Selecting the best of contractors.

If you say On Schedule is the most important, will client really emphases that when they select contractor?

Dear Biswajit, You have well said many points. The failure of any project is unilaterally declared as the failure of the contractors regardless of his day and night hard work. The hidden truths like delay in drawings, payments and legal clearences are obviously not visible to the world outside. In private sectors, the hidden agenda is to do the business with the contractors money. The payments never made on time by some clients. Some Indian Clients have done remarkable progress in framing the contract terms by which, they can keep the contractors neck under their feet. conditions of bill certifications, payment release etc. are so well framed that contractor have no support, though such conditions are not logically supported by the law of the country and the principle of natural justice.

The Owners use this time to explore possibilities  for investing the money due to contractor in expanding their future business. Therefore they have to seek ways and means to delay the payment process. it starts with delay in certification, delay in payments etc.. They keep a decorative bench (powerless) with them to operate this out for them. We can call them COOs, or CEOs or GMs or DGMs or anything.

Many contractors either fall at their feet for saving their mounting dues and goes on working with them and maintain their life in rotation of the peanuts that will be thrown by these GODs. Any contractor resists to this process will be labelled as Bad team and then a list of Quality Isuues, Delays etc... are will come in picture.

Contractors being an unorganised sector, often pull leg each other, and the Clients uses these katputhlis very well.

Procedures ,specs, contractor selection methodology,qualified engineers,Managemnet,policies ,project planning and control, QA,QC, TQM etc...etc... a lot has been done to get best of the  products.

But every system is not religiously adhered to. Gone are the days when people used to regard Honesty ,integrity. Whereas these are the key factors which can only ensure quality in every field as these also  are the only factors which govern and control the systems drawn .

No one single handedly can bring the change unless every one  inculcate good characteristics in oneself. Corruption is ruling and people who stayaway from this are made  to stay away from fruits of their hard work honesty and integerity.

The topic is worth discussing at a forum at national and international level. Since we have seen that how the corrupt people has brought the country to shame for the CWG work.

Eradication of corruption should be at the top of our national agenda else what we are trying to discuss is trash. Who will bell the cat ........?

I beg to differ with Er. Dipak. Whether it is Govt./Public Sector or Private Sector. The contractors are always pre-decided. Our tendering process is a big hoax. The only difference between the private sector and public sector is that the behind the curtain commitments are honoured faithfully in private sector and there are chances of dishonour in public sector because the person concerned keep on changing.

The recent comment by the retiring Chief Vigilance Commissioner of India is very correct. According to him 1/3 of us (Indians) are definately corrupt and 50% are sitting on fence. In such a corrupt atmosphere should we expect an honest tendering system. The failures of Commonwealth Games Projects is the biggest example before us. Delhi Metro Project is also not away from controversies and we engineers know what had actually happened during the failure of the bridge last year.

The Factors those govern the selection are normally common. It is the Experience, Financial Capacity, Technical Capacity, Quality Assurance, Infrastructure and the biggest is the Track Record of the Contractor. Whatever proceedure of selection you adopt you will not look for anything more than this.

It is the rampant corruption and unworkable rates in the Public Projects, which  normally takes toll of the Quality Assurance, but we are not ashamed of it. The CWG again is the biggest example.

Dear Prem,

What is your age?You are referring a happening (or a joke,I do not know!) 43 years old!

Why go that back? I can refer E. Sridharan whom I place in the same level as that of a God.I can also cite Jawaharlal Nehru or Indira Gandhi.Their integrities are above questions.

But in todays'  Govt Sectors, the ambience is so vitiating, even Lord Shiva will not dare like B.C. Ganguly to call the contractors in HIS office and negotiate with the contractors.

Actually, selecting the contractor must be in accordance with international practices & parameters. (FIDIC)

The contractor who are afraid to take part must not be recommended as they are worried of different factors listed by Deepak, however, selection criteria must be outlined prperly in order to invite proper bids from qualified agnecies/contractors.

The day is not far when india will see majority of project will be bag by the JV's instead of single contractor where quality,standards, cost & time will be playing a vital role & not just cost.

Dipak I agree with Anjali. I know this much that even in the Public Sector the ex-Chairman Railway Board, some Bengali gentleman probably Mr. Ganguly, use to call his contractors in his chamber, decide price, terms and contractor for each work. These contractors use to fill the tender documents in his presence and place them in the Tender Box and get awarded the contract in their favor.

The order placing authority should fix genuine and workable rate and conditions to get quality and timely work. 

Dipak I am not clear with the sides but to select a contractor we need to see his experience and perfection in work..... I think this will be a better criteria ....   

Appropriate prequalification is the key where every construction manager takes hasty decision.But at the same time,direct interaction with contractors also raises eyebrows.Both sides take the opportunity!Anything subjective is the root of all evils.

Thanks.