47 ways to get stung

Fancy knowing about all the different ways you can get stung from crossing swords with the construction industry? Take a look at Transparency Internationals website and click on the Anti-Corruption Code of Conduct for Individuals, which downloads a free pdf.

It’s not all one-way traffic. Some of these items are things clients use to hit contractors. But as a catalogue of dodgy practice, this makes great bedtime reading. Here’s the table of contents.

Pre-qualification and tender
1. Loser’s fee ........................................................................ 13
2. Price fixing ....................................................................... 13
3. Manipulation of pre-qualification .................................... 14
4. Bribery to obtain main contract award ............................. 14
5. Bribery during sub-contract procurement ........................ 15
6. Corruptly negotiated contract .......................................... 15
7. Manipulation of design .................................................... 15
8. Specification of overly sophisticated design .................... 16
9. Inflation of resources and time requirements ................... 16
10. Obtaining a quotation only for price comparison ............. 17
11. Concealment of financial status ....................................... 17
12. Intention to withhold payment ......................................... 17
13. Submission of false quotation .......................................... 18
14. Falsely obtaining export credit insurance ........................ 18
Project execution
15. False invoicing: supply of inferior materials .................. 19
16. False invoicing: supply of less equipment ...................... 19
17. False work certificates .................................................... 19
18. Excessive repair work ..................................................... 20
19. Overstating man-day requirements ................................. 20
20. Inflated claim for variation (1) ........................................ 21
21. Inflated claim for variation (2) ........................................ 21
22. False variation claim ....................................................... 21
23. Issue of false delay certificate ......................................... 22
24. False extension of time application ................................. 22
25. False assurance that payment will be made .................... 22
26. Delayed issue of payment certificates ............................. 23
27. Concealing defects (1) .................................................... 23
28. Concealing defects (2) .................................................... 23
29. Set-off of false rectification costs ................................... 24
30. Refusal to issue final certificate ...................................... 24
31. Requirement to accept lower payment than is due ......... 24
32. Extortion by client’s representative ................................ 25
33. Facilitation payment ........................................................ 25
34. Overstating of profits ...................................................... 25
35. False job application ....................................................... 26
Dispute resolution
36. Submission of incorrect contract claims ...................... 26
37. Concealment of documents .......................................... 27
38. Submission of false supporting documents .................. 27
39. Supply of false witness evidence ................................. 28
40. Supply of false expert evidence ................................... 29
41. Bribery of witness ........................................................ 29
42. Blackmail of witness .................................................... 29
43. False information as to financial status ........................ 30
44. False statement as to settlement sum ........................... 30
45. Over-manning by law firm ........................................... 30
46. Excessive billing by lawyer ......................................... 31
47. Complicity by lawyer ................................................... 31