Who should read this guidance?
All those who carry out construction works projects and are subject to the Scottish Public Finance Manual, as well as those who sponsor Non-Departmental Public Bodies or other funded bodies, need to be familiar with its contents and with their own responsibilities as clients. This includes the Scottish Government, its Agencies, the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body, and most sponsored bodies. They should bring the Construction Procurement Manual to the attention of these bodies and should ensure that the policy and procedures are followed. Arrangements governing the control of major investment projects should, where appropriate, be incorporated into a sponsored body's financial memorandum / management statement. Sponsor Directorates General should review the working of these arrangements from time to time to satisfy themselves that the arrangements provide for adequate management of such projects.
The guidance should be read by investment decision makers, project owners, project sponsors, client advisers and project managers, as well as procurement, finance and internal audit staff who have an interest in works projects. The guidance should be read in conjunction with the Scottish Public Finance Manual (with particular reference to the Appraisal and Evaluation, Major Investment and other sections), the Procurement Policy Handbook, Scottish Government's Procurement Policy Manual and Procurement Toolkit, and the Overview of Construction Works Procurement; this additional policy and procedural guidance can be accessed from other parts of this Construction Procurement Manual. The guidance takes account of principles previously set out in construction procurement guidance issued by the Office of Government Commerce (formerly the Procurement Group of HM Treasury) and describes the principles in a context appropriate to the Scottish Government's needs.
Core Directorates of the Scottish Government can obtain advice on construction procurement from the Scottish Procurement and Commercial Directorate's Construction Procurement Policy Unit. Executive Agencies, sponsored bodies and other public bodies that are not a core Directorate of Scottish Government should engage with their sponsor unit in Scottish Government in the first instance.
The guidance is divided into the following sections within this site:
Section 1: Roles and responsibilities
Section 2: Value for money
Section 3: Procurement strategies and the appointment of consultants and contractors plus Annexes
Section 4: Financial aspects
Section 5: Health and safety
Section 6: Design quality
Section 7: Sustainability
Section 8: Fire Protection
Section 9: Further reading