NBS Construction Contracts in Use & Legal Issues survey

Following on from a recent BIM survey (http://www.thenbs.com/topics/bim/articles/nbsNationalBimSurvey_2012.asp) the NBS (National Building Specification) carried out they are now undertaking a construction contracts in use and legal issues survey. The aim of this survey is to gain a better understanding as to which construction contracts are being used and what are the contractual and dispute resolution issues that
construction professionals face.

The survey is broken down into three parts:

1) Procurement – this section will provide a snapshot of which segment (public or private sector) most construction work was undertaken in 2011. It will also provide information on the type of organizations involved in each sector and highlight the most frequently used procurement method, the preferred pricing mechanism, the use of electronic tendering, the rise or demise of partnering and the preferred professional appointment agreements.

2) Contracts and contractual issues – this section will provide information on the main
construction contracts being used by the industry, and more importantly on the legal terms and issues that the industry found challenging by using these forms of contract.

3) Dispute resolution – this section will provide information on the adoption of alternative dispute resolution methods, and will focus on the issues frequently leading to disputes, the number of disputes, the parties involved and whether settlement was achieved or whether the issue proceeded to the final stage of determination.

We hope that the results of this survey will provide a fresh outlook into contractual issues in the industry, as it not only looks at which forms of contract the industry is using, but also focuses on the legal terms and issues that face the industry.

The NBS have asked if CIC members would be willing to help them with this survey and in return, they will share with us the results and findings.

A link to the survey can be found here: http://www.thenbs.com/support/survey/contracts-and-law/index.htm

The closing date of the survey is the 4th May. All completed surveys will be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win an Apple iPad.