Communicating the Plan to Subcontractors

With the team across the QMP, subcontractors need to know the plan, and the details of what exactly applies to them.

This starts with procurement. Before we award the works, we need to make sure we issue subcontractors a copy of the relevant Quality Management documents and Quality Handbook Topics, so they understand what standard we require.

Make sure all of our quality requirements are included in their pricing. This should be confirmed at the pre award tender interview.

To do this we need to get the team (including support teams as required) and subcontractor together for a Trade Prestart Meeting.
This meeting can follow a generic agenda for the main issues as per link:

• Trade Startup & Planning Meeting

This meeting requires trade specific consideration for your unique project. Use the Quality Topics Quick Guide and referenced documents (Scope, Quality Handbook and associated checklists, methodology and programme) to assist communicating the expectations for each trade/subcontractor.

The focus should be ensuring the intended outcome is clear and the pathway to achieve this is understood.

The subcontractor should bring to the meeting or be providing/modifying after the meeting:
• a supervisor that is licensed and demonstrates a thorough understanding of the works and resources required to achieve the programme and expected quality
• a programme and methodology to show how they will complete the works including any curing times for products
• a quality plan including ITPs that show the required hold points for inspections by you and any other interested parties (client/consultants etc) - for review and approval
• a list of all the items they are providing for approval – shop drawings, technical submissions, samples, prototypes including timeframes linked to the programme
• a system of chain of custody to prevent non-conforming building products including verification and testing of products prior to delivery to site and on site
• solutions to address any tolerance issues that require consideration for the subcontract works and connections/terminations to other works by others
• proposed protection of the works to prevent damage during construction
• communication and document control protocols with the team and others
• confirmation of ability to attend at weekly subcontractor coordination meetings
• plan for progress and final inspections/signoffs

The Project Team needs to drill down until it is comfortable that everyone understands the plan and expectations.

An action list with timeframes and who is responsible for each item needs to be produced and tracked/closed out.

Chase the items and regularly review at weekly:
• project team meetings
• subcontract coordination meetings

It’s important to keep control of this and hold everyone accountable to their promises.

Good jobs start well and keep on top of everything as they progress.
Bad jobs start with misunderstanding and have unchecked slippage on time...

This early phase is so important, so if there is a problem, please escalate to your Team leader as soon as possible.