TNAG-1415-FCO40-1896-Public-finance-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 202

mainlaying contract it is standard practice to provide longitudinal sections along the pipeline although in this case they were not given because of the lack of details of the future roadworks and the likelihood that existing ground levels were subject to change as a result of illegal dumping in the area. The Director has agreed that it is of paramount importance, and a standard practice, for specifications and drawings to be annotated as precisely as possible and that as far as practicable, all basic design parameters should be determined before handing over a project for construction. The problem in this case arose from the fact that essential details of roadworks were not available at the time the contract documents were prepared. The Director has stated that the mainlaying consultants have not yet provided an explanation about the discrepancies regarding the watermains levels and have contended that levels have been disturbed subsequent to mainlaying but he has expressed the view that, on the face of it, the mainlaying consultants may have failed to appreciate the implications of not providing adequate cover to the watermains in a location where future roadworks were planned. Soon after mainlaying began, the mainlaying consultants came into possession of drawings on which a future road was indicated and even though specific attention had not been drawn to this future road in the project handing-over notes, the information should have been used judiciously in relation to the assignment. The Director of Water Supplies is seeking legal advice as to whether or not action should be taken to recover some of the costs from the mainlaying consultants.

215.

On the question of the issue of procedures on the management of the work of consultants, the Director of Water Supplies has informed me that arrangements exist for the monitoring of the performance of consultants and confidential reports are prepared at regular intervals. The Director has opined that the monitoring of the work of consultants involves ensuring that their duties as set out in the consultants brief and the general procedures on contract and related matters are followed and the Water Supplies Department procedures are not dissimilar from those in the Civil Engineering Manual applicable to the Engineering Development Department and the New Territories Development Department.