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Case Studies
- Supply Chain Development
- Best Value Review
- E-procurement in Capital Works Procurement
- Building Capability in the Partnering Team
- Resident Involvement
- Open Book Inspections on R&M Contract
- Developing an Integrated Supply Chain
- Reinvigorating The Term Partnering Contract
- Strategic Alliancing
- Resident Evaluation Training
Greenwich Council
‘Supply Chain Development’
Greenwich Council have now appointed a number of supply chain specialists at the second tier level to work with first tier contractors in the delivery of a major capital works programme following a lengthy tender process including supplier selection via the European Union. The selected specialists will be involved in supplying components such as kitchens, boilers, windows, doors and roofing materials. In our continued role with Greenwich Council, we are now involved in integrating the specialists into the current partnering arrangements in place between capital and revenue contractors. Initially this will entail a series of workshops and meetings, aimed at integrating the team. The entire selection process has been designed adopting the Strategic Forum’s Integrated Toolkit.
Cameron Consulting assisted the Council to introduce the concept of extending supplier involvement into our established partnering arrangements for both capital and revenue works. We see real potential in our supply chain partners making a significant contribution to our overall asset management strategy, not only in terms or reduced costs, but the added value that comes with such arrangements.
Ben Beke
Head of Quantity SurveyingTandridge District Council
‘Best Value Review’
Tandridge District Council (TDC) operates a Direct Services Organisation (DSO) called Tandridge Commercial Services (TCS), which delivers primarily responsive repairs to the Council’s 2,700 properties. Current contract arrangements had been in place since 1996 and it was felt that the DSO needed to undergo some form of Best Value review to satisfy the Council that the services provided continued to deliver value for money.
Tandridge District Council operates a Direct Services Organisation. The service was due for a review so we decided to undertake an internal best value assessment. We appointed Cameron Consulting and they have undertaken extensive study and research into our repairs service. We are currently identifying areas for improvement and have retained Cameron Consulting to guide us through this process having been very pleased with the content and depth of the initial study.
Steve Blount
Technical Manager (Housing)Rykneld Homes
‘Using e-procurement in Capital Works Procurement’
Rykneld Homes is an Arm’s Length Management Organisation (ALMO), which went live on 1st July 2007 providing housing management services to around 8,300 tenants on behalf of North East Derbyshire District Council (NEDDC). Cameron Consulting was appointed by Rykneld Homes in 2008 to procure both their Capital Works and Gas Servicing Programmes primarily geared around helping them achieve the Decent Homes Standard.
Cameron Consulting has worked with us in delivering an innovative and lean procurement process in the selection of our Capital Works partners. Their timely and professional approach has supported Rykneld Homes procurement goals to achieve an area of Best Practice as highlighted by the ‘Better Buys’ report.
Niall Clark
Procurement ManagerEast Thames Homes
‘Building Capability in the Partnering Team’
In 2007, East Thames undertook the large scale re-procurement of its service based contracts using the Term Partnering Contract (TPC2005). In particular, this was for repairs and maintenance, cleaning and grounds maintenance. Service Providers were appointed in early 2008 with a contract start date of 1st April 2008. East Thames were keen to build upon work previously undertaken by Cameron Consulting in developing the partnering relationship between client and contractor and were subsequently re-appointed to undertake a development programme during the mobilisation stage to assist in the smooth running of these new contracts.
At East Thames we have moved to a partnering relationship with a number of contractors delivering our repairs and maintenance service. Cameron Consulting undertook two pieces of work to prepare us as an organisation for the challenges that this would give us. I have always found Cameron Consulting to be very professional in their approach and have an excellent understanding of the issues relating to effective partnering both in a theoretical level and at a more practical level. Neil and Karen deliver in very contrasting but complimentary styles that ensure the preperation was thorough and delivered in a way that captured the attention of all participating.
Alan Jones
Head of Maintenance PartnershipsKensington & Chelsea (Tenant Managed Organisation)
‘Resident Involvement’
In February 2008, the Audit Commission published their report ‘Better Buys’ in relation to good procurement practice. One of the recommendations contained in the report was to:
ensure that residents are involved in, and have appropriate opportunities to influence, relevant procurement processes.
Resident involvement has been at the heart of our re-procurement strategy for day to day repairs. Our consultant has ensured that residents have been fully engaged in developing strategy, shaping the brief and contractor selection. We have been impressed with the professionalism shown and how they have managed to get the best out of our active resident group.
Andrea Johnson
Head of Repairs & Customer ServicesFortunegate Community Housing Association
‘Open Book Inspections on R&M Contract’
Cameron Consulting was appointed in early 2007 to mobilise an R&M contract for Fortunegate Community Housing Association (FCHA). The client manages around 1,200 units, mainly from a development programme. CH Maintenance, a small repairs contractor had agreed to enter into a bespoke partnering contract with the Association and to fully embrace the principles of open book accounting.
We advised the Association on a simple ‘profit and loss’ approach with the contractor providing management accounts on a monthly basis, which were in turn inspected by our Cost Consultant for reliability and validity and to provide accurate costings to help manage the budget.
Fortunegate Community Housing Association (FCHA) appointed Cameron Consulting to develop an open book strategy in the delivery of our repairs and maintenance partnering contract. They set up an innovative ‘Profit and Loss’ model approach to open book and monitored actual costs against received income with regular inspections undertaken by their Cost Consultant. This approach has provided the Association with essential monitoring information for the programme and we are confident that this approach will deliver a better value programme and help to build key relationships by operating the contract in a truly open way.
Martin Thomas
Head of Repairs and MaintenanceGreenwich Council
‘Developing an Integrated Supply Chain’
Cameron Consulting was appointed as Partnering Adviser (Technical) in 2004 to procure framework constructors to deliver a £120m decent homes programme. In 2006, it was decided to develop the second tier supply chain with a view to establishing some long term relationships and ultimately achieve better value for money.
Cameron Consulting managed an EU compliant procurement exercise in the selection of a preferred list of second tier supply chain partners. In addition to this, Greenwich has become a founder member of a supply chain consortia known as the Supply Chain Management Consortium (SCMC) with Hackney Homes. Integrating Greenwich’s supply chain partners into the SCMC remains a challenge, whilst SCMC seeks approval from the National Change Agent to proceed.
The Consultant has worked with ourselves and the Legal Advisers, Trowers & Hamlins in establishing partnering contracts to deliver capital improvement works to the Council’s housing stock. They recommended the formation of an integrated supply chain across the constructor framework and to integrate revenue repairs with capital improvements. They managed the supplier evaluation process in accordance with EU legislation and continue to work with us in establishing an innovative partnership with our second tier suppliers and opportunities for joining a client led supply chain consortia. The advice and recommendations regarding integrating the supply chain will result in future savings through the volume supply chain arrangements put in place.
Ben Beke
Quantity Surveying Manager,
Greenwich CouncilGreenwich Council
‘Reinvigorating the Term Partnering Contract’
Cameron Consulting was appointed in 2006 to re-invigorate the Term Partnering Contract that Greenwich had in place with Greenwich Building Services and Kier Building Maintenance. We supported a number of improvements to a tight schedule, leading to an audit commission inspection in February 2008.
Greenwich is a social landlord to around 26,000 properties. The repairs contract is worth around £25m per annum and despite being procured under the Term Partnering Contract TPC2001, the contract had become ‘stale’ and needed new impetus to fully exploit the opportunities created through collaborative working.
Cameron Consulting have worked with us to deliver improvements in our 10 year repairs and maintenance partnering contract. We recognised that for a time the partnership appeared to have lost momentum however that seems to have changed and there are noticeable improvements in the relationships between partnering team members. In addition a number of initiatives have now started to deliver big improvements in service delivery.
Mark Baigent
Assistant Director (Strategy),
Neighbourhood Services
Greenwich CouncilKensington Housing Trust
‘Strategic Alliancing – Partnering Repairs and Planned Investment’
Kensington Housing Trust (KHT) manage around 2,500 properties in West London, many of which are street properties with high average annual costs of repairs.
Cameron Consulting was appointed as the Strategic Adviser to develop a procurement strategy seeking partners to deliver repairs and planned investment works.
All partners were appointed during 2005/2006 under project and term partnering contracts.
We have developed an innovative Strategic Alliancing Agreement linking all partners together to promote best practice, link revenue and capital works and to seek opportunities for establishing common supply chains. All partners meet on a regular basis and the initiatives underway including a joint apprentice training scheme.
Cameron Consulting have procured all of our partnering contracts including Repairs and Maintenance, Gas Servicing, Cyclical Decorations and Decent Homes Improvements. This began with the preparation of a Procurement Strategy geared around delivering all of our contracts under partnering arrangements and a Strategic Framework linking all partners together with the aim of sharing best practice and improving efficiency. We are delighted with the results. There are no more adversarial relationships, contractors are now talking to each other, sharing their supply chains and ultimately, our resident satisfaction is better than ever. Neil has also introduced some very innovative strategies around open book, performance measurement and managing risk. The service we have received has been excellent and we would have no hesitation in recommending Neil and Cameron Consulting to other organisations requiring similar services.
Jim McFadden
Head of Asset Management, Kensington Housing TrustNottingham City Homes
‘Resident Evaluation Training’
Nottingham City Homes (NCH), a recently formed Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) wanted help with getting residents involved in evaluating tender responses in connection with the award of a £20m per annum repairs and maintenance contract.
Cameron Consulting was appointed to work with NCH’s residents to train them in evaluating bidders responses all the way through from written responses, interviews and site visits.
We at Nottingham City Homes asked Cameron Consulting, and specifically in this case, Karen, to develop and deliver a training programme for our residents. The programme needed to be designed to reflect the need to engage and empower them to take part in evaluation of tenders, site visits and interviews – in other words to have an active role in the selection of a contractor to undertake the works in their area. We found Karen to be engaging, understanding of both our needs and those of our residents, and indeed approachable and friendly throughout the process. The residents thoroughly enjoyed their role in Contractor Selection and we feel far more confident in allowing them to participate in such programmes in the future and indeed involving Cameron Consulting in the process.
Manu Gill
Governance Officer
Nottingham City Homes
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