The ARA has published a draft approach for national pre-qualification and assurance in rail to improve consistency, reduce duplication, increase transparency and strengthen productivity in procurement.
The model has three key elements:
- Common baseline prequalification – a single, shared framework of core requirements accepted across all networks, reducing duplication for suppliers. Most procurement and assurance information should be portable across networks unless genuinely network-specific.
- Risk-tiered assurance – assurance effort scaled to match the actual risk profile in a proportionate, targeted and risk-based way, not in a uniform way.
- Network specific overlays – limited, targeted additions only where operational or safety conditions genuinely require them and organisations would retain control of genuinely network-specific requirements.
The model would also offer optional enhanced assurance recognition for suppliers seeking differentiated recognition beyond baseline.
It draws on the findings of extensive ARA member input into a recent survey as well as consultation with government procurers, published in last month’s edition of Insights. Read the full story here.
See the straw man model here and read more detail on ARA member feedback and proposed direction into development of the model in the brief here.
Contact General Manager – Productivity and Industry Capability Natalie Currey to provide feedback on the strawman.