Public Contracts Code: the decree on digitalisation is signed

The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Graziano Delrio, has signed the decree defining the arrangements and timescales for making electronic modelling methods and tools for buildings and infrastructure mandatory at contracting authorities, in order to streamline design activities and the related checks.

“An important step,” says Minister Delrio, “that responds to innovation in the sector and will bring transparency, efficiency and higher quality to the design and construction of public works.”

This is in fact a measure that helps to achieve better quality in designs and in built assets, the guiding principle of the New Public Contracts Code: by digitising the construction sector, it brings benefits to public spending and to property and infrastructure products, and makes the work of the parties on the supply side more efficient, with a consequent increase in their profitability. According to some studies and experience, this kind of innovative design can deliver savings of at least 10% in operating costs, and savings across the whole life cycle of the asset, by sharply reducing variations and planning the necessary maintenance in good time.

The decree is the result of complex and thorough work, begun by a Commission set up specifically by the Minister and made up of representatives of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, ANAC, AgID, the University of Brescia, Sapienza University of Rome, Federico II University of Naples, the Politecnico di Milano and the Rete delle Professioni Tecniche (Network of Technical Professions), which heard the main stakeholders in the sector and drew up a first draft of the measure. The draft was then put out to public consultation, and the contributions received were assessed and incorporated into the final text.

The measure also governs the preliminary requirements for contracting authorities, which will have to adopt a training plan for their staff, a plan for acquiring or maintaining hardware and software for managing decision-making and information processes, and an organisational act setting out the control and management process, the data managers and conflict management.

Contracting authorities are to use interoperable platforms based on open, non-proprietary formats, and the decree defines how the data and information produced and shared among all the participants in the design, construction and management of the project are to be used.

From its entry into force, the decree allows contracting authorities that have fulfilled the preliminary requirements to use specific electronic methods and tools on an optional basis for new works and for restoration, upgrading or variation works.

The obligation to use electronic modelling methods and tools applies from 1 January 2019 to works worth €100 million or more, and then gradually to lower values in the years after 2019, down to works worth less than €1 million, for which the deadline is 1 January 2025.

A Commission, to be set up ad hoc by decree of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport at no additional cost to public finances, will monitor the outcomes and any difficulties encountered by contracting authorities and identify any corrective measures, in order to update the data and procedures set out in the decree.

Full article: http://mit.gov.it/comunicazione/news/nuovo-codice-appalti-appalti/nuovo-codice-appalti-delrio-firma-il-decreto-per-la