EXAMPLES OF KEYS ISSUES

QUANTITY SURVEYING AND CONSTRUCTION PATHWAY

This list is non exhaustive and almost any topic can be an interesting key issue
providing that the situation was complex enough to make it a challenge for you
to resolve.
Obviously you must have been dealing with your key issue with the highest
professional and ethical standards!

TENDERING AND PROCUREMENT

1. Dealing with abnormally low tender within OJEU regulations. (with client
too wary of OJEU challenges to disqualify them and a start on date that
could not be changed)
2. Procurement: Providing the client with maximal quality control whilst
promoting innovation.
3. Assessing tenders at playing field level when none are compliant. (high
number of exclusions, qualifications and unapproved VE)
4. Procurement: Achieving value for money in negotiated tenders whilst
transferring all risks to the contractor when there is a high level of
unknown factors and risks. (Contractor therefore wants to include high risk
allowances which is not value for money)
5. Procuring a project within tight timescales (5 weeks from appointment of
QS) while demonstrating that value for money is achieved.
6. Framework projects consistently being achieved substantially below target
cost. How to ensure best value is achieved when agreeing future target
costs? (In this case, unusual but realistic options such as ECI and
collaborative cost setting were considered but the candidate choose to
convince his client to set up the correct processes to capture cost data
and use it in negotiations)
7. The candidate had to advise his client whether enabling works should be
let under a separate contract to achieve the project objectives. (Lots of
programme constraints in this case)
8. Ensuring value for money in a fixed-price contract in a non-competitive
tender. (only one contractor in Europe technically able to provide the
works and they refused to use target cost)

9. Bringing a project back within budget when all tenders are returned
substantially over budget and negotiation is not permitted under OJEU
regulations.
PROJECT COST CONTROL
10.Dealing with substantial third party requests. (over 20% of the value of
the contract sum + OJEU context, BREEAM Excellent constraints and
programme issues)
11.Estimating the final outturn cost / cashflow forecast when the client and
final user cannot agree on the design causing countless changes and
delays. (Potential key issue for both PQS and contractors)
12.Bringing a project back within budget to maximise clients investment. (VE
but what makes it a key issue is that the client wanted to achieve
optimum expenditure / income ratio)
13.Dealing with quality issues and risk when a contractor is appointed with an
abnormally low contract sum.
14.Maintaining value and programme when substantial design change are
introduced just before contract award. (= no longer in a competitive
tender)
15.Maintaining the fixed end-date of a contract despite a delay to the
contract award date.
16.Inability of the contractor to secure materials and labour within
programme constraints due to current market pressures.
CONTRACT PRACTICE
17.Dealing with a contractors request for additional monies claimed to be
based on a verbal agreement but the clients representative has left the
project and they are no records or witnesses to this agreement. (Can be
dealt with from the contractors point of view too)
18.Project in delay but employer required the use of part of the site
immediately (tenants already signed in). (Weak key issue make sure that
the context is complex enough to make the solution difficult to choose)
19.Selecting the best option to deal with a contractors insolvency and the
completion of the works by others.

CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY / DESIGN ECONOMICS

20.Assessing options to make a design compliant with new Part L without
increasing the costs. (In this case none of the options seemed feasible
For example, the high number of PV panels required to meet part L would

not even fit on the roof. Extensive option reviews and VE work were
required)