SEC Group asks members to comment on best value across local government

The Specialist Engineering Contractors' (SEC) Group is to send out questionnaires to members asking for feedback on how well local authorities are performing on best value.

The two-page document, which will be sent out next week, will be used by SEC Group to paint a picture of how well local government is embracing Rethinking Construction principles.

Members will be asked to answer nine questions which include: how many of your contracts are let on lowest price; how many of your local authority contracts involve partnering; how many contracts have seen payment difficulties; and does local government regard health and safety as important in the award of a contract.

Replies are due back by next month.

"We believe that local authorities are still using bad practices when tendering work," said SEC Group executive secretary John Nelson. "This way we hope to flesh out the problems and take forward our case to the relevant parties."

Tim Byles, the Local Government Task Force's chairman, told CJ in a recent interview that local authorities were "making good ground" on adopting best value principles.