CEEQUAL for Term Contracts now available

CEEQUAL for Term Contracts is the latest extension of the CEEQUAL Assessment and Awards Scheme for improving sustainability in civil engineering, infrastructure, landscaping and the public realm. It was specifically created for the assessment of engineering and public realm work that is undertaken through contracts covering work in a geographical or operational area over many years. Examples include highway, rail or sewer maintenance, regular interventions in rivers or drainage channels to maintain channel capacity, and a series of minor new works such as road junction remodelling, track maintenance and renewals or minor realignments.

Telecommunications installation by Skanska for Network Rail

Environmental management of work undertaken through term contracts, which is often distributed over a wide geographical area and with each item of work often comparatively small, presents special challenges. With up to 2000 works orders per month, project-scale environmental management procedures do not work, and need to be amended. CEEQUAL’s methodology has therefore been adapted for this way of undertaking the contracted work.

At one end of the scale, the works covered by such contracts may simply be straightforward road maintenance whereas, at the other end, significant new construction may be involved. For this reason, as well as two Manuals, there is the provision for an increased level of scoping-out of questions compared to projects, to match the scale and nature of the works being assessed under CEEQUAL for Term Contracts.

Term contracts offer a convenient means of carrying out large numbers of discrete jobs of relatively low individual value. Through this mechanism procurement costs per job are minimised by work simply being initiated by a written order or instruction.

The success of such a contract is normally a reflection of the strength of the contractor’s understanding of the client’s requirements, the teamwork generated amongst the parties, and the successful delivery of these requirements. So it is recognised that any assessment of term contracts should be a team effort between all parties involved in the contract: client, designer (if included), contractor and contract manager or engineer. This approach should maximise the opportunity for any CEEQUAL Assessment to be ultimately successful. It is also why there will be just one type of Term Contract Award compared to five for CEEQUAL for Projects.

Those who wish to use CEEQUAL for Term Contracts will need training either through a 2-day Term Contracts Assessor Training Course or, if already a trained CEEQUAL Projects Assessor, through a one-day extension course.

For further information please contact Roger Venables, CEEQUAL Chief Executive (020 3137 2379; E-mail: roger.venables@ceequal.com) or go to www.ceequal.com/term_contracts.htm.