I am writing in regard to your “two steps backwards” letter (26 June, page 33)

Mr Kitson, following recent practice and the reports of the nineties, appears to consider single-stage competitive tendering as always second best to frameworks. Surely the most important aspect for any client is to select and appoint a contractor by the most appropriate arrangement for that client’s and its job’s needs.

There should be no problem with single-stage competitive tendering being litigious, providing:

  • The original tender documents accurately reflect the work required
  • The tenderers are given sufficient time to price the work needed
  • Proper pre-tender assessment is done of prospective tenderers to ensure that only firms appropriate for the work actually tender for it. Work executed against a fixed price ought then to proceed in a friendly and co-operative manner.

If industry professionals properly applied the old NJCC Code of Procedure for Single-Stage Selective Tendering the danger of adversarial working would fall away. Unfortunately many are not prepared to put in the work and time required, or their clients are not prepared to pay for it.

Janet Wood

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