|
London is now less than twelve months away from its biggest event in decades.
It is easy to forget how unlikely this prospect seemed back in 2005 when the Games were awarded. The UK had been awarded the honour of hosting the 2005 World Athletics Championships, which were to be held at a new 43,000 stadium at Picketts Lock in Enfield, north London.
However, in 2001 the project – which had originally been estimated to cost £87 million – was abandoned amid rising costs and concerns over transport links. The subsequent rebuilding of Wembley Stadium was also beset with difficulties, as was the upgrade of the West Coast Main Line. In short, the UK did not have a strong recent record in delivering major construction projects.
So for the International Olympic Committee to award the hosting of the 2012 Olympic Games to London, ahead of favourites Paris, was a very welcome surprise.
It is a challenge that the UK authorities and construction industry have risen to in admirable fashion. From fast-track planning to adept cost control – as of 19 July the programme was on target to be £850 million under budget – through strategic infrastructure upgrades and a wider legacy of regeneration, the programme is a fine example of major development.
I am sure that, in years to come, the Olympics will be held up as an example of strong programme management, and I fully agree with John Armitt when he says that the programme has shown the rest of the world what UK plc can achieve.
The next challenge – one that begins even before the athletes arrive – is to ensure that best practice is translated to other programmes where there are comparable issues.
It would be tempting to regard the Olympics as a one-off; a special project that holds few parallels with other challenges facing the UK. I would disagree. These, for instance, are just four of the areas in which UK authorities and the construction industry can improve practice based on the Olympic experience:
1. Consistent, transparent procurement. The ODA’s use of CompeteFor and standard procurement processes across the programme is one clear example of effective practice.
2. Alignment of the programme with wider infrastructure upgrades. Many authorities have contributed to the delivery of the Olympics, not least Transport for London, whose services will transport the vast majority of visitors to and from the Olympic Park.
3. Connection of the programme with wider economic development goals. If the potential is realised, the Olympics and associated infrastructure improvements have the opportunity to stimulate an economic renaissance in east London
4. Fast-track, efficient planning processes. Could the principles applied to planning for the Olympics be replicated in other parts of the country? If so, the cost savings could be significant.
If there is one legacy from the 2012 Olympics that would benefit the construction sector into the future, it would be the ability to identify and spread good practice. That way we can break the reliance on “local” solutions to what are, in the end, common challenges.
 Download article
|