Relationships cool in Surrey partnership

24 January 2007
 
Surrey County Council is planning a move away from a partnership approach to delivering highways repairs, with more formal, structured contract management and a re-emphasis on the client-contractor distinction.
The authority is overhauling the partnering deal it hailed as the ‘next generation’ for highways maintenance four years ago, following problems with the productivity of road repair gangs.
This comes after a Surrey inspector found that a repairs gang working for Carillion – contractor for half the county – wasted most of a shift (Surveyor, 8 June 2006).
The company has introduced a GPS tracking system to monitor staff and a new manager in response. Surrey also now makes regular ‘productivity checks’ on Carillion and Ringway, its other contractor – which was also found to have under-productive workers.
But the executive was advised in the autumn that, despite these changes, the council ‘needs to ensure the right balance between partnership and a strict contractural relationship’. Councillors had urged a reconsideration of the ethos of the partnering deal towards a more traditional local authority-contractor contract.
Both contractors have accepted the concept of the transfer back to the council of the functions of highways safety inspection and confirmation that works have been completed satisfactorily.
Any further changes to the contracts to ensure more formal contract management, which the authority decides are needed will be implemented from the start of 2007/08.

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