PAS 91

PAS 91: 2013 Construction pre-qualification questionnaires (PQQ)

PAS 91: 2013 replaces PAS 91: 2011. It provides a set of questions that can be asked by construction clients and buyers of potential contractors and suppliers as part of the pre-qualification process for construction projects.

PAS 91 is aligned to the Government Construction Strategy, contributing to the target of achieving savings in construction costs of 15-20% through the reduction of tendering costs, and is set to be mandatory for Government projects from 2016. Seen as a significant improvement on the 2011 version, it includes questions to examine competence in Building Information Modelling (BIM) and collaborative information exchange in preparation for the Government 2016 BIM mandate (requiring fully-collaborative 3D BIM on public projects with project and asset information, documentation and data being electronic, as a minimum).

Once suppliers have completed one PAS 91 questionnaire, the same set of standard responses can be used by all buyers who are PAS 91 compliant. The format also allows suppliers to share their PQQ responses with other clients and buyers through PAS 91 online portals. PAS 91 could therefore be seen as a suppliers real-time portfolio of capability and as such, it requires constant updating to ensure that responses reflect current information.

There are nine elements to PAS 91, four core modules, four optional modules and project-specific questions. Optional modules and project-specific questions are included by the buyer appropriate to the project bid.

Core modules include:

• Supplier identity.
• Financial information
• Business and professional standing.
• Health and safety.

Optional modules include:

• Equal opportunity and diversity.
• Environmental management.
• Quality management.
• Building Information Modelling.

PAS 91 heavily favours certification to ISO 9001 (Quality Management), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) and PAS 1192 (Building Information Management). Providing these certificates scores full marks, and offers exemption from completing a large number of questions in an attempt to describe suppliers arrangements to meet these standards.

Observers note that PAS 91 can significantly improve the contracting sector on the topics of diversity, quality management, environmental management and now, Building Information Modelling, but requires a collaborative approach from construction clients and buyers to use and promote use for successful and meaningful uptake.

PAS 91, is currently being revised, in particular to reflect the changes in roles introduced by CDM 2015.

NB In December 2013, Enterprise Minister Matthew Hancock set out how a range of measures intended to make it easier for small businesses to grow in Small Business: GREAT Ambition. Measures were announced to tackle late payment and to remove the barriers to public contracts by abolishing pre-qualification questionnaires (PQQs) for low-value contracts and mandating the use of core PQQs for high-value contracts.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Best value.
• Constructionline.
• Common assessment standard.
• Common Minimum Standards.
• Expression of interest.
• Government Construction Strategy.
• Invitation to tender.
• Pre qualification questionnaire.
• Pre qualification questionnaires and PAS 91.
• Procurement route.
• Small and medium-sized enterprises.
• Tender documentation.

[edit] External references

• Bsi Shop: PAS 91: 2013.

Comments

Does anybody have any information about the PAS91 update? I knew the 2013 version was being reviewed with the intention of update .e.g. to include CDM 2015 changes but haven't heard anything for along time.

A draft version of PAS 91:2016 was due to be published at the end of 2016, but it does not seem to have emerged yet.

Any news on progress of PAS 91:2016?

The most recent advertised publication date was May 2017 - but this seems not to have happened.