The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) is delighted to welcome publication of Procurement Policy Note (PPN) 03/23 which enables public sector bodies to use the Common Assessment Standard to pre-qualify their supply chains.
PPN 03/23 updates the pre-qualification requirement for central Government departments and wider public sector bodies meaning they can now use the Common Assessment Standard to pre-qualify suppliers for construction works contracts rather than PAS91 which has now been withdrawn.
The Common Assessment Standard is an up-to-date pre-qualification standard, developed by Build UK and endorsed by the CLC, to raise the bar in assessing the competence of the construction supply chain. It delivers on the commitment in the Construction Sector Deal for a standardised pre-qualification process across the public and private sectors and was specifically recommended for use in the public sector by Professor David Mosey in Constructing the Gold Standard, the independent review of public sector construction frameworks.
Companies that have the Common Assessment Standard are certified once a year by a Recognised Assessment Body and this is accepted by a growing list of Contractors and Clients who no longer specify a particular assessment body. As companies certified to the Common Assessment Standard have already been assessed for stage 1 procurement, contracting authorities across the public sector can now focus on project specific requirements, streamlining the procurement process and significantly reducing duplication for the supply chain.
Mark Reynolds, Co-Chair of the CLC, said:
“The CLC is pleased that the Common Assessment Standard can now be used by the public sector. It is a real and practical way of reducing bureaucracy and improving quality in the industry and it has come at just the right time. Companies can demonstrate that they meet an agreed industry standard, with clients, contractors, and now public sector bodies able to rely on the certification. The CLC would encourage organisations across the supply chain to use it.”
Further information regarding the Common Assessment Standard can be found on the Build UK website.
