6.24 I therefore recommend:

1. As a first step, and as a matter of urgency, the DOE should set up a task force drawn from the public sector as a whole to prepare a single qualification document for contractors seeking to do work for any public sector body. This will need to take account of any special interests particular public bodies may have. The system of public sector Project Managers devising their own prequalification forms should cease.

2. The forms should be issued and received by DOE, who will maintain the list (based on CMIS). CMIS must be consulted before any Government Department or Agency commissions any construction related works, and only approved firms used.

3. CMIS will provide all information on local requirements, and locally based firms. There will therefore be no need for local authorities, housing associations, "free standing" educational establishments, or NHS trusts or health authorities to maintain their own lists, or have separate forms. They should instead use CMIS, which is ideally placed to form the core of a national prequalification system.

4. Once set up, the national system should be developed beyond a "size of project" notation system to a quality register of approved contractors seeking public sector work, with a "Star" system related to performance.

5. A charge should be levied on firms joining the register to help defray the cost to public funds.

6. If compulsory "BUILD" insurance is introduced (see Chapter 11), the insurance companies will wish to be involved in quality inspection/supervision of CMIS contractors. But the whole industry should be concerned with quality issues.

7. Subcontractors hoping for work on public contracts should also be registered, and main contractors should be required as a condition of contract to employ only registered subcontractor firms on public sector work. It may be appropriate to consider a cut-off point for registration of very small firms, provided the main contractor takes full responsibility for their work.