Electrical maintenance of customs, fire and immigration staff quarters, Hong Kong

Electrical installations and appliances in the homes of thousands of Hong Kong government employees are being maintained under an NEC3 Term Service Contract (TSC). The government’s Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) let the three-year TSC option A for the work in June 2015 to Au Chow Electrical Company.

The HK$18.34 (£1.8 million) contract is for fault call attendance, corrective maintenance, replacement, and alteration, addition and improvement works of electrical installations and domestic appliances at staff quarters of the Fire Services Department, Immigration Department and Customs & Excise Department. The scope includes ventilation fans, refrigerators, electrical hot water systems, closet heaters, pedestal fans and radiators.

The staff quarters are at various locations in Hong Kong. Recent examples include the Immigration Department’s eight- and 13-storey buildings with 144 apartments at Wo Yi Hop Road, Kwai Chung and the Customs & Excise Department’s 23-storey, 80-apartment building at Tsing Chau Street in Hung Hom. Both were completed in 2012.

Better Project Management

According to EMSD’s chief engineer of transport, security and central services, who is acting as the TSC service manager, ‘NEC provides a framework that facilitates better project management with a collaborative and partnering spirit.

‘This electrical maintenance contract is a pilot project to review if NEC’s better project management with collaborative and partnering spirit can streamline work processes and improve the workflow in handling job requests in staff quarters.’

The service manager says the contract is working well so far. ‘In the first two years, NEC’s cooperative contract spirit has provided a stimulus for good management and a positive relationship between the employer and the contractor. Clear division of responsibility has also helped each party to undertake accountability and has motivated the parties to resolve problems.’

The service manager says submissions have been reviewed with comments or approved within two weeks as required under NEC. ‘Working in a partnering spirit, the contractor has also undertaken to update tenants within two days to inform them of entitlement checking for domestic appliance fault attendance. This initiative has kept tenants informed of progress and greatly reduced further enquiries through the employer.’

Benefits of Using NEC

• NEC facilitates better project management with a collaborative and partnering spirit, which streamlines work processes and improves workflow.
• NEC’s cooperative contract spirit provides a stimulus for good management and a positive relationship between the employer and the contractor.
• Clear division of responsibility helps each party to undertake accountability and motivates the parties to resolve problems.