CWMF are undergoing review to incorporate the International Construction Measurement Standard (ICMS). A working group has been established and revised templates will be published in Q3 of 2020. ICMS is a global standard for benchmarking and reporting of construction project cost and covers both capital and whole life costing while providing a way of presenting costs in a consistent format.