https://www.engineeringnews.co.za

SA has to move away from price-driven procurement – Cesa

18th April 2014

By: Leandi Kolver

Creamer Media Deputy Editor

  

Font size: - +

The current consulting engineering procurement approach – dominated by price, with functionality and quality only being minimum prequalification thresholds – is reducing consulting engineering services to a commodity as opposed to being a service offered by “trusted advisers”, Consulting Engineers South Africa (Cesa) president Abe Thela said last week.

Speaking at the 2014 Civilution Congress, in Kempton Park, he said the focus on price when procuring consulting engineering services also compromised the ability of the industry to innovate, train staff and attract young people.

“Current regulation has reduced [the hiring of] a trusted adviser to [hiring a contractor],” Thela said, reiterating that this was not the preferred situation.

He further said, according to Cesa, various aspects had to be included in the basis for the procurement of consulting engineering services, such as "Constitutional elements", to ensure that the process was equitable, transparent, fair, competitive and cost effective.

The aim of procuring consulting engineering services further had to focus on doing so under the best possible terms and optimising project life cycle costs.

Meanwhile, international best practice, such as qualification-based selection (QBS), also had to be considered.

According to the QBS system, the quality and competence of consulting engineering services were considered when undertaking procurement, project scope was developed jointly, services required to mutually develop the scope were agreed upon and an equitable fee was negotiated.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

Comments

Showroom

Booyco Electronics
Booyco Electronics

Booyco Electronics, South African pioneer of Proximity Detection Systems, offers safety solutions for underground and surface mining, quarrying,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Environmental Assurance (Pty) Ltd.
Environmental Assurance (Pty) Ltd.

ENVASS is a customer and solutions-driven environmental consultancy with established divisions, serviced by highly qualified and experienced...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.092 0.144s - 137pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now