Qualified support for prequalification

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Users of contractor prequalification schemes have given them an overall pass mark in a Safeguard readers’ survey, but results show there is still room for improvement.

Just over half the respondents rated the programmes good, or very good, value for money, and believed they would reduce workplace injury and illness, but a third did not believe they would bring about health and safety benefits, and 15% were unsure.

Thirty-six percent said the programmes provided only so-so value for money, and 14% rated them poor or very poor value.

Just under half said they were easy, or very easy to use, but a quarter of respondents rated the programmes’ requirements as difficult, or very difficult.

Eighty percent of respondents were principals, but 14% had used prequalification programmes as both principals and contractors.

Construction and manufacturing were the sectors making most use of the schemes, accounting for 29% and 17% of responses respectively, while the utilities, transport and government sectors had about 9% of respondents each.

Although third-party prequalification programmes have been gaining traction in recent years, 55% of respondents said the programmes they most regularly use have been developed by principals for their own organisations.

Impac’s PREQUAL scheme was the most widely used of the third-party systems, accounting for just over a quarter of respondents, with SiteSafe’s Site Wise programme accounting for another 8%.

In all 69 responses were received.

Alert24 13/7/15, www.safeguard.co.nz