5.32 Purpose: The Authority can make sensible decisions about the state of the project only if it has access to adequate and accurate information about performance. The contract manager will need to set out how the monitoring team will capture and interpret the performance information supplied by the Contractor.
5.33 Useful documents: The contract;
5.34 Areas to consider: The contract will set out the key information which needs to be collected and part of the bid submissions and Contractors proposals will include examples of how bidders propose to provide this information - for example, how they will log helpdesk calls, provide a record of progress in resolving issues, and provide feedback to the Authority and end user regarding the resolved issue. The reporting documents which the Authority will receive from the Contractor will include:
• performance management information
• achievement of milestones against timetables
• user feedback
• action taken to address problem areas
5.35 An important obligation in the contract is the right of the Authority to receive monthly performance reports from the Contractor. Authorities will need this to put together their monitoring system using the payment mechanism so that any deductions from the Unitary Charge payment can be made and any performance points can be calculated.
5.36 The contract will also allow for the Authority to carry out its own audits and the Authority will need to develop a system of capturing this information and interpreting it so that it is comparable to the Contractor's monitoring information. The monitoring team should have direct electronic access (limited to view only) to the help desk to either check on the status of reported issues or to carry out audits.
5.37 The success of the operational phase will depend to an extent on the accuracy and credibility of the information recorded, and it is therefore important that information is maintained in a user-friendly format to enable easy access and retrieval. The contract manager should also make sure that there is an information strategy in place and that the information relating to the project is collected, maintained, organised for easy retrieval and periodically reviewed to make sure that it is complete and that the system works. The contract manager will identify:
• the method of delivery of reports, their format, compatibility, how they will be updated and any document management system which should be put in place for the life of the contract;
• the frequency of reporting;
• who is to provide the analysis of the information and how the information can be compared over time;
• methods of ensuring that the quality of reporting is maintained;
• how the accuracy and relevance of the information will be assessed i.e. irrelevant information is a waste of resource from both the Contractor's and the Authority's point of view; and
• how the reporting framework will have sufficient flexibility to cope with new information requirements.
5.38 Given the duration of most PPP/NPD project contracts, change is inevitable. It is sensible to use the technology available to hold shared management information. For example, the contract; records of agreements and information on variations might be held on a secure shared website to avoid ambiguity as to their content and status at any point of time.
5.39 It is essential that both parties sign off these documents as being the accurate record of what has been agreed. Therefore both parties should make sure that their systems are compatible. The Authority will need to agree with the Contractor who should have access to what information. For example, it is likely that information on commercial issues such as detailed breakdowns of the unitary payment or compensation on termination arrangements is only made available to the Authority's contract management team, and not user-monitors. However, all information regarding operational performance would be made available to on-site contract monitoring teams.