Selection Criteria and the Related Sub-Criteria for the Selection of Standard Form of Contract for Construction Projects in Sarawak

Construction contract refers to an agreement which in enforced by law; standard form is printed form of contract to define responsibilities to various parties involved to complete the construction works. Malaysian construction industry relies essentially on a number of standard forms namely the JKR Sarawak Form of Contract, PWD 203A, PAM, IEM and CIDB forms to execute its construction projects. However, with the number of choices available and without a clear selection guide, selection of an appropriate standard form for the particular projects has hinged on the familiarity of the form users with the particular form. This study aims to identify the selection criteria that can be used for standard form selection. The study form looks into the current practice and how decisions are made to select the appropriate standard form. Selection criteria are identified and this research carried out verification works with local construction industry players via questionnaire survey method. Results from questionnaire survey also indicated that standard forms are usually predetermined by the client in tender stage. It is also shown that some of the respondents have limited exposure to certain standard forms of contract. With the selection criteria identified, it is hopeful that a selection guideline can be developed.