The ground breaking Procurement Reform Act (Scotland) has undoubtedly delivered significant benefits since its introduction in 2014. While the act was visionary, in its latest paper “Unlocking Community Benefits: A Scottish Perspective”, Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, outlines a number of recommendations to support further change.
To ensure that contracting authorities maximise their purchasing power, reap the benefit of the money being spent on public schemes and ensure that the effect is radiated as far as possible, all of those involved must play their part.
Balfour Beatty believes that a combination of moving towards a more collaborative approach between commissioners and contractors from the project outset, driving social value into a wider strategy for social change and establishing clear metrics for success are amongst the drivers that will boost the Procurement Reform Act and increase productivity.
Hector MacAulay, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty’s regional business in Scotland, said: “Across Balfour Beatty, our focus is always on delivering value in the communities in which we operate. As such, we need to encourage our peers and commissioning authorities to explore new ways of working and introduce new, innovative social value solutions to bring to bear real, tangible results.
“Our collaboration with the Scottish Prison Service, which has seen us develop employability and work experience programmes for people in custody and people with convictions in Scotland, is an yet another example of how we are actively driving change within our business to provide true social benefit to the communities in which we operate.”
With its Scottish headquarters in North Lanarkshire, Balfour Beatty delivers a locally-focused service across Scotland, with the support of Balfour Beatty’s national network, expertise, resources and financial strength. Wherever it operates, the company aims to become integrated within the neighbourhood, supporting the local community, local businesses and local workforce.
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ENDS
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Vivienne Dunn
Balfour Beatty
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Notes to editors:
• Balfour Beatty (www.balfourbeatty.com) is a leading international infrastructure group. With 28,000 employees, we provide innovative and efficient infrastructure that underpins our daily lives, supports communities and enables economic growth. We finance, develop, build and maintain complex infrastructure such as transportation, power and utility systems, social and commercial buildings.
• Our main geographies are the UK & Ireland, US and Far East. Over the last 100 years we have created iconic buildings and infrastructure all over the world including the London Olympics’ Aquatic Centre, Hong Kong’s first Zero Carbon building, the National Museum of the Marine Corps in the US and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.
• Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, has been operating in Scotland for over a century. Today, the company employs 2,000 people across Scotland and works with a supply chain that includes a substantial proportion of local businesses.
• The company’s construction business recently completed the award winning Holyrood Student Accommodation development, providing 1,180 student beds within the World Heritage Site of Holyrood in the City of Edinburgh and the construction of a Typhoon Propulsion Service Facility to support the rebuild and supply of the EJ200 engines used by 3 Typhoon Squadron.
• Significant projects in the Company’s current portfolio include the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route which will improve the transport network in Aberdeen and across the north east of Scotland, the £14m Almondbank Flood Defence Scheme to deliver a series of flood defences along the River Almond and construct a temporary flood storage unit and the Perth Transport Futures project which will see the creation of a new junction on the A9 dual carriageway to support growth in Scotland’s third busiest region.
• Iconic projects of the past include the refurbishment of Forth Bridge which was nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Status and carries the East Coast Mainline over the Firth of Forth, the Fife General Hospital and Maternity Services provision which centralises specialist in-patient, acute and emergency services on one site and the restoration and extension of Lewis Castle and Museum Nan Eilean to provide a new museum, archive and hospitality facility on the Isle of Lewis.
