Reviewed - "Early Contractor Involvement in Building Procurement" by David Mosey

23 September 2009 |

Shelagh Grant has reviewed long term Housing Forum supporter David Mosey's new book.

At the time David Mosey's work on the preconstruction phase of building contracts is to be published, there is wide spread concern that pressure to "revert back" to lowest price tendering will undo the benefits achieved from over a decade of progress in partnering. David's work makes a fully evidenced and robust case for a new approach to contracting that builds on the expertise of the contracting team and particularly the contractor who will build out the scheme and shows, with practical demonstration case studies many drawn from The Housing Forum's portfolio of Demonstration Projects, how the industry can make itself fit for a new generation of partnering and procurement. The worth of this book is in part due to its lawyer's perspective. It is thorough and authoritative and supported for ease of reference with contract documentation explained in an accessible style, but in particular to David's depth of understanding of the practical machinery of construction which stands out. Experience of the pitfalls of both operating on site, and the prickly path to getting there in the first place, are written into every page.

Of course, there is a lot potentially that can go wrong - and David's chapters on disputes and risks are a realistic account of what can happen without early involvement. The book as a whole is devoted to explaining how this can be avoided and in particular demonstrates that early involvement brings results not just in profits and fees but in design and programme performance. David deploys a number of demonstration projects, known to achieve higher outcomes in predictability and performance, to support his case.

Successful early involvement has to be supported by new pre-construction phase processes which bring the contractor and sub contractors to the heart of project. David emphasised that different skills and greater activity by clients must continue to be developed. These arrangements have to be secured by a pre-contract phase agreement which is enforceable, but also brings added clarity. David is undoubtedly showing the contractor that there is a way to achieve early involvement through a structured approach and that partnering and framework agreements are the key to this. Implementation of frameworks can both embed and measure continued improved performance and commercial results. David explains the techniques, principles and roles that can be used to capture the benefits which arise from early involvement.

The unique skill of this work is that it combines a powerful case - to use the expertise of the contractor to improve design, cost and performance outcomes - with the legal ways and means and the skills and techniques of project management. It is essential reading for any partnership.

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