Information for Building Industry Consultants - PQC System Overview
What is the PQC System?
The PQC System supports and enhances building procurement processes by streamlining the tendering and selection process and providing clear and consistent performance requirements.
The PQC System comprises:
- a central register of prequalified building industry consultants used by all government departments;
- associated PQC application and performance reporting documents; and
- a series of related guidelines covering the building industry consultant invitation and selection process, the performance reporting process, service risk assessment and review processes.
Click here for policy intent and policy objectives of the Prequalification (PQC) System.
Who should apply for Prequalification (PQC)?
The Queensland Government routinely engages the services of building industry consultants from various disciplines including architects and landscape architects; civil, mechanical, and electrical engineers; quantity surveyors and project managers.
In particular, consultants that undertake the following service activities associated with government building project commissions should consider applying for registration on the PQC System in order to secure opportunities to participate in government building projects:
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In accordance with the Capital Works Management Framework, the PQC System is required to be used by Queensland Government departments to source building industry consultants covered by the PQC System where the consultancy fee is:
- $30,000 or higher; or
- less than $30,000 and the Service Risk Rating is level 3 or 4.
What is meant by the term ‘building industry consultant'?
In the context of the whole-of-Government Prequalification (PQC) System administered by the Department of Public Works in Queensland, this term refers to an organisation or individual contracted directly to the principal to provide particular services in relation to a government building project. The principal is the State of Queensland acting through the agency nominated in the consultant invitation documents.
The terms ‘building industry consultant' and ‘consultant' have the same meaning under the PQC System and are used interchangeably in PQC documentation.
Overview of the Consultant PQC system
The Consultant PQC System is an integral part of the building industry consultant invitation and selection process and provides the key point of contact for industry with the process through consultant registration.
Prequalification, in this case, is the process by which building industry consultants are assessed against predetermined criteria as a basis for differentiating their capability with respect to particular types of commission associated with government building projects.
The PQC System contains records of registered consultant entity and office details, information on past performance on commissions and the types of commissions each consultant is prequalified to undertake. It also provides a comprehensive assessment of each consultant's capabilities and commitment to continuous improvement against prescribed criteria.
The application for prequalification incorporates a self-assessment component by which each consultant is assigned to one of four PQC levels from 1 to 4, where 1 indicates that the consultant has effective work practices and 4 indicates the consultant is at the leading edge of practice for the services provided even when compared globally with other leaders across diverse industry sectors.
The various services involving government building project commissions are correspondingly rated according to their risk with service risk ratings from 1 (lowest) to 4 (highest). On any building project, there is likely to be a number of separate services required, each having a potentially different risk rating.
Consultants must be appropriately registered in the System and have a PQC level that matches or exceeds the PQC service risk rating to be eligible to submit proposals for government building project commissions.
If the PQC Registrar has a concern about any prequalified consultant, that consultant is placed under review while an investigation and inquiries are being pursued. A Seek Advice Flag is recorded against the consultant in the PQC System at the same time. The Seek Advice Flag does not necessarily exclude the consultant from being considered for a particular commission, but alerts users of the PQC System to seek further information from the PQC Registrar.
PQC Registration
Any building industry consultant seeking to undertake consultancies of prescribed types associated with government building projects must first become appropriately registered on the whole-of-Government PQC System administered by the Department of Public Works.
Last Updated 05/08/2009
