Performance based partnership forms for maintenance by Dutch housing associations

Dutch housing associations develop new procurement methods for maintenance of their housing stock. Performance agreements are being developed to replace traditional tenders by longer-term cooperation. OTB Research Institute is doing research on performance-based maintenance contracts with the focus on the clients, especially housing associations. These agreements promise, among other things, the optimal use of know-how of parties involved. The development of performance-based partnership forms for maintenance varies greatly according to the type of maintenance and building components concerned. In general, the partnership forms can be described as: price and performance agreements for maintenance activities, long-term cooperation and lump sum performance-based contracting. The role of maintenance contractors broadens to advisers. Not all possibly occurring defects have to be used in performance-based agreements. Long-term co-operation can be based upon decisive performance requirements directly linked to the specific functions of a building component. The contractors themselves should monitor the degradation processes by performing performance measurements.