Public Works Contracts are based on the principle of lump-sum fixed price contracts, and where rules of measurement (such as CESSM, ARM4 with Supplement 1 to ARM4 and NRA rules) are referred to in a contract, there must be no possibility of a conflict arising between this principle and the content of the rules.
In relation to specific projects, Employers should ensure that the amendments to the rules of measurement as referred to in the project tender document are not in conflict with this principle.
The Department of Finance publishes a list of amendments to the standard rules of measurement to align them with the principle of lump-sum, fixed-price contracts. For contracts that reference rules of measurement, the Employer must include these amendments with the tender documents.
This appendix includes samples of the Department of Finance approved amendments to the following methods of measurement:
Agreed Rules of Measurement Issue 3 (ARM4 with Supplement 1 to ARM4); and
National Roads Authority’s Method of Measurement for Road Works.
As a general amendment rule references to a professional discipline (for example, architect or engineer) in any of the foregoing publications should be checked to see if the reference should be to the Employer Representative as identified in the Public Works Contract.
Note: This appendix is not to be regarded as an exhaustive list or as the authoritative text of the Department of Finance’s approved amendments; rather, its purpose is to give an idea of the scale and scope of the amendments required to ensure adherence to the lump-sum, fixed-price principle.
D2: Amendments required when using CESMM3
Overview
The following Department of Finance approved list of amendments is to be made to the Civil Engineering Standard Method of Measurement 3rd Edition (CESMM3) when the rules are being used on the new Public Works Contracts Designed by the Employer.
New CESMM3 guidance notes – May 1996
Omit: The first item in the guidance note which relates to a worked example in relation to Paragraph 5.6. ‘Dayworks’
Section 1: Definitions
Amend: Paragraph 1.2. to read ‘Conditions of Contract means the Public Works Contract for Civil Engineering Works Designed by the Employer and developed by the Department of Finance for use on public sector construction projects’.
Amend: The text in paragraph 1.4. to read ‘All references to clauses are references to clauses numbered in the Public Works Contract for Civil Engineering Works Designed by the Employer and references to paragraphs are references to paragraphs numbered herein’.
Amend: The word ‘Engineer’ to read ‘Employer’s Representative’ in Paragraph 1.6.
Omit: The words in bold in Paragraph 1.7. ‘Bill of Quantities’ means a list of items giving brief identifying descriptions and estimated quantities of the work comprised in a Contract.
Omit: Paragraph 1.8. ‘Daywork’ means the method of valuing work on the basis of time spent by the workmen, the material used and the plant employed.
a) a list of the various classes of labour, materials and plant for which Daywork rates or prices are to be inserted by the tenderer together with a statement of the conditions under which the Contractor shall be paid for work executed on a Daywork basis,
or
b) a statement that the Contractor shall be paid for work executed on a Daywork basis at rates and prices calculated by adding the percentage additions stated in the Schedule of Dayworks carried out incidental to Contract Work issued by the Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors to the rates and prices contained in the aforementioned Schedules and by making further adjustments as follows.
* Appropriate deletion to be made by the Contractor when tendering.
† Percentage to be inserted by the Contractor when tendering.
‡ Supplementary charges shall not include the charges referred to in notes and conditions 2(ii), 3 and 6 of Schedule 4.
Payments shall be made under the conditions and using the rates and prices contained in the edition of the aforementioned Schedules current at the date of execution of the Daywork.’
Omit: Paragraph 5.7. ‘Provisional Sums for work executed on a Daywork basis may be given comprising separate items for labour, materials, plant and supplementary charges. Where a Daywork Schedule of the form stated in sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph 5.6. is used each Provisional Sum shall be followed by an item for the adjustment referred to in that sub-paragraph. The price inserted against each such item shall be calculated by applying the percentage addition or deduction inserted by the Contractor in the Daywork Schedule to the amount of the associated Provisional Sum.’