Infrastructure cost review implementation plan; ICE announces industry champions

ICE welcomes the implementation plan and has been delighted to lead the stakeholder group that has worked with IUK to develop it. Reducing infrastructure costs could save government and private investors billions of pounds - or, more can be built with the same level of funding, benefitting society as a whole. This would be a worthy objective at any time, but during a time of austerity delivering “value for money” has never been more important.

‘For the measures in the plan to be successful it will require the public and private sectors to continue to work together, therefore ICE will be coordinating a series of implementation groups, each headed by a ‘champion’ drawn from across industry. These designated working groups will be the focus for collaboration going forwards.’

The following three groups and champions have been established. Peter Hansford, as Chair of the Infrastructure Stakeholder Steering Committee, will oversee these groups and further implementation groups may be formed in the future if required.

1. Infrastructure Client and Procurement Group – Simon Kirby, Director Investment Projects, Network Rail
   
   The Infrastructure Client and Procurement group will encourage more effective application of competition to realise cost savings and growth through the supply chain and minimise wastage in procurement processes. This group will also promote procurement approaches and contract form selection that properly consider clients' risk appetite and commercial capability.
2. Infrastructure Data Group – Professor Brian Collins, Chief Scientific Advisor, Department for Transport & Department for Business Innovation and Skills
   
   The Government will work with the Infrastructure Data Group to establish a top-down approach and protocols to assure the robustness of departmental asset and condition records. Through the Infrastructure Data Group the Government will develop a means to capture post project cost information and improve access to international data, working with the Construction Sector Transparency (CoST) initiative.
3. Infrastructure Industry Group – Stephen Fox, Chief Executive, BAM Nuttall

The Infrastructure Industry Group will work with Government to improve industry efficiency and reduce costs. Recognising the need for industry innovation, this group will examine how supply chain integration, procurement approaches and contracting models can increase productivity and growth.

Government will report on the progress made and the outcomes of the measures set out in the Implementation Plan at the end of the programme in 2014.

Simon Kirby, Director Investment Projects, Network Rail

Simon joined the board in 2008, having been with the Company since 2003. He is responsible for delivery of all large enhancement and renewal infrastructure projects. He has held positions in the Defence industry and has been involved in a number of Land and Naval Weapons System projects including the Trident Nuclear Submarine Programme. In 2000 he was appointed Managing Director of three BAE Systems shipyards before, in 2002, becoming Managing Director of the BAE Systems Type 45 Prime Contract Organisation. Simon has an MSc in Engineering Business Management from Warwick University and is also on the board of the Major Projects Association.

Professor Brian Collins, Chief Scientific Advisor, Department for Transport & Department for Business Innovation and Skills.

Professor Brian Collins is the Chief Scientific Adviser for BIS and DfT. He is also the Professor of Information Systems at Cranfield University. His previous roles include International Director of Information Technology at Clifford Chance; Head of Information Systems at the Wellcome Trust; and Director of Science and Technology and Chief Scientist at GCHQ. Collins' university research was in the field of astrophysics, specifically solar and laboratory spectroscopy. He has a special interest in information exploitation in modernising national infrastructure, particularly in transport and energy, and in the design and engineering of structured, secure and dependable knowledge and information management processes and systems.

Stephen Fox, Chief Executive, BAM Nuttall

Steve obtained an Honours Degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Leeds in 1983 and is a Chartered Engineer. He joined BAM Nuttall in 1989 and has worked on a wide variety of major projects around the UK, in 2001 he took over as Area Manager for Central and West London. In 2007, Steve was appointed a member of the board of BAM Nuttall and in April 2010 he was appointed Chief Executive. Steve is actively involved in assisting Infrastructure UK and the Highways Agency in their construction costs reduction exercise.