Pay caps scrapped in mega schemes reset to lure top talent | Construction Enquirer News
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Whitehall halves major projects pipeline to sharpen delivery
The Government Major Projects Portfolio has been trimmed from around 200 schemes to about 80, in a move designed to sharpen focus on the most critical programmes and improve oversight. The reset also confirms a shift in control to the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, which replaces the Infrastructure and Projects Authority and will concentrate scrutiny and support where risks are highest. Driven by the Office for Value for Money, the reset is aimed at injecting private sector-style discipline into public delivery – tightening accountability, improving cost control and speeding up decision-making. For construction, one of the biggest changes is a break from Whitehall pay constraints. Delivery teams will now be able to offer market-rate salaries for specialist roles, tackling long-standing skills gaps on complex programmes. A central pipeline of project leaders will also be developed to strengthen capability across government. Funding and cost control for major construction projects is also being reset. Major schemes will be given a fixed capital envelope, with delivery bodies allowed to move funding between years to accelerate work or reduce risk. But any breach of the agreed budget could trigger a full project reset. Upfront planning is being strengthened, with every scheme required to publish a Strategy and Delivery Plan to Parliament at the outset and at key milestones. The move is designed to lock in scope, objectives and delivery strategy e...