7.16.1 Both the Authority and the Contractor should consider the approach to maintenance and life-cycle issues, especially where the Authority and/or the Authority Service Provider retains responsibility for Minor Maintenance Obligations, or Elective Services (see further Section 7.1 (Introduction and Range of Services to be provided)). Where this is the case these services should be carried out to agreed standards23 so as to ensure that the Contractor is able to price its maintenance responsibilities and its life-cycle replacement responsibilities appropriately. The Authority should also consider ensuring that any Authority Service Providers adhere to the agreed standards in their separate commercial service agreements entered into with the Authority. Where it does not represent value for money for the Authority to pass down the full cost consequences of a failure to meet the required standards24 the Authority itself may have to assume part of the risk of its service providers' non-compliance.
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23 These standards should be set out in the relevant services specification.
24 This might be the case where the knock-on consequences of a service failure are too costly for a service provider to assume under a general commercial services agreement entered into with the Authority.