Enabling Action Plan
Extensive engagement throughout the development of this Investment Strategy emphasised that financial investment alone will not be enough for us to deliver on behalf of all our citizens.
Generally, we take too long to deliver infrastructure projects, meaning that we are not responding to current and emerging needs. We need to find a way to deliver quicker.
There are three Enabling Themes: People, Process and Policy.
Enabling Themes
People
Skills are an issue for both the public and private sector in delivering strategic capital projects. Employers are reporting significant challenges in attracting and retaining talent, while outside competition for skills is high.
What we need to do
- Invest in specific skills – particularly in areas such as engineering and construction.
- Consider workforce capacity and availability against project timelines.
Process
Throughout the process of developing, delivering and monitoring our infrastructure projects, we experience barriers to efficiency and effectiveness, which contribute to delays and cost overruns.
What we need to do
- Simplify initial business cases and proposals for infrastructure projects.
- Identify change needed to create a more effective, joined-up planning system.
- Implement short and long-term changes to planning.
- Improve monitoring and streamline data collection.
- Create an integrated procurement system.
Policy
Current funding models and mechanisms are not adequate to meet the needs of our citizens. We need to show a willingness to reduce our control over some public services and projects to allow alternative funding mechanisms to flourish, while also managing the financial risks.
What we need to do
- Consider public engagement and buy-in earlier in the process.
- Make it easier for alternative funding and investment to supplement funding from the Block Grant.
- Develop a long-term approach to improve infrastructure priorities.
- Prioritise regulatory changes to allow easier investment in energy and decarbonisation processes.
- Co-ordinate standards and assessment of carbon impacts through project lifecycles.
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