SCAPE's response to the Construction Playbook

Government released the Construction Playbook on 8 December 2020, outlining the transformational approach it will take to enable the successful delivery of publicly funded projects that bring together best practice, collaboration, value for money and social value.

Welcoming the Construction Playbook, Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE, said:

The Construction Playbook is an admirable and timely initiative, lead by the Cabinet Office but involving valuable and collaborative contributions from a diverse panel of industry experts.

We are delighted that this plan has been set out to drive better standards and outcomes across the field of public procurement.

At SCAPE, we have always worked to create better outcomes for public authorities, communities, local businesses and the skilled tradespeople that will be pivotal to the UK being able to build back better.

The Playbook states this should be our highest priority as public sector buyers.

We wholeheartedly agree. Our supply chain is universally accredited, selected and measured based upon their ability to embed safety, not only within their own organisation, but throughout their supply chains. Internally, our own operational subsidiaries are ISO-45001 accredited and our dedicated safety advisers support each procurement.

Making it happen:

• CASE STUDY | Through the SCAPE Civil Engineering framework, Balfour Beatty recently recorded over 2million hours worked on their SCAPE sites without a Lost Time Incident (LTI).
• CASE STUDY | Morgan Sindall and all members of the supply chain worked collaboratively to ensure each other’s safety and wellbeing, successfully delivering Highfields Primary Academy ahead of schedule and with zero RIDDORS, during the pandemic.

The Construction Playbook illustrates that construction projects need to be procured and contract managed in a way that ensures regulatory requirements are consistently achieved, and the safety case can be demonstrated at every stage.

Our delivery partners are selected because of their ability to consistently demonstrate and achieve quality management to the highest standards. As members of Build UK and NACF, we have an active voice on the issues that matter and we are staunch advocates of effectively assembled project teams that embed quality management from the outset.

Making it happen:

• CASE STUDY | Wates Construction's team and supply chain implemented new safety procedures during the pandemic to ensure the safety of the project and those onsite.
• CASE STUDY | Our approach to providing best in class advice and support has been designed to ensure that every public sector clients achieve the best project outcomes.

The Playbook advocates that we need to utilise the collective buying power of the public sector to drive change in the delivery of public works, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and achieving sustainable outcomes.

All contracting authorities should set out strategies and implement plans for achieving net zero GHG emissions by, or ahead of 2050, for their entire estate and infrastructure portfolio.

Our Environmental Policy enables the delivery of the outcomes required for a net zero UK built environment. Our framework procurement will provide a supply chain capable of designing net zero buildings by 2021 (ahead of the 2025 road map identified by the RIBA and LETI) and constructing net zero buildings by 2022, ahead of the 2030 requirement.

We are investing in environmental research and development and plotting a course to ensure we are a net zero organisation by 2028.

Additionally, as members of the UK Green Building Council and the Good Homes Alliance, we are using our industry influence to promote and enact industry and social change. Our recommended project standards offer the guidance often needed by individual framework clients to establish net zero outcomes in their projects.

Making it happen:

• CASE STUDY | Willmott Dixon sustainability strategy
• CASE STUDY | Balfour Beatty 'Beyond Net Zero Carbon'
• SCAPE's Environmental Policy