12 August 2019
Members have been extremely proactive coming forward and providing feedback on the Architects Services Brief for the North West Museum and Art Gallery. I am extremely grateful for this and those members who provided specific feedback on the document. The Institute has subsequently engaged in a constructive dialogue with Burnie City Council, sharing our Institute Guidelines – Expressions of interest and requests for tender for architectural services and has had the opportunity to provide feedback on the briefing document and the processes. Burnie City Council have been receptive to our feedback and have subsequently made a number of significant changes to both the document and the processes and procedures it outlines.
Burnie City Council has undertaken to make the following adjustments;
• Change the submission requirements to be very similar to the Institute Guidelines on EOI/RFT rather than the RFD process they initially outlined as they have come to appreciate that the previous brief was unfair for architects and risked compromising creative and quality outcomes for the project and for Council;
• Removed the requirement for submissions to include project specific creative images and they have committed to modifying the selection process and criteria weightings to suit;
• In consultation with their probity advisor, they have committed to design a tender evaluation tool and a probity plan to reflect the changes and in so doing proposed to short list three (3) submissions which may require an interview with Council’s Tender Panel (to include the Probity Advisor and Independent Architect advisor;
• The shortlisted submissions will be discussed at a Council workshop which will contribute to informing the evaluation (in accordance with the assessment criteria) by the tender panel;
• The formerly proposed the 25% weighting allocated to submit design and images is reallocated for the Architect to demonstrate a response to the site, design method, the skills and experience applied to meet the project objectives, design principles and parameters. Submissions shall only be asked to include text and examples of current or past works, including client references limited to 12 A4 pages.
• Price will remain at 25% weighting down from the initial 50% and there will be some minor adjustments to wording in the other selection criteria to reflect the proposed change;
• The evaluation will be a singular process where the fee is weighted with the qualitative criteria.
Burnie City Council has advised that these changes reflect the intent and guidance as set out in the Institutes recommended process for EOI and RFT as outlined in the Guidelines – Expressions of interest and requests for tender for architectural service.
As part of this process, Burnie City Council is calling for expressions of interest from suitably qualified architects to be an independent technical advisor to Council’s Tender Panel to assess and evaluate the successful firm for the above project. Please click here for further details.
Burnie City Council have thanked the Institute for its support and critique throughout this process and I am extremely grateful for the manner in which they heard our concerns and we have productively work together toward positive change. We will continue to work alongside Burnie City Council throughout the process, these things are works in progress and we sincerely appreciate their willingness to engage in constructive dialogue on this matter. I strongly believe the changes will benefit all stakeholders and result in a significantly better built outcome for the both community and Burnie City Council alike.
Jennifer Nichols
Executive Director, Tasmanian Chapter
Australian Institute of Architects