To this day, the delivery of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games venues stands as an exemplar for how to build ‘big things’ on time and to budget. It really is a feather in London’s (and the UK’s) cap that the approach is still recognised the world over for its influence on the delivery of large-scale capital programmes.
Indeed, more than 15 years since Mace first started working with the Olympic Delivery Authority, the programme still informs the solutions we provide to clients around the globe. There are many reasons for London 2012’s status as a programme delivery success story. Among them:
True collaboration
The Games represented one of the first times a ‘delivery partner’ model, a truly collaborative delivery approach, was used in a meaningful way. Underpinned by an aligned culture across client, consultant, contractor and supply chain organisations, everyone worked towards shared goals.
A focus on outcomes
London 2012 was never just about the games. From the outset, the emphasis on long-term, positive change for the east of the city was clear; the London Legacy Development Corporation didn’t get its name by accident.
An immovable deadline
Global sporting events don’t wait for anyone. The criticality of delivering the venues on time ensured a consistent focus on the schedule, driving a commitment to productivity and efficiency.
Yet, despite consensus that collaborative, outcomes-focused delivery models offer a framework for success, infrastructure and real estate schemes around the world have struggled to capitalise on the 2012 template.
Instead of applying and building on that model’s proven performance, major programmes and projects continue to face significant challenges, often coming in late, over budget and without the promised benefits.
It’s a problem that’s more pressing than ever, with record investment set to seriously under-deliver if things don’t change. The issue is laid bare in Mace’s new report ‘The Future of Major Programme Delivery’.
The report found that there are more than 11,000 live mega-programmes (US$1bn and above) and 250 giga-programmes ($10 billion and above) around the world, representing more than $15 trillion of expenditure. And, crucially, failure to get on top of the challenges puts more than $1.5 trillion of economic growth at risk by 2030.
In the UK, where there is $1.7tn of capital value in play,the headwinds largely stem from issues beyond the control of a highly capable and committed industry. Systemic challenges such as the bureaucratic planning system, workforce shortages and stop-start funding are often at the fore. Meanwhile global market shocks, such as wars and pandemics, also play their part.
While the situation appears stark, I have full confidence that our industry has the capability and capacity to right the ship. The report charts a course for this, highlighting the shifts in culture and approaches to major programme planning that our industry must look to make in order to ensure reliability.
And it comes at an opportune time. With the government’s Spending Review, 10-year Infrastructure Strategy, Infrastructure Pipeline, and modern Industrial Strategy all landing in the past few months, it’s been some time since we’ve had this level of clarity on how some of the systemic barriers are going to be tackled.
How can the industry best respond? A core part of the solution is a concerted shift towards truly collaborative delivery approaches. The report specifies ‘ten pillars of successful collaborative delivery,’ which provide a framework to move to this state.
Irrespective of the specific approach, what’s important is the formation of a truly integrated delivery team, consisting of clients, consultants, contractors and supply chain organisations, that is empowered to take best-for-programme decisions across the entire lifecycle and focused on achieving long-term beneficial outcomes.
Aligned to the government’s narrative around the issues with mega-project delivery, as well as an ongoing Institution of Civil Engineers consultation on why the UK often struggles, our report – which also offers up 12 actionable solutions – is a must read for industry professionals seeking to drive a better future of major programme delivery. Read it here.