Build UK have today published Common Assessment Standard (CAS) Version 4.
CAS V4 has been streamlined following the withdrawal of PAS 91 and updated to include a new Building Safety section, ensuring the Common Assessment Standard can be used to demonstrate companies have the organisational capability to fulfil their duties under the Building Safety Act. Based on feedback from members and the Recognised Assessment Bodies, completion of the Building Safety section will be ‘advisory’ rather than mandatory for the remainder of the year whilst the industry gets up to speed with the new requirements.
There is a growing list of organisations across both the public and private sectors using the Common Assessment Standard, and in accordance with Procurement Policy Note 03/24 published earlier this year, central Government departments and wider public sector bodies should now use the Common Assessment Standard to preâ€qualify suppliers for construction works contracts. Suppliers going through the certification process for the Common Assessment Standard after 1 July will complete the updated question set.
As the number of organisations specifying the Common Assessment Standard continues to grow, members of the supply chain only need to obtain certification once from any of the Recognised Assessment Bodies. There are two levels of certification †desktop and siteâ€based †and companies should apply for the appropriate level depending on their trade, size and the requirements of their clients. Certified companies can then share their key PQ data with other Recognised Assessment Bodies to increase their visibility amongst more Contractors and Clients.
Companies in the supply chain keen to see a reduction in the bureaucracy of preâ€qualification should review the different certifications they hold to see if they have the Common Assessment Standard from more than one Recognised Assessment Body and whether that is required for any reason.
