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Civils firms improve their second-round CAT scores
16:45 05 Jan 2005
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Roads contractors are achieving much improved Capability Assessment
Toolkit (CAT) scores in the second round of assessments, according
to early indications.
Contractors are averaging a self-certified score of 65 out of 72, compared to 55 out of 72 at the start of the year.
Consultants are believed to be awarding themselves an average score in the mid-60s, compared to a mark in the mid-50s after the first-round assessments.
Self-assessments started in November and are on-going. The higher the score, the greater the chance the company has of getting on to Highways Agency (HA) tender lists.
The scores are not expected to change much when they are validated by the HA before Christmas as there is usually only a maximum two-point variance between self-assessment scores and the final mark awarded.
Mowlem has achieved the highest score, giving itself 69 against a first round score of 52. Edmund Nuttall has risen from 59 to 66.
Ringway, which propped up the bottom of the CAT table with a score of 33 in the first round, has now given itself 62. Alfred McAlpine has scored itself 61 against a previous score of 52.
Nine companies out of the 59 scored have opted-out of a second round of assessment, mainly because they were validated for the first time late in the year. One of the nine is known to be Vinci.
It remains unclear whether Skanska is one of the companies opting out after garnering the top score of 66 in the first round.
HA supply chain manager Dave Parker said: "The initial results are very impressive. The scores show that companies are putting even more effort into the CAT process after being relative novices at the start."
However, contractors have begun to question the importance of CAT scores.
"What's the purpose of CAT when it doesn't seem to be consistently used by the HA," said one (see EMAC story on page 4).
Last week CJ revealed that months could be added to early contractor involvement schemes following the Department for Transport's decision to push all forthcoming major road schemes through regional transport boards.
It is unclear whether these boards will pay attention to CAT scores.
Contractors are averaging a self-certified score of 65 out of 72, compared to 55 out of 72 at the start of the year.
Consultants are believed to be awarding themselves an average score in the mid-60s, compared to a mark in the mid-50s after the first-round assessments.
Self-assessments started in November and are on-going. The higher the score, the greater the chance the company has of getting on to Highways Agency (HA) tender lists.
The scores are not expected to change much when they are validated by the HA before Christmas as there is usually only a maximum two-point variance between self-assessment scores and the final mark awarded.
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Mowlem has achieved the highest score, giving itself 69 against a first round score of 52. Edmund Nuttall has risen from 59 to 66.
Ringway, which propped up the bottom of the CAT table with a score of 33 in the first round, has now given itself 62. Alfred McAlpine has scored itself 61 against a previous score of 52.
Nine companies out of the 59 scored have opted-out of a second round of assessment, mainly because they were validated for the first time late in the year. One of the nine is known to be Vinci.
It remains unclear whether Skanska is one of the companies opting out after garnering the top score of 66 in the first round.
HA supply chain manager Dave Parker said: "The initial results are very impressive. The scores show that companies are putting even more effort into the CAT process after being relative novices at the start."
However, contractors have begun to question the importance of CAT scores.
"What's the purpose of CAT when it doesn't seem to be consistently used by the HA," said one (see EMAC story on page 4).
Last week CJ revealed that months could be added to early contractor involvement schemes following the Department for Transport's decision to push all forthcoming major road schemes through regional transport boards.
It is unclear whether these boards will pay attention to CAT scores.
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