Association of Consultant Architects TAC-1 launch and BIM

[edit] Introduction

The Association of Consultant Architects (ACA) is the national professional body representing architects in private practice. Its main objectives are to:

• Encourage excellence in the quality of service provided by ACA members to clients, and
• Represent private practice architects, their interests and aims. Supporting them on issues pertinent to architectural practice and the field as a whole.

The ACA supports members by providing information to help with practice issues, including contract templates that can facilitate the construction process.

One such contract is the Term Alliance Contract 1 (TAC-1) which is the successor to TPC2005. The new term contract is designed to be a versatile standard term alliance contract that may help a client and its team to obtain better results from any term contract (i.e. providing terms over an agreed period of time).

TAC-1 was officially launched on June 5, 2017 where various users described their experience of procuring a new term alliance. For instance, in 2016, Southern Housing Group commissioned market research on different contract forms and found that over 80% of contractors preferred the TPC2005 term partnering contract compared to the JCT and NEC term contracts.

TAC-1 aims to:

• Integrate a team into an alliance
• Obtain improved value through BIM
• Designed for use in any sector and any jurisdiction.

TAC-1 is designed to be used on any type or scale of works, services and supplies. It is based on lessons learned from successful term alliances that have delivered cost savings and other improved value. It is also based on the TPC2005 Term Partnering Contract that has been proven over at least 10 years on a wide range of term programmes; it is also based on the FAC-1 Framework Alliance Contract, as well as case studies, prototypes and trials. Consultation has also taken place with over 20 organisations.

TAC-1 sets out:

• The parties to the contract (Alliance members, including the client, the provider and an in-house or external alliance manager);
• Why the term ‘alliance’ is created, stating agreed objectives, success measures, targets and incentives;
• Mobilisation and handover procedures, and improved stakeholder engagement;
• Ordering procedures (simple or complex orders, supported by template order documents);
• What alliance members will do to seek improved value, working together through supply chain co-operation;
• How the alliance will manage risks and avoid disputes, and
• Flexibility to include particular legal requirements and special terms

[edit] TAC-1 is claimed to result in the following benefits:

Savings and improved value

• Significant cost savings and greater cost and time certainty;

• Improved performance and extended warranties;
• improved employment and training opportunities;
• Improved engagement of local and regional Supply Chain members;
• Improved Client and Stakeholder satisfaction, and
• New Sustainability initiatives

The contract is also designed to promote:

• Transparency – clarifying the mutual commitments of alliance members;
• Risk management – creating a system under a framework contract. The risk register in schedule 3 is updated by the alliance manager for approval by the core group, and
• Achieve improved value – agreed alliance activities linked to agreed deadlines.

[edit] Use wih BIM

BIM can be used in conjunction with TAC-1 to provide the option to underpin the agreed approaches to design, supply chain engagement, costing, risk management and programming.

TAC-1 may provide improved value through BIM including:

• Data transparency and team integration;
• Agreed software;
• Integration of documents enabling and supporting BIM;
• Agreed BIM deadlines, gateways and interfaces;
• Flexibility to agree any combination of BIM contributions;
• Flexibility to bring in BIM contributions from specialist sub-contractors and manufacturers; (through clause 6.3 Supply Chain Collaboration and clause 8 Orders)
• Direct mutual licences of Intellectual Property Rights (in clause 11);
• Integration of BIM management with governance and clash resolution;
• Flexibility to obtain BIM contributions from additional alliance members involved in the occupation, operation, repair, alteration and demolition of a completed project, and
• Potential for the BIM team to learn and improve over the duration of the Term Alliance Contract.

For more information see: TAC-1

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Construction contract conditions
• Construction contractor
• Contractual obligation.
• Contractual right.
• Core clause.
• FIDIC
• Intermediate building contract
• JCT
• JCT Construction management contract
• Lump sum contract
• Minor works
• Modifying clauses in standard forms of construction contract
• NEC Option A: Priced contract with activity schedule
• NEC3
• Non-performance.
• PPC 2000
• Standard form of contract
• TAC-1