Infrastructure Cost Review Plan - Ice Announces İndustry Champions

ICE has played a central role over the course of this study, directly with IUK and through the creation of an independent Stakeholder Reference Group - led by President Peter Hansford - which has facilitated input from all facets of industry.

Commenting on the Implementation Plan, Peter Hansford said:
“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.