NEC is launching a new pair of contracts this month specifically for procuring facilities management services. The NEC4 Facilities Management Contract (FMC) and NEC4 Facilities Management Subcontract (FMS) have been produced with the support of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM).
Like the NEC4 Term Service Contract (TSC) and its short (TSSC) and subcontract (TSS) versions, the new contracts are designed for appointing suppliers for a defined period of time to manage and provide a service. But while the facilities management industry has been using TSC for large-scale work, a substantial part of the sector was not using it or TSSC because they felt the contracts did not provide the procedures needed for their particular services.
Sector-specific contract
NEC therefore partnered with IWFM to identify best practice in the sector and establish the way forward. It became clear that rather than amending the TSC, a specific contract for facilities management services should be prepared. This would avoid disrupting existing TSC users who are successfully implementing facilities management contracts with the current form.
The result is a new contract that meets the diverse needs of the facilities management sector while also integrating with the NEC4 suite. The TSC and FMC can be used for any type of service but users in certain sectors may find the facilities management versions more accessible or user friendly due to the terminology and processes being more closely aligned to reactive maintenance.
Recommended version
The TSC remains valid for all services other than facilities management and, while users may continue to use the TSC for facilities management work if they consider it meets their needs, the new FMC is now the recommended NEC4 form for new facilities management contracts.
The new contracts and associated user guides will be launched at a webinar this month and will initially be available as pre-publication versions. The formal first editions will be released later this year, along with a short form (FMSC) and short subcontract (FMSS) for lower risk and less complex services.
Training and consultancy in relation to the new contracts will also soon be available.
White paper
NEC has released a White Paper designed to provide information about the key features of the FM contracts.
Purchase the NEC4 Facilities Management Contract
Click here to purchase the NEC4 Facilities Management Contract. Further guidance documents and the Facilities Management Subcontract will also be available from this page in the coming weeks.