In the response CIHT welcomed the Government’s goal in the Cabinet Office consultation to speed up and simplify procurement processes, and to place value for money at the heart of those processes.  This, alongside a proposed change in some of the language being used - to emphasize a redefining of ‘value’ beyond cost was also welcomed.

CIHT outlined that to support the transformation of procurement the Government needs to support the sector’s skills and capabilities to deliver this, as the highways and transportation sector can be risk adverse, driven by the need to deliver cost certainty and ongoing efficiency in delivery. There needs to be support from the Government to drive actual change on the ground.

The Highways and Transportation Sector is progressing on accepting social value as a norm and gaining an appreciation of how to deliver social value legacies.  The Green Paper by the Cabinet Office for the consultation has set out some boundaries and introduced how social value can be unlocked, but there is a strong feeling that it needs to go further in terms of commitment. 

To read the full response see here