The Aqua Group guide to procurement, tendering & contract administration / edited and updated by Mark Hackett, Ian Robinson & Gary Statham.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The period from starting a college course to successful completion of professional examinations represents a long and steep learning curve. The range of skills and the knowledge required to perform work efficiently and effectively might, at first, seem rather daunting. This guide will provide you with sufficient understanding and hold you in good stead for your early years in professional practice.

The Aqua Group Guide to Procurement, Tendering and Contract Administration is the merging of three established textbooks written by the Aqua Group - a highly respected group of architects and quantity surveyors. It has been edited, enlarged and updated into a single volume by Davis Langdon and now covers the entire building process from inception through to final account.

With clear and thorough explanations by practising professionals from this distinguished practice, you are taken through self-contained chapters covering the detail of:

* the briefing stage;
* procurement methods;
* tendering procedures; and
* contract administration.

Throughout, the emphasis is on current best practice and the book draws from the widely used Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) series of contracts, notably the 2005 edition of the Standard Building Contract.

This authoritative guide provides a detailed account of the building team's roles and responsibilities, and industry practice required to ensure that projects meet clients' expectations in respect of time, cost and quality.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Foreword (p. xvi)
• Introduction (p. xviii)
• Part I Briefing the Building Team (p. 1)
• 1 The Building Team (p. 3)
• Introduction (p. 3)
• Parties to a building contract and their supporting teams (p. 3)
• Rights, duties and responsibilities (p. 4)
• The employer (p. 4)
• The architect/contract administrator (p. 5)
• The quantity surveyor (p. 5)
• The status of named consultants (p. 5)
• Unnamed consultants with delegated powers (p. 5)
• The project manager (p. 6)
• The planning supervisor (p. 6)
• The principal contractor (p. 7)
• Sub-contractors (p. 8)
• The clerk of works (p. 8)
• Statutory requirements (p. 8)
• The CDM Regulations (p. 9)
• Avoiding disputes (p. 10)
• Communications (p. 11)
• 2 Assessing the Needs (p. 12)
• The structure (p. 12)
• The brief (p. 12)
• The initial programme (p. 14)
• The appointment (p. 16)
• Appointment documents (p. 17)
• Collateral warranties (p. 17)
• Part II Available Procurement Methods (p. 19)
• 3 Principles of Procurement (p. 21)
• Simple theory - complex practice (p. 21)
• The eternal triangle (p. 21)
• Other considerations (p. 25)
• The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 (p. 25)
• Risk (p. 26)
• Accountability (p. 26)
• Making the contract (p. 26)
• Type of contract (p. 26)
• Selection of the contractor - the tendering procedure (p. 27)
• Establishing price and time (p. 28)
• The dynamics of tendering (p. 28)
• 4 Basic Concepts (p. 30)
• Economic use of resources (p. 31)
• Labour (p. 31)
• Materials (p. 32)
• Plant (p. 32)
• Capital (p. 32)
• Contractor's contribution to design and contract programme (p. 32)
• Production cost savings (p. 33)
• Continuity (p. 34)
• Risk and accountability (p. 35)
• Accountability (p. 36)
• Summary (p. 36)
• 5 Accountability (p. 38)
• Background (p. 38)
• The modern concept of public accountability (p. 39)
• Contract documentation (p. 40)
• Proper price (p. 40)
• Dispensing with competition (p. 40)
• Inflation (p. 41)
• Value for money (p. 41)
• Summary (p. 42)
• 6 Value and Risk Management (p. 43)
• Value management (p. 43)
• Value articulation and project definition (p. 44)
• Optimisation of benefits and costs (p. 45)
• Learning lessons and performance optimisation (p. 45)
• Risk management (p. 46)
• Risk must be managed (p. 47)
• Nothing ventured nothing gained (p. 48)
• Understanding the project (p. 48)
• Risk management strategies (p. 50)
• Allocating management actions (p. 51)
• Value and risk are complementary (p. 52)
• Similarities in the processes (p. 52)
• The integrated process (p. 53)
• 7 Fixed Price and Cost Reimbursement (p. 57)
• Fixed price (p. 58)
• Cost reimbursement (p. 58)
• Application to contract elements (p. 59)
• Fluctuations (p. 59)
• Target cost contracts (p. 60)
• Use (p. 60)
• The employer's position (p. 60)
• The contractor's position (p. 61)
• Programme (p. 62)
• Summary (p. 62)
• 8 Fixed Price Contracts (p. 64)
• JCT fixed price contracts (p. 64)
• The Standard Building Contract (p. 66)
• Design and Build Contract (p. 66)
• Major Project Construction Contract (p. 67)
• Intermediate Building Contract (p. 68)
• Minor Works Building Contract (p. 69)
• Advantages and disadvantages of fixed price contracts (p. 70)
• Advantages (p. 70)
• Disadvantages (p. 70)
• 9 Cost Reimbursement Contracts (p. 71)
• The fee (p. 71)
• The Prime Cost building contract (p. 72)
• Characteristics of the form (p. 72)
• Advantages and disadvantages (p. 72)
• Advantages (p. 73)
• Disadvantages (p. 73)
• Budget and cost control (p. 73)
• Administering the contract (p. 74)
• Procedure for keeping prime costs (p. 75)
• Labour resources (p. 76)
• Materials (p. 76)
• Plant (p. 77)
• Credits (p. 77)
• Sub-letting (p. 77)
• Defective work (p. 78)
• Cost control (p. 78)
• Final account (p. 78)
• 10 Target Cost Contracts (p. 79)
• Guaranteed maximum price contracts (p. 82)
• Competition (p. 82)
• Contract (p. 82)
• Advantages and disadvantages (p. 83)
• Use (p. 83)
• 11 Management and Construction Management Contracts (p. 84)
• Payment and cost control (p. 84)
• Selection and appointment of the contractor (p. 86)
• Contract conditions (p. 87)
• Contract administration (p. 88)
• Professional advisers (p. 89)
• Advantages and disadvantages (p. 89)
• Advantages (p. 89)
• Disadvantages (p. 90)
• Construction Management (p. 91)
• Use (p. 92)
• Programme (p. 92)
• 12 Design and Build Contracts (p. 94)
• The Contract (p. 95)
• Where to use design and build (and when not to do so) (p. 97)
• Managing the design process (p. 98)
• Novation (p. 99)
• Evaluation of submissions (p. 99)
• Post-contract administration (p. 100)
• Financial administration (p. 100)
• Programme (p. 101)
• Advantages and disadvantages (p. 102)
• Advantages (p. 102)
• Disadvantages (p. 102)
• 13 Continuity Contracts (p. 104)
• Serial contracting (p. 104)
• Purpose and use (p. 105)
• Operation (p. 106)
• Continuation contracts (p. 107)
• Purpose and use (p. 108)
• Operation (p. 108)
• Term contracts (p. 110)
• Purpose and use (p. 110)
• JCT Measured Term Contract (p. 110)
• Operation (p. 111)
• 14 Partnering (p. 113)
• A definition (p. 114)
• When to adopt a partnering approach (p. 115)
• The agreement (p. 116)
• JCT Framework Agreement (p. 116)
• The partnering workshop (p. 117)
• The benefits (p. 117)
• The risks (p. 118)
• Future of partnering (p. 119)
• Part III Preparing for and Inviting Tenders (p. 121)
• 15 Procedure from Brief to Tender (p. 123)
• Initial brief (p. 123)
• Developing the brief (p. 123)
• Feasibility stage (p. 124)
• Sketch scheme (p. 124)
• Costs (p. 125)
• Procurement (p. 126)
• Detail design (p. 127)
• Programming (p. 128)
• Design team meetings (p. 129)
• Drawings (p. 129)
• Specifications (p. 130)
• Bills of quantities (p. 130)
• Specialist sub-contractors and suppliers (p. 131)
• Quality assurance (p. 132)
• Obtaining tenders (p. 133)
• 16 Pre-Contract Cost Control (p. 134)
• Cost control (p. 134)
• Reporting (p. 134)
• Establishing a budget (p. 136)
• Approximate estimates (p. 136)
• Preliminary estimate (p. 137)
• Element unit quantities estimate (p. 137)
• Approximate quantities estimate (p. 138)
• Accurate quantities estimate (p. 139)
• Cost plan (p. 139)
• Substructure (p. 140)
• Superstructure (p. 140)
• Internal finishes (p. 142)
• Fittings and furnishings (p. 143)
• Services (p. 143)
• External works (p. 149)
• Development of the cost plan (p. 150)
• Life cycle costing (p. 151)
• Cash flow (p. 152)
• 17 Drawings and Schedules (p. 154)
• The role of drawings and documents (p. 154)
• Quality (p. 155)
• Quality manuals (p. 156)
• Quality procedure codes (p. 156)
• Quality review (p. 157)
• Types, sizes and layout of drawings (p. 158)
• Size (p. 158)
• Layout and revision (p. 159)
• Scale (p. 159)
• Nature and sequence of drawing production (p. 161)
• Drawings for SBC contracts (p. 161)
• Drawings for design and build or management contracts (p. 162)
• Design intent information (p. 163)
• Computer aided design (p. 164)
• Drawing file formats and translation (p. 165)
• Project extranets (p. 165)
• Contents of drawings (p. 168)
• Survey plan (p. 168)
• Site plan, layout and drainage (p. 169)
• General arrangement (p. 169)
• Elevations of all parts of the building (p. 171)
• Descriptive sections (p. 171)
• Ceiling plans at all floor levels (p. 171)
• Construction details (scale 1:20 and 1:10) (p. 172)
• Large-scale details (scale 1:10 and 1:15) (p. 172)
• Schedules (p. 173)
• Drawings and schedules for records (p. 174)
• 18 Specifications (p. 179)
• The use of specifications (p. 179)
• Prescriptive specifications (p. 180)
• Performance specifications (p. 180)
• Descriptive specifications (p. 181)
• Specification writing (p. 181)
• Decide on format (p. 181)
• Collect information (p. 182)
• Input information (p. 183)
• Check and test (p. 183)
• Deliver (p. 184)
• The specification as a contract document (p. 185)
• 19 Bills of Quantities (p. 191)
• Tender and contract document (p. 191)
• The wider role (p. 192)
• Basic information (p. 192)
• Preliminaries (p. 192)
• Preambles (p. 194)
• Measured works (p. 194)
• Formats (p. 194)
• 20 Sub-contractors (p. 201)
• Sub-contractors (p. 201)
• Specialist sub-contractors (p. 201)
• Design by the sub-contractor (p. 202)
• The SBC and sub-contract agreements (p. 203)
• SBC provisions under the main contract (p. 204)
• 21 Obtaining Tenders (p. 205)
• Introduction (p. 205)
• Tender list (p. 206)
• Preliminary enquiry (p. 207)
• Tender documents and invitation (p. 208)
• Tender period (p. 209)
• Tender compliance (p. 209)
• Late tenders (p. 209)
• Opening tenders (p. 210)
• Examination and adjustment of the priced document (p. 210)
• Negotiated reduction of a tender (p. 211)
• Notification of results (p. 211)
• Tender analysis (p. 212)
• Part IV Contract Administration (p. 213)
• 22 Placing the Contract (p. 215)
• Preparing and signing the contract documents (p. 215)
• Sectional completion (p. 216)
• Contractor's designed portion (p. 217)
• Executing the contract (p. 219)
• Performance bonds and parent company guarantees (p. 219)
• Collateral warranties (p. 220)
• Third party rights (p. 220)
• Issue of documents (p. 220)
• Insurances (p. 222)
• 23 Rights, Duties and Liabilities under the SBC (p. 227)
• Introduction (p. 227)
• The employer (p. 227)
• The architect/contract administrator (p. 240)
• The quantity surveyor (p. 243)
• The planning supervisor (p. 244)
• The clerk of works (p. 244)
• The person-in-charge (p. 245)
• Conclusion (p. 245)
• 24 Meetings (p. 246)
• Initial meeting (p. 246)
• Introductions (p. 247)
• Factors affecting the carrying out of the works (p. 247)
• Programme (p. 248)
• Sub-contractors and suppliers (p. 249)
• Lines of communication (p. 249)
• Financial matters (p. 249)
• Procedure to be followed at subsequent meetings (p. 251)
• Contractor's meetings (p. 253)
• Employer's meetings (p. 253)
• 25 Site Duties (p. 257)
• The architect on site (p. 257)
• Supervision and inspection (p. 258)
• Routine site visits (p. 259)
• Consultants' site visits (p. 260)
• Inspections by statutory officials (p. 260)
• Records and reports (p. 261)
• Samples and testing (p. 263)
• Considerate Constructors Scheme (p. 264)
• Site safety (p. 265)
• Health and Safety Policy (p. 265)
• Fire precautions on site (p. 269)
• Regulatory control (p. 269)
• The Joint Fire Code (p. 269)
• Means of escape (p. 270)
• Fire-fighting equipment (p. 271)
• Emergency plans (p. 272)
• Providing information (p. 272)
• 26 Instructions (p. 279)
• Architect/contract administrator's instructions (p. 279)
• 27 Variations and Post-Contract Cost Control (p. 284)
• Variations (p. 284)
• Valuing variations (p. 285)
• Dayworks (p. 285)
• Cost control (p. 288)
• 28 Interim Payments (p. 291)
• Introduction (p. 291)
• Payments of pre-determined amounts at regular intervals (p. 292)
• Pre-determined payments at pre-determined stages (p. 293)
• Regular payments by detailed valuation (p. 293)
• Certificates and payments under the SBC (p. 293)
• The architect/contract administrator (p. 294)
• The quantity surveyor (p. 294)
• The employer (p. 294)
• The contractor (p. 296)
• Interim certificates under the SBC (p. 297)
• Unfixed materials and goods on site (p. 298)
• Unfixed materials and goods off site (p. 298)
• Retention under the SBC (p. 299)
• Payments to sub-contractors under the SBC (p. 300)
• Value added tax (p. 300)
• Valuation and certificate forms (p. 300)
• 29 Completion, Defects and the Final Account (p. 305)
• Practical completion (p. 305)
• Partial possession (p. 308)
• Possession of the building (p. 309)
• Defects and making good (p. 309)
• Final account (p. 310)
• Adjustment of the contract sum (p. 311)
• Practical considerations (p. 313)
• Final certificate (p. 314)
• 30 Delays and Disputes (p. 318)
• Introduction (p. 318)
• Delays caused by the contractor (p. 319)
• Delays caused by employers or their representatives (p. 319)
• Delays caused by events outside the control of either party (p. 320)
• Force majeure (p. 321)
• Exceptionally adverse weather conditions (p. 322)
• SBC procedure in the event of delay (p. 322)
• Best endeavours (p. 322)
• Notification of delay (p. 323)
• New completion dates (p. 323)
• Final adjustment (p. 324)
• Duties and decisions (p. 325)
• Reimbursement of loss and / or expense under the SBC (p. 326)
• Liquidated damages (p. 327)
• Disputes and dispute resolution (p. 328)
• Mediation (p. 329)
• Adjudication (p. 329)
• Arbitration (p. 334)
• Litigation (p. 336)
• 31 Insolvency (p. 339)
• Introduction (p. 339)
• Insolvency practitioners (p. 339)
• Liquidation (p. 340)
• Receivership (p. 341)
• Administration (p. 341)
• After the Enterprise Act 2002 (p. 342)
• Voluntary arrangements and compositions (p. 343)
• Debentures (p. 344)
• Procedure upon the insolvency of the contractor (p. 344)
• The SBC provisions (p. 345)
• Early warning signs and precautionary measures (p. 346)
• Completion of the works (p. 348)
• Completion documentation (p. 350)
• Sub-contractors (p. 351)
• Bonds (p. 352)
• Final accounts (p. 352)
• The procedure upon the insolvency of the contractor (p. 354)
• 32 Capital Allowances (p. 357)
• Introduction (p. 357)
• Eligibility for capital allowances (p. 358)
• The worth of capital allowances (p. 358)
• Tax deductions for property refurbishment schemes (p. 359)
• Capital or revenue? (p. 359)
• Incidental capital expenditure (p. 360)
• Deferred revenue expenditure (p. 360)
• Action summary (p. 361)
• Energy saving plant and machinery (p. 362)
• Key features (p. 362)
• Key exclusions (p. 363)
• How to claim ECAs (p. 364)
• Qualifying products and items (p. 364)
• Pre-contract planning to optimise capital allowances (p. 365)
• Some questions and answers (p. 365)
• Index (p. 367)

Author notes provided by Syndetics