Engineering and Related Services WCS2024NR1

Eligible Customers include:

(a) All State Agencies with statutory works powers who are listed under Rule C1 in the WA Procurement Rules are Eligible Customers.

(b) All State Agencies that have been issued an Agency Specific Procurement Direction under Part 4 of the Procurement Act 2020 which provides them with limited works power are Eligible Customers. These include:

• Commissioner of Main Roads
• Department of Health (including Health Service Providers)
• Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
• Department of Transport
• Forest Products Commission
• Gold Corporation
• Insurance Commission of Western Australia
• Lotteries Commission
• Public Transport Authority of Western Australia
• The National Trust of Australia (W.A.)
• Western Australia Police Force
• Western Australian Greyhound Racing Association

(c) In addition to the above, the following entity is recognised as an Eligible Customer for the purposes of this SOA:

• Other Government Entities - Universities

Within these subcategories, the Client can ask for different types of non-residential engineering related services under the Standing Offer. These include:

• business case development
• feasibility studies 
• design development (including concept design and construction documentation) 
• value engineering 
• drafting services 
• ad hoc advice
• ad hoc report development 
• advisory reports
• contract administration.

Consultants can also be hired to work as the Lead Consultant. If they take on this role, they must manage any other consultants working on the job.

For giving advice on different sound issues in buildings and environmental noise like how a room sounds, keeping noise in or out, protecting people’s privacy, reducing noise from services or rain, cutting down echoes, and dealing with noise or vibrations from equipment.

For providing services related to civil engineering and water systems, including things like hydrology, water flow, gas and water supply plans, and water management.

For providing services that involve designing, installing, and maintaining equipment that makes or uses electricity, including lighting and power, security systems, and renewable energy systems.

For providing services that involve designing, checking, and certifying fire safety features in buildings, including specialist work like fire modelling, fire prevention, and installing fire alarms and fires suppression/sprinkler systems.

For provision of engineering services in relation to the flow and conveyance of fluids. 

For providing services that involve researching, designing, building, running, and maintaining machines, equipment, and mechanical systems in buildings and facilities. This also includes specialist work such as heating, air conditioning, ventilation (HVAC), dust collection systems, pumps and pipework, medical gasses and plumbing and passive climate design.

For providing services related to building structures, retaining walls, and building façades. This also includes specialist work like glass cladding, aluminium cladding, and checking roof safety.

For giving advice and doing work related to lift services, including electrical equipment, fittings, and fixtures. This also covers bringing all service needs together in the design, writing site assessment reports, checking the final installation, and carrying out testing and commissioning of all lift services.

For the provision of building design services that include specialist services such as drafting and technician services for minor works. 

For giving advice on building sustainability ratings, including Green Star and NABERS, as well as helping with compliance and strategies to reduce carbon emissions.

For giving advice and carrying out work like site feature surveys for new (greenfield) and existing (brownfield) sites, underground surveys, subdivisions, and easements. This also includes using drones and creating 3D contour maps.

For providing specialist services like environmental and contaminated site assessments, occupational hygiene work, environmental surveys and impact studies, wetland studies, flora and fauna surveys, and arborist reports.

For providing services that involve planning, designing, and delivering security solutions for different types of facilities, including prisons, courts, and other non-residential places like schools.

For providing services that involve analysing project timelines, including specialist work like planning and scheduling construction activities.

For giving advice and doing work on traffic and road safety, including traffic and road safety assessments, road safety audits, designing traffic management plans, transport planning, traffic modelling, and assessing what pedestrians and cyclists need.

For providing contract administration services as the Superintendent’s representative during the construction period, including the defects liability period. This also covers independent superintendent services.

For providing services that look at how soil and rock are likely to behave when pressure is put on them by structures built above or below the ground.

For providing services that involve planning and designing gardens, outdoor areas, and landscaping around buildings, including irrigation systems and bores.

For providing services and advice about hazardous materials, including inspecting and checking conditions, writing reports, and giving safety management advice. This can also include helping manage cleanup or remediation work. All services must follow government rules and safety guidelines, including national work health and safety laws and regulations.

For providing independent advice and guidance on building information modelling (BIM) and digital engineering. This includes things like management plans and reviews, project management support, helping set up and run common data systems, giving advice on BIM processes, providing software training, and reviewing 3D models.

The Standing Offer Conditions (January 2025) applies to this arrangement.

The following is out of scope for this Request:

• Information and Communication Technology: services are available through CUAICTS2021

• Architectural and Interior Fitout services

• Cost Management and Quantity Surveying
• Occupational Health and Safety
• Ethnographic and Archaeological Services 
• Machinery Design
• Logistics and Materials Handling
• Theatre Advisory Services
• Asbestos Removal
• Asbestos Registers

General

Office of Major Infrastructure Delivery specific

The Buying Rules below specifically concern the Office of Major Infrastructure Delivery (OMID) in the Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure:

Guide note

All Clients (including OMID) must complete a risk assessment for the work they want to do so they can decide what insurance is needed. These insurance requirements will be included in the Standing Offer Request for Supply.

An Evaluation Panel must review all consultant replies.

A reverse brief can be used when choosing a consultant directly, and in this case, three written quotes are not required.

If the Standing Offer Request for Supply is for work in a regional area, at least one quote must come from a regional business, if one is available.

This Schedule 2 explains what information a consultant must include when responding under the Standing Offer.

Each consultant reply must give all the information the Client asks for in the Standing Offer Request for Supply, and it must be in the correct format.

Lead Consultants – engaging subconsultants

Schedule 1 delivery requirements

If the Client hires a Lead Consultant, and the Lead Consultant brings in subconsultants:

• If the subconsultant is already a consultant under WCS2024NR1, the Lead Consultant must follow the Buying Rules of this Standing Offer.
• If the subconsultant is not a WCS2024NR1 consultant, the Lead Consultant must follow the minimum market approach rules in Rule C4.1 of the WA Procurement Rules (Procurement Direction 2025/07).

Waiver from Buying Rules

If the Eligible Customer needs to divert from using the SOA Buying Rules, a Waiver is required and should be submitted to the Requesting Agency contract manager.
Any waiver must:

• be clearly documented
• explain the reasons
• be signed by the agency’s delegated authority
• be sent to the SOA Contract Manager.

For each contract, the Client must check how much risk is involved. They can only ask for quotes from consultants who meet the minimum insurance levels in the table below. Keep in mind:

• The insurance levels listed are the minimum required under the WCS2024NR1 Head Agreement. If your contract needs higher insurance cover, you must organise this directly with the consultant.
  • Minimum Public Liability and Workers’ Compensation insurance are already managed at the Head Agreement level by the Works Consultancy Panels team. If you need copies of the certificates, email WorksConsultancyPanels@dohw.wa.gov.au.

The level of Professional Indemnity Insurance must be written in Attachment 1 of the Standing Offer Request for Supply. The amount needed should be based on your risk assessment for the contract.

State agencies should be aware of the following requirements under Western Australian Procurement Rules as they apply to purchases from this SOA. The below tables are a summary of the requirements, and State agencies are encouraged to review the WA Procurement Rules. 

Procurement planning

Request development and contract formation

Contract management

Exemption from using this Standing Offer Arrangement

The Engineering and Related Services Standing Offer Arrangement is optional and can be used across the State. Clients do not need a formal exemption to buy from consultants who are not on the SOA.

If an Eligible Customer wants to use a consultant who is not on the SOA, they should still try to get at least one quote from an SOA consultant (if possible). This helps show value for money and shows that SOA consultants cannot meet the project needs.

Before buying off panel, agencies should think about:

• whether any local or regional SOA consultants are available
• whether they can still show value for money
• any procurement risks and how these will be managed.

To access a list of all consultants and to assist with the selection of WCS2024NR1, please refer to the Consultant Details.

Step-by-step buying process

• Identify the scope and requirements by way of a Procurement Plan.
• Obtain the necessary approvals to commence the procurement process.
• Select the consultant(s) that meet your requirements by browsing the Consultant Details, Hourly Rates and the Annexure C - Services Brief. 
  • Review capability statements.
  • Review hourly rates. (Contact Contract Manager if rates are not yet listed)
• Issue documents to the selected consultant(s):
  • Standing Offer Request for Supply (Schedule 1) including:
    • Attachment 1 Australian Standard General Conditions of Contract for Consultants AS 4122 - 2010, Annexure Part A 
    • Attachment 2 Scope / Contract Particulars
  • Consultant's Reply (Schedule 2) including:
    • Attachment A Price Preferences
    • Attachment B Qualitative Requirements (if seeking multiple quotes from several consultants)
• Consultant(s) complete, sign and return the Standing Offer Order Reply form and completed Attachment B Qualitative Requirements (if requested in a competitive quote process)
  • Evaluate consultant offer(s) to determine best value for money according to the selection criteria which may involve convening an evaluation panel and writing an Evaluation Report for consideration by a Tenders Review Committee or the State Tenders Review Committee.
• Document all decisions. 
• Issue Schedule 3 Standing Offer Order form to the successful consultant.
  • Issue an Award Letter accompanying the Standing Offer Order if required.
• Publish the contract award on Tenders WA if the contract value is over $50,000.

The documents mentioned in this section are examples and can be used as they are or as the basis for your own forms and documents. Instructions are contained within each example to demonstrate how they should be used.

Non-mandatory Standing Offer Panel

This SOA is non-mandatory state-wide for State agencies. You may:

• purchase under the applicable SOA from a SOA consultant, or
• exercise your discretion to purchase outside the SOA, and purchase in accordance with Western Australian Procurement Rules and Buy Local policy. 

Before you buy, also check that your purchase falls within your organisation's procurement policies.

In accordance with Western Australian Procurement Rules, you can buy outside of this CUA and directly source from an Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE) or Aboriginal Business.

Pricing

The hourly rates are in the process of being finalised. In the interim, should you have any specific requirements for pricing, please contact the contract manager at WorksConsultancyPanels@dohw.wa.gov.au and include the relevant firm(s) and categories in your request.

Payment methods

Payment methods used will depend on the nature of your customer contracts. Refer to Clause 11 GST (refer to Annexure B to the General Conditions of Contract AS4122-2010 to be read in conjunction with the Australian Standards 4122 - Engagement of Consultants).

Recipient-created tax invoices (RCTI)

Recipient-created tax invoices (RCTIs) are used when a buyer, rather than the consultant, issues a tax invoice and are commonly used in WA Government works contracts.

Conditions for use

1. Refer to Clause 11.6 of the General Conditions (Annexure B of the Request).
2. Both parties must be registered for GST.
3. A written agreement must exist between both parties.
4. The goods/services must be approved by the ATO.
5. The agreement must be current at the time of issue (example: RCTI Agreement used by Housing and Works).

Additional information (Source: Australian Tax Office)

Further information concerning RCTIs can be found on the Australian Tax Office (ATO) website.

1. Consultant tax invoices
   Suggested for short term, lower value or one-off supply of services.

2. Payment by purchasing card
   The government purchasing card is a quick and easy way to pay for goods or services, as long as the invoice amount (whether it’s a one-off or ongoing service) is within the cardholder’s spending limit. Make sure you tell your consultant that you’ll be paying their invoices using the government purchasing card.

Buying tips

• Buy from a range of WCS2024NR1 consultants from across any of the relevant Service Categories you might utilise for return/repeat work.
• Before selecting a consultant, request a proposal outlining the scope of works as well as their proposed costs.
• Consider aspects beyond pricing. 
• Review their capability statements and consultant profiles to aid selection.

The standard terms and conditions applicable to WCS2024NR1 are set out in the WCS2024NR1 Request (Annexure B to the General Conditions of Contract AS4122 (Amended) and Standing Offer Conditions (January 2025).

Special conditions may be applied to a Customer Contract in additional to the standard Standing Offer terms and conditions and General Conditions of Contract AS4122(Amended). Buyers can add their special conditions in their Standing Offer Request for Supply form (Refer to example at Schedule 1).

For the addition of more complex or contentious special conditions to the Standing Offer customer contract, eligible customers are encouraged to seek legal advice from their in-house procurement, policy or legal team before including them in their Customer Contracts.

Buyers should not sign up to a consultant’s standard engagement letter or additional legal documentation that may incorporate non-Standing Offer terms of business.

Conflict of interest

A conflict of interest happens when someone’s work duties clash with their personal or private interests. A conflict can be actual, potential, or perceived, and it can involve financial or nonfinancial benefits.

Both Standing Offer customers and consultants must identify and manage conflicts of interest.

State agencies have their own codes of conduct that explain how to identify, report, and manage conflicts. See Request Clause E.1.3.3 Conflict of Interest and Standing Offer Conditions Clause 16.1.

You must think about conflicts of interest when:

• asking for quotes
• evaluating offers
• managing a contract.

Standing Offer consultants must follow their contractual obligations under Standing Offer Conditions (16.1) and AS4122 (E.1.3.3). They must:

• identify any conflicts
• notify the Customer and Requesting Agency
• complete the conflict-of-interest declaration in the Request for Supply (Consultant Reply).

If a conflict is found, the consultant must tell the Customer and take reasonable steps to remove the conflict. The Customer must then decide whether the conflict can be properly managed before awarding the contract.

Active contract management pays off

• Manage your contract term – keep an eye on Customer Contract expiry dates.
• If you extend a Customer Contract, obtain relevant approvals from your delegated authority and retain copies of all documentation and approvals.
• Test the market on a regular basis to see what other consultants on the SOA are offering.
• Check all invoices and payment claims to make sure they’re correct – especially that the consultant is charging the hourly rates they agreed to – before you approve the payment.
• Monitor consultant performance and deliverables.
• Document any issues as they arise even if they are resolved. This will assist in ongoing consultant performance management.
• Engage with the consultant on a regular basis with progress meetings.
• Monitor Consultant performance – utilise the Customer Satisfaction Survey (Schedule 4).
• If you encounter an issue and you are unable to resolve it directly with the consultant, please contact the SOA Contract Manager.

Service issues

• The SOA consultants are required to comply with the service requirements of WCS2024NR1 Standing Offer Conditions and General Conditions of Contract AS4122 (Amended), together with any special customer contract conditions specified in the Standing Offer Request for Supply documentation.
• Detailed guidance on monitoring consultant performance is detailed on WA.gov.au and in the Request (see sections F.2.4 Standing Offer Consultant Performance Management) noting the key performance indicators (KPIs) against which consultants will be monitored.
• Notwithstanding SOA service requirements, you may encounter contract issues that can arise for a variety of reasons. To minimise the chance of a minor problem escalating into a dispute, the issue should be identified, discussed and resolved quickly and efficiently at the lowest practical level.
• If you do experience a service issue with a SOA consultant that you are unable to resolve directly with the Consultant, you can also seek advice from the SOA Contract Manager.

Consultant performance

• The Department of Housing and Works (the Requesting Agency) monitors SOA consultants using KPIs. These KPIs relate to things like accurate sales reports, up-to-date insurance, and feedback from customers through surveys or enquiries.
• Customers should also monitor consultant performance under their own contracts.
  For contracts that are complex, high value, high risk or long term, you may include extra contract management requirements (such as meetings, reports or KPIs).
• Consultants must meet or exceed KPI targets.
• Regular monitoring – such as checking invoice accuracy, service delivery and compliance with contract terms – helps maintain good performance and value for money. It also helps you compare consultant performance with what other consultants offer.
• Customers may also use the Customer Satisfaction Survey (Schedule 4 of the Request for Offer (WCS2024NR1)).