Frequently asked questions - General Questions about CEEQUAL

Q. Why use CEEQUAL?

A. CEEQUAL is the only sustainability assessment tool – with almost 10 year’s operational experience – available that can be used for the performance assessment of all types of civil engineering projects & contracts. Unlike decision-support tools, it uniquely uses rigorous evidence-based assessment criteria and external verification to provide a result that can be made public and used in publicity. Integration of the question-set in the development of projects/contracts also positively influences design and construction management and often leads to better projects than would otherwise have been the case.

ALSO, promoters of major civil engineering projects are required to undertake a regulatory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and consequently to prepare an Environmental Statement (ES), normally at the preliminary or outline design stage. However, this does not extend to smaller projects or to a post-construction evaluation of the environmental quality and performance of the project as actually implemented. The CEEQUAL Scheme complements the statutory requirement, by operating during and (for Whole Project, Construction Only and Design & Build Awards) after design and construction, checking what is actually built and how it is built, but not (yet) how it is actually operated when complete.

Q. How many projects & contracts have been assessed under CEEQUAL to date?

A. As of March 2012, the total number of projects & contracts assessed or being assessed under CEEQUAL is 430 (130 final, 60 interim and 240 projects currently being assessed); total project value assessed or being assessed using CEEQUAL now exceeds £19 billion.

Q. What type of projects & contracts can achieve a CEEQUAL Award?

A. The CEEQUAL Assessment process is applicable to all types of civil engineering, including: infrastructure, landscaping and public realm projects/contracts, and also includes the infrastructure associated with building developments. Look out of the window at the built environment and ‘remove’ occupied buildings from your thoughts, CEEQUAL can assess everything else you see.

Examples include: airports, bridges, business parks, canals, coastal defence works, dams, flood alleviation schemes, highways, park & ride schemes, pipelines, ports, power generation projects including wind farms and other renewables, public realm works, pumping stations, railway works including stations, reservoirs, river engineering, sports stadia and other venues, remediation works, reservoirs, roads, transmission systems, urban regeneration schemes, water treatment works, marine works, wastewater treatment works, waste transfer and recycling facilities and many more...

Most projects or contracts that have received CEEQUAL Awards can be seen on the Case Studies page.

Q. What is the minimum sized project or contract for a CEEQUAL Assessment?

A. There isn’t one! However, whether to apply CEEQUAL on small projects is largely a question of value for money. The smallest project so far assessed under CEEQUAL was a bridge refurbishment over a canal with a construction value of £70,000 (click here to view project).

The fee for a formal verified project assessment is based on the construction value of the project and follows a sliding scale that starts at £3,955 + VAT for a project value of up to £1 million (click here for feescales). Therefore it is the decision of the applicant to determine whether the CEEQUAL fee is appropriate value for money in relation to the project value.

Q. Is having a good CEEQUAL track record being used as a factor for winning tenders?

A. Yes. Funders and clients of civil engineering, landscape and public realm projects are increasingly specifying use of CEEQUAL on their projects, and are also planning to do so on their Term Contracts. A track record of experience in carrying out a CEEQUAL assessment is being used by some clients as a criterion in the selection process for preferred designers and contractors.

In addition, the Interim Client & Design Award is being used to support planning applications and, if the application is successful, is then handed over to the contractor to complete as a Whole Project Award during the construction phase.

Q. Is CEEQUAL recognised throughout the industry?

A. Yes. Funders and clients of civil engineering, infrastructure, landscape and public realm projects are increasingly specifying use of CEEQUAL on their projects. A track record of experience in carrying out a CEEQUAL Assessment is being used by some clients as a criterion in the selection process for preferred designers and contractors. Many public sector clients and funders such as Welsh Assembly Government, Thames Water, London Underground and Crossrail are specifying the use of CEEQUAL on large-scale projects, and some clients have started to select contractors based on their experience of applying CEEQUAL.