Welcome

Welcome to our final newsletter of 2020. None of us could have predicted what an unusual year 2020 would be and the fundamental impact it would have on our society and our industry. However, this tremendous disruption has brought many positive changes, our industry has come together like never before through the Construction Leadership Council and the Roadmap to Recovery. There has been unprecedented recognition from government on the important role our industry plays in our economy and society.

The launch of the Construction Playbook last week demonstrates Government’s commitment to work better with our industry, focussing on our core vision of collaboration, digitalisation and standardisation and procuring on outcomes and value. The Value Toolkit plays an important role in delivering the Playbook and you will see below the role that Constructing Excellence has been playing in its development. This week’s Green Paper on Transforming public procurement is another welcome piece of the jigsaw setting out plans to transform procurement, providing more value for money and benefitting small business. The Energy White Paper provides clarity on how we work together to deliver a green recovery and collectively deliver a net zero future.

I want to thank each and every one of you for your help and support throughout 2020 and very much look forward to working with you in 2021, where the opportunities to embrace and accelerate our transformation agenda will be even more significant.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Alison Nicholl

Head of Constructing Excellence

Constructing Excellence National Awards 2020

Despite the challenges of 2020 we are delighted that we will be delivering the Constructing Excellence National Awards 2020 virtually on 29 January 2021. This special online event will bring together over 100 finalists in 14 different categories as well as a panel of expert judges with significant experience in driving and implementing innovation and positive change across the sector. We will be happy to welcome you as a sponsor of a category or the whole event! Find more about available sponsorship packages and benefits you will receive. Registration for the event is open now.

The Value Toolkit

Our work with the Construction Innovation Hub in support of the Value Toolkit continues.  Thanks to all of those who have joined workshops, participated in 1-2-1’s and shared their insights, we look forward to engaging further in the new year.

Value Toolkit – interactive digital resource

As a part of the #ValueToolkit project, Construction Innovation Hub launched a new Value Toolkit interactive digital resource to help clients navigate through the crucial steps involved in value-based decision-making via 3 core modules: value definition, client & market approach, evaluation & measurement.

Alison Nicholl, Head of Constructing Excellence talks about engaging with the supply chain and the role Constructing Excellence continue playing in the Toolkit development & construction market engagement via huge network of our members.

Value Toolkit – Market enablers interim report

Together with Construction Innovation Hub we have recently launched Value Toolkit – Market Enablers Interim Report.

This report sets out the interim findings for the Market Response Workstream of the Value Toolkit. The Workstream aims to engage closely with key parts of the supply chain to identify, and where possible to resolve, actual or perceived barriers to the adoption of value-based decision making. Constructing Excellence has brought together a team comprising significant industry commercial expertise, emerging future leaders and leading academics.

News & insights

The Construction Playbook – Making better, faster, greener delivery a reality

Constructing Excellence is delighted at the launch of the Construction Playbook – December 2020.

The playbook sets out how government will work with the construction sector to make sure public sector works are delivered faster, better and greener.  There is strong alignment with the Playbook and Constructing Excellence’s core values and vision and this represents a step change in how the circa £117 billion spent on public sector works can accelerate sector transformation. Ethos and focus are on outcomes and value, collaboration, digitalisation and standardisation will not be new to those in the Constructing Excellence Movement.

Digital Drop-In November – Event Report

In November we were joined by James Franklin, Head of BIM & Digital at Kier Construction, taking us through the realised challenges and benefits in the digital delivery of BIM Level 2 for a modern £253m-new build resettlement prison at Wellingborough.

The active discussions arose around the following details of the project: digital design, data-rich decision making, 4D, 5D, FieldBIM, digital training schemes, site drone capture and a digital-first culture. For more details on the Kier’s Wellingborough Prison project  and to download presentation follow to the Event Report

Collaborative Working Mentors & Digital, December 2020 – Event Report. Alliancing Meets Digital

In December at a joint meeting of Collaborative Working Mentors and CE Digital Theme Group we hosted several extremely interesting presentations from our leading members. The main topics were Alliancing Meets Digital, IBA, MoM, IoTT, Housing Working Group guides and more.

Kevin Thomas, Managing Director at Integrated Project Initiatives Ltd as well as Mentors Coach and Chair of Collaborative Working Mentors group, delivered a presentation “An introduction into the new Insurance Backed Alliancing (IBA) delivery method as tested on cabinet office trail projects under the Integrated Project Insurance (IPI) Model.”

From our members

Can we stop the “Race to the bottom”?

Rebecca Rees, Partner at Trowers & Hamlins LLP, shares their latest White Paper Price Evaluation Models for the Housing Sector. Over the past two years Rebecca and Stuart Brown have been working with some fantastic procurement people in the housing sector to focus on price evaluation models to set the course for the entire procurement. Get the price wrong and no subsequent intervention would fix it: we end up with poor quality and safety outcomes, disputes and worse

LGA – National construction category strategy for Local Government

Our members East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the National Association of Construction Frameworks have worked with the Local Government Association to launch the guide National Construction Category Strategy for Local Government – Effective construction frameworks.  The guide aims to improve value-based outcomes for frameworks, alliances and traditional methods of construction.

Support for Energy White Paper from CE Nuclear Group

The Constructing Excellence Nuclear Group fully supports the Governments Energy White Paper commitments to new nuclear as a key route to achieving 2050 Net Zero targets and to continue exploring mechanisms such as the RAB model to drive affordability and value for money to consumers.

Upcoming G4C events

G4C – Generation for Change – hold regular digital drop-in sessions on the last Wednesday of the month. For us it is important that all young people get the opportunity to meet one another, influence decision-makers and develop their careers in construction. So [email protected] now!

Monthly G4C drop-in January 2021

27 January, 2021 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Google Meet

Monthly G4C drop-in February 2021

24 February, 2021 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Google Meet

Meetings & Events

These meetings are open to national members of Constructing Excellence and invited guests. Contact [email protected] for more detail. Please register your interest by using the links provided below or directly on our website here.

Offsite Manufacturing & Technology Group – Implementing MMC

19 January @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am BST, Online

Performance measurement forum & SmartSite KPIs tool workshop – January 2021

20 January 2021 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm BST, Online

Digital drop-in January 2021

21 January @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am BST, Online

Constructing Excellence Awards 2020

29 January 2021 @ 18:30 pm – 23:30 pm GMT, Online

CE Procurement Group – February 2021

23 February @ 14:00 pm – 16:00 pm BST, Online

Collaborative working mentors Q1

19 March @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm BST, Online

From our regions

CE East Midlands Awards winners 2020

The winners of the CE East Midlands Awards 2020 were announced during our online ceremony held on Friday 4 December 2020. Congratulations to all our winners and highly commended! See you all on 29 January 2021 at the CE National Finals.

CE South West Awards winners 2020

The winners of the CE South West Awards 2020 were announced during our online ceremony held on Friday 4 December 2020. Congratulations to all our winners and highly commended! See you all on 29 January 2021 at the CE National Finals.

Interested in becoming a national member of Constructing Excellence?

Send us an email to [email protected] find out more.

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