An innovative procurement process designed by Devon and Hampshire County Councils has been recognised for improving the way hundreds of public sector construction schemes have been delivered.
The Southern Construction Framework (SCF) enables public sector bodies including councils, hospitals, universities and emergency services to access best practice construction procurement, across the South West and South East of England.
The four-year, £3.9billion framework covers new build and refurbishment schemes of £1million and upwards in areas including education, health and community.
And now the SCF has been awarded the Constructing Excellence SW ‘Value Award’ for providing value for money.
The SCF has so far supported commissions worth over £2.5bn from more than 70 public sector organisations, and has gained a reputation for delivering on time, quality and budget.
Twenty per cent more schemes have been delivered on time than the industry average while 12 per cent more of SCF’s schemes have been delivered within budget than the industry average.
The SCF contractors have also paid more sub-contractors on time and resolved defects more promptly than the industry average.
Councillor Barry Parsons Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Organisational Development and Digital Transformation said:
“I’m proud to say that the Southern Construction Framework has proven to be a huge success. It has helped tackle the some of the problems that are often endemic in large public sector construction schemes when it is not uncommon for projects to run over budget, and over time. This successful collaboration stems from a belief that for public bodies the procurement of construction should be about freedom of choice, value and efficiency, while allowing innovation and offering the best value. Devon is proud to be known for this. It is now the principal route that public bodies across the south of England use when commissioning construction projects.”
Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Keith Mans, said:
“The Southern Construction Framework is built on our experience, gained over many years, of championing successful construction procurement frameworks. Each new framework takes the concept further, and delivers more. This award proves just how much the collaborative approach can achieve for construction projects – better value for taxpayers, better financial security for small sub-contractors, and better quality buildings for communities to enjoy.”
Contact Information
David Beasley
Devon County Council
david.beasley@devon.gov.uk