Public sector perceptions of early contractor involvement for delivering social infrastructure

There have been widespread calls for the public sector to use of non-traditional delivery methods so as to obtain better ‘value for money’. Early contractor involvement (ECI) is one form of delivery approach that has begun to attract the attention of many Australian State Governments, as it allows a contractor to proactively participate in design development, risk management and the construction programming processes. Design and construction processes can also be integrated which therefore overcomes the impediments and barriers that have conventionally existed between designers and contractor. Within Western Australia (WA) the use of ECI has been limited in application. Using questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews, this research sought to determine the perceptions of public sector representatives about the benefits and barriers of implementing ECI. Findings revealed that a significant proportion of contractors did not have the capability and experience to be involved within an ECI approach. Their preference was the use of a traditional lump sum method. Where there was limited scope for using competitive tendering, particularly on large complex projects, then ECI could be a preferred option for future projects. The paper recommends that the public sector begin to educate designers and contractors about the benefits of using ECI.