Industry welcomes completion of Value Toolkit

Industry leaders and the Construction Innovation Hub are celebrating the completion of the Value Toolkit, hailing it as a landmark moment and key to delivering the social, environmental and economic outcomes championed by government through the net zero and levelling up agendas.

The completion of the Toolkit follows a successful development programme with over 200 industry partners, and the announcement includes the launch of a new BSI flex standard to underpin value-based decisions making in the sector.

Bringing together those who have contributed to its journey, including government, clients and industry partners, the Hub is now sharing the transition phase to adoption.

The Value Toolkit is a pioneering suite of tools that will be used by industry to embed value-based decision making in the built environment sector. It is a government funded industry-led initiative, with roots in the Construction Leadership Council’s Procuring for Value report, and set to deliver on the ambitions of the Construction Playbook and the IPA’s Transforming Infrastructure Performance Roadmap.

The Toolkit has been developed to reframe the definition of value, and how it can be evaluated and measured, capturing wider, whole-life considerations around net-zero, user experience, productivity and social impact.

Working with partners and collaborating has been critical to the success and there are few corners of the sector that the Value Toolkit has not touched - from local authorities to central government departments, consultancies, contractors and specialist SMEs. The ambition is now for widespread adoption, driven by government and underpinned by industry.

Keith Waller, programme director at the Construction Innovation Hub, said: “This is a landmark moment for the Hub and our industry partners, and a gamechanger for construction and the built environment. Decision making in construction has been historically driven by how much something cost, or how long it took to build. The Toolkit delivers a laser-like focus on project outcomes that delivers value beyond the bottom line, and positively affect communities and those who live in them for decades to come. It will ensure a more collaborative relationship between clients and suppliers throughout the whole life of a project.”

Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) CEO Stephen Marcos Jones said: “The completion of the Value Toolkit is key to unlocking our industry’s huge potential and delivering the social, environmental and economic outcomes championed by government through the net zero and levelling up agendas. It will ensure we look beyond simplistic measures to deliver the healthy, green and productive built environment we all want to see.

“ACE and its members have been strong supporters throughout its development, and we will continue to work collaboratively with all stakeholders as the Toolkit moves to its implementation phase. Now its impact has been demonstrated, we will need widespread adoption – led by public sector clients – to ensure the full transformative potential of the Toolkit is realised.”

Construction minister Lee Rowley said: “It’s good to see this new initiative come to fruition after a successful pilot. The Toolkit reflects the government’s desire to ensure we embrace a construction procurement process that has clean, green innovation at its heart. It complements our commitment to boost the productivity of this vital industry as part of our plans to grow the economy and create good quality jobs. I look forward to continuing to work with the Construction Leadership Council to realise this ambition.”

Andy Mitchell, co-chair of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), said: “For far too long now we have talked cost with little or no reference to value; we have talked outputs not outcomes.  The Value Toolkit seeks to see an end to this by providing a comprehensive suite of tools that will help clients and suppliers alike develop a real understanding of what is actually important as we specify, design and deliver infrastructure for people and society. I would like to thank everyone involved in getting us to this point, and encourage everyone else to understand, use and help develop this Toolkit going forward.”

Click here for further information about the Value Toolkit and how to get involved.