1.9 Although there has been a change in the Chief Executive and the Finance Director since the contract was let, contract management has not been compromised. There has been a comparatively seamless transition to the new Chief Executive and the project manager has been retained to see the construction through to completion. There have also been changes in staff of the contractor. This did cause some initial communications problems although these have since been resolved. The contract contains provisions for regular monitoring to ensure the contractor is delivering the required level of service. The Trust is emphasising a partnership approach to making this deal work over the next 35 years6. Progress on construction so far has been good and it is expected to be completed ahead of schedule.
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6 The Trust and Bywest will establish a PFI Monitoring Group, including user representatives that will meet regularly to assess performance. The key objectives of the Group will be to ensure delivery of agreed quality standards and to resolve issues that may prevent this. An existing Liaison Group, including the Trust's Chief Executive and Finance Director and Bywest executives, will continue to meet regularly to evaluate the effectiveness of the Monitoring Group and discuss any strategic issues.