19th April 2007, 02:54 PM
Posted by Hurting Back:
"Making sure work gets past curators", of course, can be translated as "agreeing in advance what is required and then ensuring that the work is done to the standard expected by the curator".
1man1desk
to let, fully furnished
Quote:quote:As for consultants, they can sometimes make a small impact (on the market overall) if they have good standing with their client and a very good reason for avoiding a particular firm (due to past performance for instance), but ultimately their role is to facilitate planning consents for their client and making sure work gets past curators is part of that job.Consultants will usually (but not always) appoint the cheapest tenderer - but then, if they have any sense they will only have invited tenders from units whose competence they have confidence in.
"Making sure work gets past curators", of course, can be translated as "agreeing in advance what is required and then ensuring that the work is done to the standard expected by the curator".
Quote:quote:And they still have to get things past curators; their interest in standards (economically remember! I am not implying that consultants do not care, but they cannot overrule their clients) can only extend as far as attaining that consent for the same market led reasons (i.e. if they do not do it, someone else will). If a consultant demands that more work occurs than is strictly necessary to achieve the discharge of a condition, they run the risk of falling foul of their client if they are found out (by looking at the level of work they are paying for in a similar but unrelated project, for instance).It is ultimately up to the planning authority (advised by their curator) to define the scope and standard of work required. The planning authority, after all, is the decision-making body. Once defined, the consultant and their client do have an interest in making sure that the work they pay for is done to the standard specified.
1man1desk
to let, fully furnished