BUILDING SERVICES PROCUREMENT

Introduction
The guidance in this section is intended to improve the way in which the
procurement of building services is handled by all building professionals active in
this field. It is aimed at clients, project managers, quantity surveyors and
commercial managers who are involved in the procurement of building services. It is
intended to provide guidance to clients on the production of clear appointment
criteria and the benefits that will manifest through the whole procurement process.
It is also intended for use by project managers advising on the procurement
strategy for both consultant services and construction work, and for quantity
surveyors/commercial managers involved in the selection of a procurement route,
production of tender documentation and the management of the tender
process.The value of building services can represent anything up to 50 per cent of a
projects total cost (see table 1) and a considerable proportion of the construction
risk. It is therefore important that guidance is given to all professionals who provide
advice in this field. It is hoped that this guide will lead to a more consistent
approach throughout the construction industry.
The fundamental difference between these sections is that this sectionexami
nes in greater detail the key aspects of building services procurement.
Consideration should be given to the guidance provided here, as it will have an
influence on the selection of the principal procurement
strategy.It is common for clients and their advisers to put enormous effort intodevel
oping overall procurement solutions and the role of the principalcontractor within
these solutions and yet, very often, they do not take an active role in procurement
further down the contractual chain. This may be
historicin that principal contractors would traditionally be held responsible for procur
ement of sub-contractors. However, this approach cannot alwaysensure that the
clients requirements in terms of cost, quality and time are always as high on
the principal contractors agenda as they are on the clients. This often leads to
inappropriate procurement methods manifesting in poor quality, claim-ridden
projects.
APPOINTMENT OF AN INDEPENDENT DESIGN-ONLY ENGINEER
The first allocation of design responsibilities usually concerns the
appointment by the client of an independent design-only consulting engineer. The
ACE conditions of engagement, produced by the Association of Consulting
Engineers, are widely used to make this appointment. The 1981conditions have
been replaced by the 1995 conditions (2nd edition, 1988).However, the 1981
conditions are still in use on some projects and therefore need to be considered
here.
All three forms require the consultant (building services engineer) to exercise
all reasonable skill, care and diligence in the discharge of his or her duties. The
consultant does not warrant that his or her design will be fit for the intended
purpose. The responsibilities of the consultant under full duties and performance
duties are easier to understand than abridged duties. The responsibilities under

abridged duties rest between the relative extremes of full duties and performance
duties.

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One very important difference between full duties and abridged duties is
thatthe latter do not require the building services engineer to produce
coordinationdrawings. His or her duties under abridge duties are intended to
harmonizewith those of the architect up to a certain point and this would require
someelement of design coordination by the building services engineer. However,the
extent of this is unlikely to be clear.Abridged duties have been the source of
argument and dispute between building services contractors and design-only
consultants for many years.Therefore, when it comes to engaging a design-only
consultant, it is veryimportant that the extent to which the consultant will produce
coordinationdocumentation is clear, particularly to the building services contractor
whowill rely on the information. This is especially important where abridged duties
are used. Although the consultant is not required to producecoordination drawings
(as defined in the 1981 ACE conditions) under abridged duties, he or she will almost
certainly coordinate design to some extent in conjunction with the other members
of the design team. BSRIA technical note TN21/97 provides practical guidance on
deliverables.