Construction Playbook set to raise the bar on public sector projects

Construction Playbook set to raise the bar on public sector projects

The government’s new ‘Construction Playbook’ has been published, outlining how government will work with the industry to make sure public projects are delivered faster, better and greener.

The Construction Playbook sets out key policies and guidance for how public works projects and programmes are assessed, procured and delivered. The Playbook also outlines the key role the construction sector will play in both the UK’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and work to bring greenhouse gas emissions down to net zero by 2050. Green initiatives in the Playbook include promoting the use of carbon assessments to understand and minimise the greenhouse emissions of projects. Other specific measures include:

  • Providing greater certainty to industry through long term plans for key programmes. This will include longer term contracting across a range of areas which will give industry the certainty required to invest in new technologies, delivering improved productivity and efficiency savings.
  • Incentivising industry to innovate by focusing on the output of what we want a project to achieve, rather than micromanaging how it is done.
  • Modernising construction by standardising designs and parts, as well as embedding digital technologies including the UK Building Information Management Framework.
  • Greater focus on building positive relationships with robust contract management between project leads and industry.
  • Investing more in training and apprenticeships, driving forward innovation in construction, boost productivity and focus on value for money in public sector developments.
  • Learning lessons from the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the Construction Playbook also makes it clear that the construction sector must put safety at the heart of everything it does.

The document also outlines how the government will strengthen the financial assessment of all the suppliers it works with to make sure projects are delivered on time and to budget.

For more details of the Construction Playbook click here.