HÀ NỘI — Representatives from construction enterprises and contractors were introduced to two outputs of a national technical collaborative project with Japan on managing construction projects in Hà Nội on Friday.

Implemented from the second quarter of 2015 by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Ministry of Construction (MOC), the project focusses on enhancing capacity in cost estimation, contract management, and quality and safety in construction investment projects in Việt Nam, with an aim to managing those projects according to international standards and regulations and increasing the effectiveness of public investment as a result.

After two years of implementation, the project has analysed and compared contractor capacity evaluation methods in Việt Nam, Singapore and Japan. It has come up with recommendations to improve Việt Nam’s assessment of contractors, their practising certificates, construction classification system and contractor rating system.

The project also provides Vietnamese enterprises with a guiding document on construction contract management and adjustment with international standards, which would help clients and contractors review bidding documents and contract documents, simplify evaluation procedures for incurrences/changes, as well as standardise the periodical payment process, and check inspection process of management agencies and assess damages.

“The improved contractor capacity evaluation method would not only help clients to select highly capable contractors but also encourage the less capable ones to improve their competency,” said Phạm Khánh Toàn, director-general of MOC’s Department of International Cooperation at a training workshop on the project’s outputs on Friday.

The contract management guide, developed by MOC and JICA experts, has incorporated terms from contracts developed by the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC contracts) and other international references, which would be a reliable guidance for construction enterprises throughout the construction process, from the bidding period to the completion and warranty period of the constructions, he said.

Similar workshops on the outputs of the project will be held for clients and contractors in HCM City and Cần Thơ City on June 22 and June 23, respectively.

The project is expected to be completed by March 2018. — VNS