May 6, 2008

Ontario’s health ministry adopts CCDC2-based guide to bidding and supplementary conditions

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

STAFF WRITER

NIAGARA FALLS

In what is being hailed as a milestone, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has given the stamp of approval to a guide to bidding and supplementary conditions for healthcare projects.

The 44-page document was drafted by a task force that included representation from the Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA), the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) and the Ontario Hospital Association in addition to the legal community.

Designed to provide assistance to healthcare organizations in preparation of construction contracts, the guide provides a recommended set of supplementary conditions and best practices based on CCDC-developed standard documents.

“I would suggest that this collaborative effort is an important milestone and sets the stage for future discussions with other major client groups,” OAA president Sean O’Reilly told architects attending the association’s annual conference.

The ministry’s endorsement was announced by Meryl Hodnett, acting director of the capital planning and strategies branch. The guide will be used by the ministry in the capital planning process.

“We anticipate that use of this guide will help reduce or eliminate some of the concerns that had been identified on some projects...and help improve the bidding process,” she said.

The task force was established in 2005 at the request of the ministry in order to address issues arising on projects that interfered with the bidding and contract administration process.

In a backgrounder, the ministry said such issues included onerous contract conditions, declining bids, increasing contract disputes, inappropriate risk placement and poor instruction to bidders.

Standardized construction documents are considered key ingredients for successful implementation of healthcare projects, the ministry said.

“A common element in a difficult project has been alteration of the standard construction documents through onerous and/or inconsistent supplementary conditions which cause the altered documents to lose meaning or become uncoordinated,” the guide states.

The document is intended for use on traditionally procured design-bid-build projects overseen by the ministry, whose role is to ensure that such projects are properly planned and delivered.

“This is a major step forward and one that we hope will be emulated by other government ministries and owners,” said OGCA president Clive Thurston.

He said the drafting of the guide and its endorsement by the ministry is indicative of the “extremely positive results” that stem from “true” consultation with the construction industry.

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