Public Sector Construction Clients' Forum
The Public Sector Construction Clients' Forum (PSCCF) was established in December 2005:
It leads improvements in the whole life value for money procurement of sustainable built environment in the public sector by:
- improving co-operation and communication with the construction industry;
- encouraging greater adoption of the principles of the Achieving Excellence in Construction Initiative;
- championing design excellence and sustainability.
Best Practice Guidance
Common Minimum Standards (CMS) for the procurement of built environments in the public sector
The Common Minimum Standards (159KB) are the standards to which built environments procured by government departments need to comply. CMS are mandatory on central government departments in England.
The CMS identify those policies/initiatives essential to whole-life value for money, while delivering safe, well designed, sustainable and well managed projects.
Fair Payment
In 2007 the Public Sector Construction Clients' Forum achieved cross-industry agreement on best Fair Payment practice. This agreement is enshrined in the Guide to Best 'Fair Payment' Practices (636KB), which includes the principles of Fair Payment, a model Charter and guidance on Project Bank Accounts. The Charter commits clients, lead contractors and supply chains to greater transparency, no unfair withholding of retentions, more efficient payment procedures and payment periods not exceeding 30 days.
Central government departments committed to implement the principles of Fair Payment on all their new projects from the 1st January 2008.
OGC Client Guide to Construction Appraisal and Evaluation
The Client Guide to Construction Appraisal and Evaluation (554KB) aims to help central government departments and agencies apply to construction expenditure the Treasury’s general "Green Book" Guidance on appraisal (before approval) and on evaluation (after implementation) of policies, programmes, or projects. It is addressed to policy staff and to those with operational responsibilities for specific projects, including investment decision makers.
What's New
OFT announce decision following their inquiry into anticompetitive practices in construction
Public sector procurers will want to be aware of the announcement on 22 September 2009 from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) concerning their decision with regard to their recent inquiry into anticompetitive practices within the construction industry. OFT has also produced an Information Note to help advise procuring organisations. That advice has been agreed with OGC. The announcement can be found at the following link:
http://www.oft.gov.uk/constructionadvice
Achieving Excellence in Construction
The Achieving Excellence in Construction (AEC) initiative was the government's response to the construction industry's Rethinking Construction/Accelerating Change improvement initiative.
AEC is the government's construction client improvement programme. It has delivered quantifiable improvements in project delivery and resulting value gains.
Read on to find out more and to access the Achieving Excellence Guides and links to other OGC construction guidance, case studies and OGC Information Notes.
The Public Sector Construction Database and the Econometric Model
The PSCD was developed to collect data on future public sector construction programmes and projects. It also allows AEC Strategic Target project performance data to be submitted by Departments.
A publicly accessible econometric Model has been developed, designed to be of benefit both centrally and at departmental level to inform funding and investment decisions and to inform the decision making process of PSCCF in its market analysis role.
