The Construction Leadership Council also supports the Common Assessment Standard and is encouraging its adoption throughout government construction procurement.
Actuate UK, the umbrella body for the engineering services sector, has expressed its support for the revitalised prequalification Common Assessment Standard. The Common Assessment Standard, which has been developed by Build UK and a range of industry stakeholders, including Actuate UK member bodies, aims to remove wasteful commercial and public sector prequalification through the adoption of widely specified common assessment prequalification (PQ) questions.
Contractors appointed to the Crown Commercial Service seven-year framework are expected to assess their supply chains using the Common Assessment Standard, while guidance in support of the Construction Playbook is also expected to include how contracting authorities can use the Common Assessment Standard for their tenders.
A new data sharing solution means contractors and clients can access verified key prequalification data for their supply chains with any preferred recognised assessment body - so they will not need to set up an arrangement with every one. (There are currently three: CHAS, Achilles and Constructionline). In addition, over time, assessed suppliers will need only provide one set of prequalification information annually. The Common Assessment Standard question set is reviewed under an ongoing industry-wide process.
The prequalification system is currently overseen by an interim cross-industry body including public and private sector clients, contractors and trade associations. According to Paul Reeve, CSR Director at Actuate UK member ECA and deputy chair of the Cross-Industry Body:
“Data sharing paves the way for increased specification by main contractors and other buyers and offers suppliers more choice about who carries out their prequalification assessment. It will also help to deliver the savings and efficiencies that the supply chain has long been looking for, by reducing the need for multiple PQ questionnaires and schemes.”