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Early Contractor Involvement

Medium Schemes

One of the key features of this framework is the ability to engage with the project framework contractor or contractors at an early stage. Significant savings can be made by allowing the contractor input into the design process. The sooner a framework contractor is selected, the greater are the potential savings.  You can start the selection of a contractor for your next project by looking at a new project.

The Framework community has developed an agenda for the ECI strategy meeting. This first step will allow the client and contractor to identify objectives for the Early Contractor Involvement. The MHA+ ECI Process Map and Guidance Notes have been developed to help guide the project team through the early stages of a project. For more information click on the Process Map link in the left sidebar.

If the framework contractor is required to contribute during the initial stages of inception and feasibility, MSF4 provides an opportunity for the client to enter into either;

  • Professional Services Short Contract
  • Engineering Construction Short Contract

Typically early contractor involvement has been considered as each project comes towards the end of feasibility, at the start of the preconstruction stage (the start of detailed design). At this stage MSF4 provides for the client to use;

  • Engineering Construction Contract Option C
  • including the secondary option X22 for early contractor involvement

Whichever contract is chosen for early contractor involvement the project team is encouraged to;

  • Adopting a structured approach
  • Setting clear goals and taking timely decisions
  • Investing time and money proportionate to likely returns
  • Including key suppliers and sub-contractors in decisions at an early stage
  • Ensuring good communications and building trust with all stakeholders

The Framework Community Board has developed a start-up agenda to be used at the first meeting.

The client should establish the Scope of the project from the beginning of the contract. The NEC4 User Guide Volume 2 “preparing an engineering and construction contract” provides a useful summary of the type of content required. The Framework Community Board has developed its own Scope Checklist to help the project team learn from previous projects. The Gedling Access Road was one of the first project teams to use this approach and has shared their Scope documents on the ISP.