Specialist contractors miss out on partnership gains

Specialist contractors hold a mainly negative view of partnering and have given it limited take-up, according to research by the University of the West of England.

The report, produced by Jim Mason of the university’s faculty of the built environment, involved a cross-section of questionnaires and interviews with members of the Confederation of Specialist Contractors.

It found that although com-panies were familiar with the idea of partnering, many described it as a negative experience. Respondents also held the common view that conflict levels had not improved in recent years and that team working was not now more common.

Although those surveyed held the view that partnering was a positive development, the current perception was that partnering only benefits the client and the main contractor.

Experiences include: main contractors’ junior staff rarely knowing about partnering; longer-term arrangements with end users, but not contractors; main contractors issuing new terms and conditions on partnering contracts; and the main contractors being price-driven.

Others added that partnering was seen as a "tick box" exercise with nothing put in writing. They highlighted the problems of managers being insufficiently familiar with the partnering process.

The report concluded that there was nothing during the interview process that suggested that partnering has generally improved relationships within the industry. In fact, many held a "mainly bleak" view on the long-term prognosis for partnering, apart from a few exceptions.

This stance was supported by comments by some of those surveyed who didn’t expect to see a wider use of partnering for 10 years. Even then it is likely to be developed into something else and with a different name. Others said the partnering process was "too bureaucratic" to be fully adopted in the construction industry.

In its recommendations, the report calls for: a re-examination of the client’s role in partnering contracts, encouraging them to ask to see their partners; a promotion of partnering on the grounds of adding competitive advantage for specialist contractors rather than on the grounds of mutual trust and co-operation; and a focus of attention on successful use of collaborative working such as zero retentions and risk registers.