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9 December 2011 | Adam
Leach
The Scottish Government
should issue guidance to public authorities on how to handle procurement on
construction projects that fall below the EU threshold, according to a report.
Building a better future?, published yesterday, by The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) welcomed moves
by the government to reform the procurement process in construction projects
such as simplifying pre-qualification questionnaires and moving towards an
approach that emphasises outcomes over quality of process. However, it called
on ministers to take steps to ensure that the changes were communicated to
local authorities.
The report said: “We
recommend that Scottish ministers prepare and issue new guidance to public
authorities regarding the handling of public procurement for projects falling
below the European and the Scottish Futures Trust thresholds in order to
encourage a simpler and far more proportionate process than is in use at
present.”
Commenting on the problems
presented by an overly complex PQQs, RIAS president, Sholto Humphries, said:
“The resources required simply to submit a tender are forcing many capable,
talented and experienced practitioners to look elsewhere, either to the private
sector or out of Scotland, for work. A generation of Scottish architectural
talent is being squandered.”
At this year's Procurex Scotland conference in
Glasgow, the Scottish Government announced that it would
be rolling out a revised online PQQ, designed to make it easier for businesses,
particularly SMEs, to compete for public sector contracts. Through the online
system, bidding parties will be able to create a standardised PQQ that can be
tailored to fit specific tenders. The call from RIAS will now encourage the government
to ensure that once established, the benefits and function of the PQQ and other
changes to procurement are quickly communicated to local authorities.
Earlier this year, Dundee-based
architect Willie Watt, a partner at Nicoll Russell, launched a campaign on the
ePetitions website, calling for a UK-wide simplification of the PQQ. Speaking to SM in September, he said:
“Because there are fewer architects involved in the client side, people are
fearful, they don’t understand the issues, more and more questions are being
generated in an effort to control perceived risks and it’s multiplying up. A
PQQ of 10 to 12 questions is achievable. I don’t see why PQQs need to be any
bigger than that.”
His petition currently has 737 signatories.
