First Edition (2018)
The new GCC Short Form fills a gap in the SAICE’s portfolio of contract documents, where a more streamlined document, suitable for “Minor Works” projects and without the need for extensive detailed contract conditions which are required in larger, more complex projects, often extending over long time frames. “Minor Works” projects are not only those which cost little, or are repetitive, or are of short duration, or are confined to only engineering or only building, or the design is fully complete, but are those projects which are usually characterised by more than one single criterion or a combination of the criteria described above. “Minor Works” means a type of construction project which can be determined from certain characteristics or attributes as described below. If out of the 5 main criteria shown below, criterion 1 strictly applies, together with any one or more of the other four, then the Short Form is suitable.
Do the Works strictly comply with the following?
1. Straightforward or repetitive work, where:
a) “Design by Contractor” does not apply, and
b) No mechanical and electrical plant are to be built into the works, and
c) Back-to-back subcontracting does not apply, and
d) “Targeted Enterprises” do not apply
AND
Do the Works also comply with any one or more of the following?
2. Time to achieve completion after commencement does not exceed 12 months, or
3. No requirement for sophisticated management techniques, or
4. Impose only low risk on both the procurer and the Contractor, or
5. The design of the Works is almost complete when construction starts.
This means that for example, if “Design by Contractor” applies, which is a violation of Criterion 1(a), then GCC Short Form is not recommended, and GCC 2015 should rather be used.
The GCC Short Form has been developed from the full GCC 2015 document to facilitate compatibility. It contains the same sequence of Sections as GCC 2015, but significantly fewer clauses and sub-clauses (240 vs. 330) have been condensed or omitted.
The GCC Short Form is to be used with the contract documentation format as prescribed by legislation, SANS 10845 and in conjunction with SANS 1921. This is to set out the requirements and constraints relating to the manner in which the contract work is to be performed.