The latest Constructing Excellence Procurement Group brought together industry experts to explore how collaborative delivery models are helping to improve outcomes across the built environment sector. Chaired by Rebecca Rees, the session featured presentations from Paul Sexton, Head of Enterprise Delivery at Scottish Water, Conor Neild Crabb, Head of the Centre for Construction Best Practice (CCBP), and David Mosey, Professor of Law at King’s College London.
Together, they explored enterprise delivery models, early supply chain involvement and the growing evidence that collaborative approaches can deliver better outcomes for clients, supply chains and end users.
Enterprise Delivery at Scottish Water
Paul Sexton shared Scottish Water’s transition from alliancing to an enterprise delivery model based on the principles of Project 13. He emphasised that this was not a move that happened overnight. Scottish Water had spent many years developing its partnering approach, building the relationships, experience and organisational capability needed to take the next step towards enterprise.
Using the idea of a “Collaborativometer”, Paul illustrated how organisations can progress through different approaches to working together, from more transactional contracting through frameworks, partnering and alliancing to enterprise. The important point was that organisations cannot simply jump to the most advanced model without doing the groundwork first.
That groundwork included an integrated team pilot on the Improving Urban Waters programme, bringing together consultants, contractors and Scottish Water teams. The pilot demonstrated the potential of a more integrated approach, reducing cycle times by 60%. It also helped build confidence in the approach and showed the value of moving away from traditional, siloed ways of working.
Paul also highlighted the importance of behaviours in selecting and developing enterprise partners. Scottish Water’s procurement process included collaborative workshops in which bidders explored how an enterprise team should operate and helped shape a shared understanding of the behaviours needed for success. Assessment went beyond written submissions, involving face-to-face discussions, engagement with staff at different levels of bidding organisations and board-to-board conversations. The aim was to understand not just what organisations said about collaboration, but how they would put it into practice.
The Evidence for Early Involvement
Conor Neild Crabb, Head of the Centre for Construction Best Practice (CCBP), presented findings from a research project conducted by CCBP examining the impact of Early Contractor Involvement (ECI). CCBP is an industry-focused organisation that brings together construction professionals, academic institutions and public-sector stakeholders to research challenges facing the built environment and share evidence to improve industry practice.
The research analysed 412 completed public-sector projects delivered by 55 contractors, assessing the relationship between when contractors were appointed and project cost and programme performance. The findings demonstrated a strong relationship between earlier engagement and improved project outcomes, with benefits seen across cost certainty, programme performance, risk management and innovation.
The findings reinforced the value of bringing contractors and the wider supply chain into projects earlier, enabling them to contribute expertise when it can have the greatest impact.
From Early Contractor Involvement to Early Supply Chain Involvement
David Mosey explored how Early Supply Chain Involvement, collaborative procurement and digital information management work together to improve project delivery. Drawing on the Construction Playbook and his work on Constructing the Gold Standard, he highlighted how policy and guidance can be translated into better procurement practice.
Constructing the Gold Standard sets out recommendations for public-sector construction frameworks and framework alliances, including stronger collaborative relationships, early supply chain involvement, shared objectives and a focus on outcomes. The discussion highlighted the importance of creating long-term relationships that enable shared learning and continuous improvement, rather than treating procurement as a one-off transactional process.
Key Takeaways
- Engage early. Early contractor and supply chain involvement can improve cost certainty, programme performance and innovation.
- Build towards collaboration. Successful enterprise models require time, experience and investment in relationships and organisational capability.
- Prioritise behaviours. Trust, cultural alignment and shared objectives are as important as technical and commercial capability.
- Focus on outcomes. Integrated teams and programme-based approaches can improve efficiency, encourage innovation and support continuous improvement.
- Think long term. Collaborative relationships create opportunities for shared learning and better outcomes across projects and programmes.
Get Involved
The Constructing Excellence Procurement Group will continue exploring collaborative delivery, procurement reform and emerging best practice through future sessions, helping members share knowledge and accelerate industry-wide improvement.
To get involved with the group, take a look at upcoming sessions on our events page.
