‘We must rebuild Britain’: IPA chief Nick Smallwood reflects on 2020 and looks to the year ahead
2020 was a year unlike any other, with the coronavirus pandemic upending the work of government and changing how we live our daily lives. Senior figures from across the civil service tell us how the unprecedented 12 months affected them, and look ahead to 2021
IPA chief executive Nick Smallwood
What are you proudest of government achieving in 2020?
When I joined the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) last year, I set my focus on the “Three Ps”; people, performance and principles. Whilst Covid-19 threw us some unexpected challenges to overcome, I am proud of the progress that we’ve made.
15 Dec, 2020
The government’s National Infrastructure Strategy (NIS) gives hope for a clear direction on future infrastructure interventions, the ICE has said.
As part of the Spending Review in late November, chancellor Rishi Sunak published the first ever 30 year strategy for the UK’s infrastructure.
ICE director general Nick Baveystock said the announcement of the strategy could “genuinely be a game-changer in delivering an infrastructure system that works better for the public”.
The NIS had been delayed since last summer. The Institution has long called for the NIS to be published and for it to set out a long term approach to infrastructure in the UK.
Infrastructure must catch up with more technologically advanced sectors and capitalise on its increased role in the UK’s short and long-term plans, according to a new ICE report.
The report –
A systems approach to infrastructure delivery (SAID) – provides guiding principles and recommendations for the leadership, culture and organisation of infrastructure projects.
Among the recommendations is a call for infrastructure to close the gap with sectors that have adapted better to growing complexity and technological change, including oil, gas and aerospace.
The report recommends cherry-picking best practices to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
With infrastructure at the heart of the UK’s proposed economic recovery plan from Covid-19, and central to the target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the report also calls on owners to clearly define a project’s outcomes and provide direction across the board.
15 Dec, 2020
The civil engineering sector finally has the long-term visibility it needs to properly deliver a recovery from Covid-19, and significant change in the long term, thanks to the publication of the long-awaited National Infrastructure Strategy (NIS).
The NIS, published alongside the spending review in late November, sets out the government’s plans for investing in the nation’s key transport, energy and water networks. It provides the sector with much needed clarity on the direction of travel for investment, and the strategic approach to future infrastructure interventions. It is also a crucial and satisfying moment for those who support the principle of policymaking on major infrastructure investment being guided by evidence.
Five things you need to know about the Energy White Paper
After months of delays, the UK Government finally unveiled its Energy White Paper on Monday (14 December) detailing how an overhaul to transport, energy and infrastructure will deliver an overwhelmingly decarbonised power in the 2030s on the road to net-zero by 2050.
The White Paper builds on the Ten Point Plan and National Infrastructure Strategy
The White Paper builds on the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and the National Infrastructure Strategy (NIS) in outlining how the nation plans to transform its power and heating systems to support the net-zero emissions target for 2050. In fact, much of the 166-page report is spent reiterating commitments to renewables and green buildings that have been announced earlier in the year. Read an in-depth summary here.