A new suite of standardised highways procurement documents has been released by the Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme (HMEP).
The ‘off the shelf’ documents can be used across the highways sector and can save clients and private contractors £150,000 each, every time they are used at the tender and procurement stage alone experts said.
Savings would be made by removing the need to draw up individual bespoke tenders and the standardisation of pricing as well as additional ongoing savings throughout the maintenance contract.
Developed in collaboration with council directors’ body ADEPT and industry group the Highways Term Maintenance Association (HTMA), the documents build on best practice from both clients and providers.
As well as an updated standard form of contract – based around NEC 3 - the procurement suite has new documents including a Price List of around 2,000 items frequently used and procured by local authorities with guidance on what to use, how and when.
It also has a new standard Method of Measurement document ‘that provides new definitions, units and rules where none exist currently’, the HMEP said.
As part of updating procurement practice the HMEP has also introduced a ‘kilometre rule’ to increase efficiency by preventing works teams running from one job to another without considering the proximity of different works.
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