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The following is a summary of statements from professional engineering geophysicists of eight other countries. They were asked to report on the methods used in their countries or organisations for procurement, supervision, reporting and interpretation of geophysical investigations and on the attitudes with which their work was viewed by potential clients.
Australia
For general government agency procurement, proposals are usually sought from a number of possible suppliers. Although price is a factor, the lowest quote is not automatically accepted and the quality of the proposal and experience in the area are also considered. Larger jobs are normally let under public tender, frequently sought from pre-qualified tenderers. Once pre-qualified, the lowest price is automatically accepted for the defined scope of work or bill of quantities. This process is governed by legal requirements (anti-corruption legislation). It tends to result in a minimum quality service being supplied, but with pressure on the government agency to vary the contract in the direction of a requirement for more services once the work has commenced. Such variations are achieved usually without a second round of tendering.
For commercial clients, procurement procedures are normally more flexible with greater weight being given to the quality of the results than to the price of the services. Lump sum procurement is becoming more common, although most of the lump sum quotations incorporate within them fees and costs.
Poor procurement procedures often result in poor quality geophysics and leave clients with a perception that geophysics (or a particular
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This 250-word extract was created in the absence of an abstract.
