Valuing independent contractor registration

It is good news indeed that in the 18 months since membership of the Heating & Ventilating Contractors’ Association has required independent assessment of technical and commercial capability that independent research is showing that most local authorities regard it as important that a contractor for M&E projects is a member of HVCA (page 8). It was a bold step by the association and its members to make it mandatory for all HVCA members to complete an independent third-party inspection and assessment. 18 months on since the scheme was introduced in April 2003, HVCA has declared that this has been the single most important step in its 100-year history. Such is the magnitude of the change and the scale of the task to be undertaken that inspection and assessment is only half completed. The undertaking is expected to take another 18 months to complete. With the selection of contractors so often having overly depended on price, often with regrettable consequences for clients, here at last is the opportunity for other considerations to assume due prominence .