RandAssociatesConsultancyServices Ltd is a multi-disciplinary practice of Quantity Surveyors, Building Surveyors and Energy Advisors specialising in the maintenance of Social Housingacross the UK.
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About us
Procurement
We are the authors of the M3NHF Schedule of Rates and have unrivalled knowledge of procuring
contracts in the social housing sector.
Surveys
We are proud to have the longest history of undertaking stock condition surveys in the sector.
Around this core service we also carry out validations, EPCs, FRAs and surveys to commercial and corporate
buildings.
Consultancy
We provide consultancy across a wide a range of topics, with a fundamental goal of enabling clients
to efficiently maintain their stock to a high standard.
Mission Statement
To provide social housing providers with reliable and efficient surveying and consultancy services,
delivered by experienced professionals with care and understanding.
Queries on interpretation of Schedule of Rates Codes, Measurement Rules etc., can only be responded to by
use of our dedicated page after you have viewed our support page containing a list of Frequently Asked
Questions
(FAQ's)
which is available
here.
This page contains regularly asked questions by clients and answers from Rand Associates. After reading
through the FAQ's proceed to the enquiry form page by clicking on the button at the bottom of the page.
M3 was formed in 2004 by experienced practitioners to
provide a unique combination of expertise in social housing, surveying and software design.
M3 has grown substantially since then by providing excellent products and reliable services at reasonable
cost. M3 services the National Housing Maintenance Forum (NHMF), which focuses on advising maintenance
practitioners on good practice. M3 organises the NHMF maintenance conference: the biggest of its kind in
the UK. Many of our schedules are implemented by our partners, Rand Associates. Since 2009 M3 has provided
schedules and diagnostics for corporate offices and other buildings.
National Housing Maintenance Forum
(NHMF) is regarded as one of the most important event's in the calendar for property services directors,
maintenance managers and their suppliers. The NHMF is the social housing sector's leading source of good
practice in the fields of maintenance and asset management. The history of the NHMF dates back to 1994.
NHMF also manages the development of the M3NHF Schedule of Rates to make sure it is kept up to date with
the changing needs of maintenance practitioners. The M3NHF Schedule is recognised as the standard schedule
for social housing organisations in the UK and is used by the majority of them for managing and
benchmarking their repairs and maintenance through a variety of partnering and measured term contracts.
Fareham Borough Council
About the client:
Type Of Organisation: Local Authority
Size of Organisation: 2,362 properies
Contact Name: Shaun Barnett
Contact's Position within Organisation: Planned Maintenance Manager
About the project:
Type of Work: Stock Condition Surveys plus energy efficiency surveys
Period Of Contract: Feb 2019 - July 2019.
Summary of Contract:
Fareham BC manage around 2,400 properties in and around Fareham. They were looking to appoint a
consultant to:
Carry out a sample condition survey to approximately 20% of the dwellings within the housing stock
Survey 100% of external and communal areas of blocks
Survey 100% of garage sites
Report on future financial liabilities
Carry out an assessment of compliance against the Decent Homes Standard and the Housing Health and
Safety Rating System
Report on levels of energy efficiency
This project represented a significant change of approach for the client, and as such there was a
need for high quality, robust information. Rand Associates were appointed following a competitive
tendering exercise.
Throughout the project, close contact was maintained with the client, including in relation to:
Setting up the survey design to reflect the needs and aspirations of Fareham BC
Sampling of the stock to ensure this is representative of the housing stock
Carrying out a pilot survey and reviewing the resulting data prior to commencing the main survey
Agreeing an approach for accessing properties, and working with the client on ad-hoc queries
Passing through records of more urgent works required to the properties
Reviewing the report and recommendations with the client
Data on site was gathered using Rand Associates eSurveys app, which incorporates a number of quality
control measures. The resulting data was then loaded into Keystone for further quality control
analysis followed by reporting and analysis. All data gathered is to be provided to Fareham BC for
their on-going use in business and investment planning. Following survey completion, Rand Associates
were asked to present their findings to the Fareham BC Housing Board.
Feedback from client:
The project was delivered successfully, on time and on budget.
The delivery team were as prescribed in the pre-qualification stage, co-ordinated at director
level throughout the project to a very high standard.
Initial scoping meetings, arranged by Rand were extremely useful with early exchange of key
information to improve accuracy of outturn reports. The Council was completely satisfied that
Rand delivered to our project brief.
Denbighshire County Council
About the project:
Type of Work: Stock Condition Survey & additional work
Period Of Contract: June 2012 - January 2013, June 2014 - March 2015, October 2016 - March
2017
Summary of Contract: Rand Associates were commissioned by Denbighshire County Council to
undertake a condition survey of 15% of its stock (518 properties). This was to assess the condition,
existing and future liabilities of the stock. During the undertaking the Council wished to include
surveys and assessments of the relevant buildings within its stock in relation to;
Asbestos Management (common areas)
Fire Risk Assessments (common areas)
DDA Compliance (sheltered schemes)
Information derived from the survey was used by the Council for the preparation of detailed planned
maintenance plans and programmes. These were required to inform business planning decisions, as well
as to facilitate effective, easily up-dateable maintenance management systems. The survey covered
the existing Council housing stock together with related housing assets, including leasehold
interests.
In summary the key stages were:
Impressionistic Study;
Desk Top Study;
Sample Frame Selection;
Survey Form Design;
Pilot Survey/trial data transfer;
Sample Survey;
Associated Activities;
Reporting.
All surveyors who carried out the survey work were P402 qualified for the asbestos surveys all to be
in accordance with the HSG264 guidelines and were qualified and competent to undertake Fire Risk
Assessments using PAS 79:2007 Fire Risk Assessment Guidance.
All risk assessments were reviewed for the following reason:
Changes to work activities including the introduction of new equipment (e.g. computer equipment);
A change of use to part of the premises;
Alterations to the building, including the internal layout;
Substantial changes to furniture and fixings;
The introduction, change of use or increase in the storage of hazardous substances;
The failure of fire precautions, e.g. fire-detection and alarm systems, sprinklers or ventilation
systems;
Significant changes to display material;
A significant increase in people present; and the presence of disabled people.
Feed back from client
Denbighshire County Council are in the process of re-structuring their asset management functions.
This includes the information management aspect (stock condition data).
Rand Associates have been commissioned to aid in the implementation of the new systems. Rand's work
has focussed on formulating the stock condition survey configuration and the preparations for the
proposed switch to the Keystone Asset Management System.
Rand have analysed and utilised existing information in this process and advised on the aspects of
units of measure, lifecycles and rates appropriate to Denbighshire's stock and procurement patterns.
In addition Rand have undertaken Fire Risk Assessments and auditing of Asbestos information with the
aim of identifying locations that require additional survey work to provide a complete dataset in
respect of Asbestos.
We are still working with Rand and the maintenance forecasts they are able to provide us with will
be key in both our reporting obligations to The Welsh Government and in our strategies to maintain
and improve our stock.
Rand have completed their work for Denbighshire in a professional & organised manner and have kept
the authority updated at key milestones of the project.
Their customer services skills are excellent and we have been particularly impressed with the
company's method of programming surveys and their clear lines of communication.
Homes in Sedgemoor
About the project:
Type of Work: Contract Procurement
Period Of Contract: January 2013 - December 2016
Summary of Contract:
Many works and services previously procured by Homes in Sedgemoor (HiS) required one-off tender
exercises involving significant amount of effort and time with a resultant strain on resources. Time
was sometimes an issue which impacted on ability to run full tender processes with the potential
that best value for money might not be achieved.
Our appointment is to manage the procurement of framework agreements and term contracts for such
works services covering Asbestos Consultancy/Surveys, Asbestos Remediation, Lifts Installations,
Door Entry and Warden Call Installations, Planned and Cyclical, Building Consultancy, Fire Risk
Assessments, Fire Safety, Disabled Adaptations, Small Building Projects and Legionella.
Our services incorporate the whole range of procurement activities necessary such as procurement
strategy review and development; advertisement, pre-qualification and selection; production of
tender documents; tender process management; tender evaluation, reporting and contract
award/appointment.
Our team of surveyors/consultants are working closely with Dawn Lang and other HiS staff to ensure
that it is able to deliver works and services promptly whilst, adhering to procurement best
practice; delivering value for money; giving consistency in project management; setting out robust
performance measurement/management targets and encouraging continuous improvement in standards.
Feed back from client
Excellent consultant, completely open and honest with the client and conscious of need for
additional specialist advice where required. Works with the client to achieve a good balance of
performance and cost, achieving excellent results.
Bucks Housing
About the client:
Type Of Organisation: Housing Association
Size of Organisation: Approx 450 properties
Contact Name: Nick Brake
Contact's Position within Organisation: Director of Operations
About the project:
Type of Work: Stock Condition Surveys plus energy efficiency surveys
Period Of Contract: Feb 2019 - July 2019.
Summary of Contract:
Bucks Housing manage around 450 properties across Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire.
Following a competitive tender exercise, Rand Associates were appointed to carry out a stock
condition survey to all properties to inform the business plan and assist with future investment
planning. In addition, the survey had the following requirements:
Report on the energy efficiency of the housing stock
Provide information on the need for current repairs, including identified any significant health
and safety hazards
Report on compliance with the Decent Homes Standard and Housing Health and Safety Rating System
Provide a photographic record of key components
This project was run in close consultation with Bucks Housing, who were kept involved from the
initial start up meeting through to the reporting process. After reviewing the survey design in a
round-table session with the client, a pilot survey was conducted with officers of Bucks Housing.
Following a briefing session at Rand Associates offices, the surveys were then undertaken according
to pre-agreed access protocols. Overall a 91% access rate was achieved, which was significantly
aided by working closely with Bucks Housing.
Following survey completion, a report review meeting was held with Bucks Housing, before the
findings of the survey were presented to the Board of the Housing Association.
Feedback from client:
Bucks Housing was extremely impressed with the professionalism of all staff involved in the project.
Throughout the survey we received support, updates and advice from Simon Davis and his team.
We were very happy with the 91% access rate achieved through partnership working with Rand.
The finding of the survey was well received following an excellent presentation to our Board
by Simon.
Mosscare Housing
About the project:
Type of Work: Contract Production and Tender Evaluation
Period Of Contract: April - September 2013
Summary of Contract:
Mosscare were in the process of forming a Direct Labour Organisation (DLO) to carry out the response
and void maintenance work to their housing stock. By analysing historic response and void work
requirement patterns it became clear that the 'peak-trough' predicted nature of the work requirement
would mean the DLO, in order to remain viable and efficient, would need support in periods of peak
work requirement.
We worked with Dave Bevan and Mark Jones to formulate a suitable contract, tender documents and
tender evaluation process in order that the most appropriate contractor could be selected.
We evaluated the submissions and chaired an interview panel comprising of Mosscare representatives
and tenant representatives to direct questions to the bidders.
Once we were in a position to collate the results from all of the aspects of the evaluation process
we submitted a final report containing recommendations for contractor selection.
Mosscare are now in a position to have greater control and efficiency in their maintenance
activities through their DLO knowing they have the best support possible to fulfil all obligations.
Feed back from client
I am delighted at the service that Rand have given Mosscare through this process. The
professionalism, dedication and level of attention which, in my many years of experience, is
exemplary.
