and divisions and Private Architects, Private Quantity Surveyors and Consulting Engineers on the subject of Contractors' claims and all other contractual matters if requested to do so.
2.46. Some progress was made, during the year, in bringing the increasing number of contracts managed by consultant engineers, private architects and private quantity surveyors into line with Departmental practice as regards procedures and standards of contract control.
2.47. Recruitment exercises for overseas professional staff continued but without success, and this Unit's staff position remained at 25% under-strength for most of the year. The staff position worsened further in January when two Technical Examiners had to be loaned to other units for urgent essential work and since that month the capacity of the Unit for Technical Audit duties has been seriously undermined.
2.48. No instances concerning malpractices by members of the Department were observed by, or brought to the attention of, this Unit, and most instances of less than satisfactory comments were caused by the heavy work overload, and by the acute shortage of experienced and expert professional staff generally throughout the Department.
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