Improving UK productivity

Productivity growth in the construction sector has fallen behind other sectors of the economy. Unless this improves, society will not be able to keep up with its growing population and accompanying quality of life. Infrastructure plays a significant role in improving overall productivity, but challenges to efficiency in the construction industry remain.

Lucy Howard, a Director in our UK Infrastructure team, has taken a leading role in an industry-led response to these challenges through Project 13.

Sponsored by the Infrastructure Client Group and supported by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Project 13 has designed a new way for project contractors to work together where emphasis is placed on delivering a full set of outcomes for the client, instead of simply focusing on time and budget efficiencies. Working with the UK government and existing industry initiatives, Project 13 promotes collaboration and early engagement between those who invest in, own, commission and deliver our infrastructure.

As the Chair of the Project 13 Future Leaders Panel, Lucy has worked with the ICE policy team and held the executive panel of Project 13 to account. Lucy helped to make the initiative’s communications accessible to a broader audience through written guidance and support to a series of early adopters.

After experiencing the transactional relationships between project participants and clients in her former career, Lucy saw the opportunity for improvement:

"The Project 13 model enables project participants to take an enterprise approach to how they work together. It’s a practical solution to a well-known problem that has the right sponsorship to succeed. If we bring together all the construction industry to push in the same direction, we will drive great efficiency and economic benefit for the UK."

The project has built a community of people who are leading change; it’s a forum for developing innovative ideas and using them to make a real difference.

For the next generation of leaders, such as Lucy, Project 13 helps the construction industry build an exciting and dynamic environment for attracting talent and ensures that the industry is supporting the UK to become a leader in innovation for decades to come.