Maintenance and refurbishment account for just over half the UK construction spend of £25 billion (excluding infrastructure), and much of this is spent on responsive maintenance and minor works. For organisations without a direct maintenance labour force, managing contractors to carry out the numerous low-value maintenance jobs typically involved with property management carries high administrative costs. Only 32% of the total repair cost is spent on actually making the repair. A DTI funded research project carried out by BRE, in partnership with local authorities and housing associations, set out to demonstrate how to replicate the advantages of having a direct labour force through partnering. Partnering can help property owners simplify their administrative processes and achieve cost effective responsive maintenance by reducing response times. 'Repair it with effective partnering' brings together knowledge from a group of project partners with experience of partnering relationships with their contractors. The guide examines the issues and identifies the key processes involved. It provides practical advice on how to manage these processes effectively and sets out the benefits of partnering. This guide: ● Is aimed at property owners with responsibility for maintaining property, in particular those who want to take advantage of the benefits of partnering ● Considers value for money in public procurement ● Sets out European and UK procurement rules which form the context of the contractual arrangements ● Considers the application of existing forms of partnering contracts. A set of case studies illustrates successful client and contractor relationships and examines how probity, quality control and cost control are managed. 60 pages.