Case Study Flashcards
Why are you so adverse to recommending a Letter of Intent for a client?
- lack of robustness
- relevant case law, eg Turner&Townsend vs Abbey Trust
- potential ambiguities
All lead to LOI’s being in advisable
Why do you believe additional professional fees would need to be required for the works if another contract was issued? It’s the same amount of works?
- programme was longer due to additional scope introduced
- execution & administration of another contract
Is a letter of intent a contractual agreement?
- it’s a letter
- unless signed by both parties, or terminology suggests it is a legally binding contract
- I would also recommend my clients seek legal advice regarding LOI’s
What challenges were presented for the refurbishment of 200BPR?
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What was the cost £m2 of the asbestos removal?
Is there a cost limit on the NEC short form?
What could you have done if the design was not complete? How could the contractor have priced the works?
- I am aware they could have implemented Prov Sums, but generally NEC does not allow for Prov Sums under unamended versions
- Could have continued design through construction, but client required cost certainty before entering into main contract
What is the GIA of 200BPR?
5,000 m2
How does location affect cost?
How would site logistics impact costs, and how would you factor this in?
How do you price main contractor and subcontractor preliminaries in your cost plans?
When would you use NRM 3?
How much more information would you expect to receive at Stage 4?
What is the Stage 4 design wasn’t complete on a scheme? How would you price for unknown elements?
How would you approach pricing bespoke works?
What RIBA stage was Gosford hill when you were cost planning?
Talk me through the process of cost planning you followed for Gosford Hill?
What are some of your exclusions from cost plans?
What is DATOS? How does it work?
Did you have any other considerations when you omitted the roof lights on Oak House?
What levels of inflation did you use for inflating the Endoscopy Hospital LCC?
How did you address maintenance and operational costs in your LCC report?
You mentioned BCIS wasn’t reflecting current market conditions. Do you share your tender returns with BCIS?
- Ensure confidentiality is adhered to
What is the difference between construction management and management contracting?
What information might you request in the first stage of a two stage tender process?
How can you maintain competition in the second stage? How can you ensure Value for Money?
What would provide the client better value for money. Single stage or two stage?
On the Kingsway scheme, what weighting was applied to price? Did the lowest tenderer win the project?
How would you deal with an abnormally low tender? What would be your considerations?
On the PAN projects, if the Client had not wanted to negotiate, what would your recommended strategy have been and why?
What is an Order of Cost Estimate?
What information would you use for an Order of Cost Estimate?
What is the purpose of an Order of Cost Estimate?
What sources of information might you use for an Order of Cost estimate?
How much would you include for design development risk?
How much design development risk would you include in your FCP 3 / RIBA 4?
Does the type of project affect Design Development risk?
What about construction contingency? Would the type of project affect the level of construction contingency that would be included?
How much design development contingency would you allow in a stage 3 cost plan?
Talk me through the last cost plan you did
What is value engineering?
Can you give me an example of some recent value engineering from one of your projects
What is the difference between a defined and undefined provisional sum?
What is a prime cost sum? When might you use a PC sum?
What are fluctuations? When might you recommend using a fluctuations clause?
How do you calculate tender inflation?
How do you calculate construction inflation?
What level is tender inflation currently running at right now?
Is BCIS part of the RICS?
What is a good wall to floor ratio?
0.3-0.5
What clarifications did you include in your last cost plan?
What do preliminaries cover?
What is the average weekly run rate for your current projects?
What is the purpose of NRM?
What is IPMS?
What does the GEA include?
What does the GEA exclude?
What different types of pricing documents are there and when might you use them?
BOQ
CSA
Activity Schedule
Preliminaries
CEQ
How would you assess a final account?
What are the different ways of valuing change?
Quotations
Rates
Dayworks?
How do you assess loss & expense?
What is a complaint?
What are the RICS rules in relation to Complaints?
How do you deal with a complaint?
What do you need from a Client to prepare a fee?
What would you exclude from a fee proposal?
How do you communicate with your team?
What is ADR?
What should you consider when looking at ADR?
What are the drawbacks of ADR?
- can waste time and money if ADR does not work
- may not be suitable for overly complex claims due to time contraints
What affects the price of internal walls?
How would you go about quantifying & pricing an internal wall?
What is stretcher bond?
What do you need to consider when pricing the excavation and construction of a basement?
What is CLT?
Tell me about the Building Safety Act
What is the purpose of a base date?
are you aware of any products that shouldnt be used in construction?
What is the difference between end bearing and friction piles?
When might friction piles be more suitable?
What is the best frame for a residential building?
What is the best frame solution for a commercial building?
What are the O&M manuals?
What are the requirements for practical completion?
What is Value for Money?
What were the fire protection requirements on the Oak House data centre?
- Fire suppression system in data rooms
- Wouldn’t use sprinkler system due to amount of electrical equipment
What tender strategy would offer best value for money - single or two stage?
For 200BPR, were you involved in the tender stage?
What information was requested from the contractor in their tender submission, for 200BPR?
What is happening at 200BPR at the moment?
What were the issues that were holding up signing the main contract? Could these have been foreseen at tender stage?
How would viability have been impacted had the £5m expenditure not been achieved? What would your advice have been to the Client?
How would you advise a client that a letter of intent should be drafted?
What is the short form NEC contract best used for?
Would executing the short form contract mean two contracts are running in parallel, or would all of the early works be completed ahead of the main contract starting?
You mentioned that you cannot enter into the ECC with Stage 3 design due to the inability to provide cost certainty. Did you consider asking the contractor to include a sum for design development and transferring the risk of design to the contractor?
For your second key issue, why was the end user assuming that they could make changes to the design with no additional cost to themselves?
Can you give me an example of one of the changes that was proposed by the end user? Who ended up paying for that change?
How easily was the change control process implemented into the scheme?
On Oak House, you mention that market volatility was driving a long lead in for the ballistic board. What impact would this have had on the critical path for the programme?
- not direct impact on critical path as other activities could be undertaken, but would have reached a point where packages could not complete ie M&E and finishes
What was the cost impact of changing from a ballistic board to a blockwork wall?
On CiNER Glass, you recommended a review of the frame. Why was concrete specified by the structural engineer?
When you requested the frame to be reviewed on CiNER Glass, what action did the team take following your advice? What was the outcome?
What additional constraints should be considered when working on a live airfield
- Airside insurance
- Security clearances
- Limited suppliers for specialist works, eg hangar doors, bouncy castle specialist seal
On the bottle manufacturing facility you recommended omitting glazing in lieu of cladding. Were there any knock on effects on the design?
- Additional lighting internally
For contract practice on the PAN projects, which risks did the contractor propose to transfer to the Client?
Following your advice, which risks did the contractor retain on the PAN projects PSC?
- Lead in
- Logistics
- Client budget (ensuring design suits client budget)
On The Kingsway, how did you address any variances in your assessment of the valuation?
What would be your advice if the contractor submits an updated activity schedule with their application for payment?
On 31 Borough High Street, was there a limit on how long you could withhold monies for non provision of warranties?
- Mention 25% withhold only until collateral warranties are issued for specific packages where CW requires
You not that you provide a quarterly update on market conditions. can you summarise your latest update?
- Building safety act
- AI implementation in construction
- Market conditions
- London construction events
- Retrofitting buildings to improve sustainability
On Gosford Hill School, how much longer would the programme have been for remodelling on the existing footprint?
Which option was more economical from a construction perspective, option 1 or 2 (Gosford Hill)?
What did you advise your client what the impact would be of decanting the school into temporary accommodation?
You have completed both cost plans and estimates - what is the difference?
What is the last cost plan that you prepared? What design stage was this?
What exclusions did you make in your last cost plan and why?
Is it better to exclude asbestos or take a guess?
On Oak House, what was the cost per square meter for the bullet proof lights?
Why did the endoscopy hospital need a Life Cycle Cost? Did they not understand how much it costs to run?
On 71/72 The Kingsway, how were the scores weighted?
How was the score weightings communicated to tenderers, for The Kingsway?
On The Kingsway, how did you ensure that a contractor didn’t submit a low price to “outweigh” a poor quality score?
On CiNEER Glass, how did you manage the responses to tender queries?
- Queries compiled and issued to professional team
- Responses collated and issued to all tenderers
- No reference to who has submitted queries, all anonymous
On CiNER Glass, how long did requesting revised preliminaries and programmes add to the tender analysis process? How was this delay communicated to the Client?
On CiNER Glass, how did you communicate to the contractors the need to resubmit their price based on the tender information?
On the PAN Project, did you manage to obtain three or more quotations for all packages?
On 71/72 The Kingsway, at what stage did you identify that contingency needed to be expended?
On 71/72 The Kingsway, was Value Engineering realistic at this stage of the project, or has items already been ordered for the works?
You mention that you produce cost estimates, plans and reports in accordance with NRM1. Why would you prepare a cost report in line with NRM 1?
On CiNER Glass, what additional information did you obtain between the Stage 2 and 3 cost plans?
On Oak House, did you carry out a pre-tender estimate?
On 71/72 The Kingsway, how would you have proceeded the following month if the the contractor had included the CE £2.38m?
What are the payment provisions for the Kingsway project?
How do you agree a compensation event?
- In line with the time scales, outlined in contract
- Actual defined cost of work done
- Forecast defined cost of work not done
- Fee %
- Would include elements outlined in SSCC
On 200BPR, what risks were identified and how did you assess the cost impact of these risks?
How can you earn BREEAM credits, besides LCC reports?
Why is it important that our working environment is inclusive?
Can you name three groups protected by the equality act?
What is unconscious bias?
As a QS, what data do you collect?
On 71/72 The Kingsway, how did you maintain a positive working relationship with the contractor after reducing their valuation by £2.38m for an unagreed CE?
Why is it important to have a business plan?
What is the difference between a profit and loss and a balance sheet?
What do you do to prepare for a site visit?
What if you see an area of the site that is unsafe during your site visit? For example, an area being excavated but not protected by barriers?
When should you not give advice?
What would you do if you were approached by your neighbour, who asks you to price the extension on their house?
Say you arrive in the office on Monday morning and there is a letter on your desk with a complaint from a client saying you have over certified on the last valuation. What should your next step be?
Post qualification, how much of your CPD must be formal?
How should you record your CPD when chartered?
When might you need a locum?
How long should run off cover last?
What is meant by “act with integrity”?
What is the RICS Inclusive Employer’s Quality Mark?
You weren’t involved for long before you got involved with the 200BPR project. How did you get up to speed?
- Streamlined due to transferring from another office
What were some of the first tasks you undertook when coming onboard on 200BPR?
Have you agreed the contract sum for 200BPR?
How did you ensure competitiveness was maintained through the two-stage tendering process?
- Open book
- 3nr quotations minimum
Why was there a delay in agreeing legal amendments if the project is being procured through a framework? Surely the amendments to the contract should be pre agreed on the framework
What were the risks associated with the early works contract?
What are the risks associated with a letter of intent?
What was your general advice to the client around Letters of Intent?
Do you have any experience dealing with Letters of Intent?
Why did you need to liaise with the framework representatives regarding a Letter of Intent? What influence would they have?
Did you seek contractor buy-in to executing another contract?
Did the contractor have the resource and capacity to undertake an additional contract?
Did you consider whether there could have been a risk in agreeing additional legal terms and conditions for the short form contract?
Was the design produced in a way that would allow the early works to be procured separately from the main works for 200BPR?
How many weeks did executing an NEC short form contract save on the programme?
What are the pros and cons of executing the main contract with the stage 3 design information, for 200BPR?
Could you not have obtained cost certainty through a RIBA 3 design for the clients internal procurement team?
You confirm you proceeded with Option 2 with the NEC short form contract. Can you summarise why this was the best option from a time, cost and quality perspective?
What are your takeaways from dealing the scenario encountered on 200BPR?
What would you do differently on 200BPR next time?
- Scott schedule at tender for proposed amendments
- Engage legals early in the process
On 200BPR, why was the contractor taking instruction from the end user when they have no contractual relationship?
On 200BPR, you advised that there needed to be provisions in place for change control. Does NEC not already have processes in place for this?
Did the communication between the end user and contractor stop?
Why weren’t all communications going through the PM for 200BPR?
What are some of the risks of not being party to the conversations between the end user and the contractor, on 200BPR?
On 200BPR, can you explain how the process of the PCR worked from the start to end?
Did you need to factor in additional time in responding to the quotation provided by the Contractor to obtain internal sign off due to the number of project stakeholders?
Was allowing communications to continue on 200BPR a viable option?
Did communications continue or stop on 200BPR for end user changes? If not, is there not a financial risk to the project?
From 200BPR, what experiences would you take from this project onto new projects?
Can you give me an example of one of the changes that your PCR was used for on 200BPR?
On Oak House, what did you try and do to reduce the cost of the 30% steel increase?
On the Kingsway, for the £2.38m compensation event they submitted with their valuation, did this impact their cash flow?
Why was the contractor undertaking works where a CE had not been implemented?
How did you ensure value for money for the £2.38m CE?
What is the purpose of a cost report?
When would you consider issuing cost reports at different intervals than monthly?
For CiNER glass, were you not able to level the tenders?
For the PAN projects, why was the Client keen to negotiate with the contractor?
- Buildability input
- Worked before, satisfied with work
- Speed to appoint design works
Why do risks need to be managed?
What considerations do you make when pricing risks?
- stage of cost estimating / planning
- method to use (management of risk)
- likelihood / probability
- impact
What would you typically find in a risk register?
-Risk title, description, and reference
-Effect
- Likelihood
- Impact = cost, time
- Risk rating
- Recommended action
- Risk owner
- Action owner
- Update date
Example of a risk you identified on ciner glass, and how did you control it?
Example of a risk on 200BPR, and how you controlled it?
