MPs have called for a radical shift in the Government's approach to infrastructure delivery to end the short-termism and systemic blockers that result in persistent delays and costly overruns, as projects run the ‘valley of death' between policy and completion.

The report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Project Delivery (APPGPD) – Building a Better Future – calls for the new National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) to be given the 'teeth to act and oversee national infrastructure projects'.

It also calls for a a mandate that all major projects secure independent delivery assurance before announcement, involve project specialists at the policymaking phase and ensure project delivery skills and expertise are built in from inception. 

Procurement practices should change to ensure early supplier involvement, the inclusion of project professionals throughout the process and the incorporation of lessons learned from other countries, the cross-party group of MPs said. 

The Government was also advised to use the 10-year infrastructure plan and NISTA, backed by long-term investment in projects, to embed delivery discipline to end the so-called 'valley of death' problem that exists between policy and delivery.

Other recommendations include:

  • Mandatory project management training for senior civil servants and anyone managing a government project over £10m, along with a chief project officer in all Government departments.
  • Establishing a National Infrastructure Delivery Skills Roadmap to lock in a consistent talent pipeline aligned with long-term national infrastructure priorities. 
  • Ensuring that the public sector has the engineering, legal, financial and negotiation expertise needed to match the private sector to clarify risks when considering Private-Public Partnerships. 
  • Requiring major projects to set clear Public Value Statements to help communicate the benefits and public value.

Chair of the APPG for Project Delivery, Henry Tufnell MP, said: ‘If we want to build the infrastructure that changes people's lives for the better, we need to get serious about the changes required to make that happen. Too often, short-termism, a lack of project skills and an oversimplification of complex challenges lead to overspends, delays, and public disappointment. The country is overflowing with solutions and ideas, but unless we put a protective ring around our project plans and support them with a culture that develops and sustains the skills we need, our ambitions will be derailed.

‘Our current system is an obstacle to successful national infrastructure delivery. It's time for the Government to clear the path to building a better future.'

The Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) said it strongly supports the report's central message of moving away from ‘short-termism' and fragmented decision-making, towards a disciplined, long-term, and delivery-focussed infrastructure agenda.

CECA director of policy and public affairs, Ben Goodwin, said: ‘For contractors to thrive they need the clarity and stability of predictable pipelines, realistic budgets, and procurement environment that drives innovation and efficiency.

'For the UK's infrastructure and construction supply chain to succeed, payment and procurement mechanisms must keep pace with 21st century needs. To deliver value, companies must be engaged early, paid promptly, and treated fairly, so that the razor-thin margins they operate under do not undermine the ability of contractors - large and small - to invest in capability and delivery.

‘We call on the Government to act on the APPG's recommendations and to work with CECA, our members, and other industry bodies, to secure effective delivery across projects of all sizes - and to secure the consistency, accountability, and value for money the UK taxpayer deserves.'

The full report is available to read here.