After several false starts, the Business Practice WG has finalised plans for an AGS initiative to evaluate the quality of site investigations undertaken by Members. This will be the first time that an attempt has been made to qualify site investigation practice and the results are eagerly awaited.

The WG has identified 11 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and subsidiary headings:-

• Appointment (Personnel, Responsibilities)

• Preparation (Desk Study, Walkover Survey, Reports)

• Design (SI Design, Laboratory Testing)

• Risk Management (Risk, Availability of Information)

• Procurement (GI Procurement Route, SI Award, Method of Measurement, Conditions of Contract, Specification)

• Management (Project Management, Quality Management, Environmental Management)

• Supervision

• Reporting (Factual)

• Reporting (Interpretative Report, Ground Model)

• Outcome

• Client Satisfaction

All AGS Members have been invited to participate. The number of projects that each participant will be asked to score will depend on the number of companies that agree to take part but will not be more than 10 (and probably less). It will not be necessary to identify the project being scored and the score of individual projects will not be revealed.

It is intended that once the initial benchmark has been set the exercise will be repeated annually to monitor changes in standards.

It is not too late to register as a participant. Please contact Jo Pascoe (jo@ags.org.uk) for further details.