ICE policy paper: why do major projects take so long and cost so much?

Infrastructure delivery challenges are not unique to the UK. Globally, major projects often go over budget and take longer than expected.

Infrastructure is fundamentally an investment in the society the asset is being built for.

But a track record of delays and increased costs undermines the UK’s ability to attract funding to support future projects and maintain public support.

Governments in the UK and internationally have long recognised the challenges of infrastructure delivery.

They have developed resources and tools, identified best practice tools and gathered lessons from past projects. But they’re not applied consistently.

It’s time to do better.

After extensive consultation with industry leaders, the ICE has made the following recommendations to improve major project planning and delivery:

• Assurance evaluation data should be aggregated and managed by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) to inform improved forecasting on major public infrastructure projects.
• The chief secretary to the Treasury should permanently retain responsibility for delivery of the 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy (10 YIS) and future iterations of it as part of their ministerial portfolio.
• Infrastructure policy coordination should be supported by a cabinet committee on infrastructure.
• Clarify and streamline government assessment and assurance structures and responsibilities.
• Establish, as part of NISTA, a roving delivery unit comprised of senior government infrastructure leaders to support public bodies with limited major project delivery expertise.
• NISTA and the chief secretary to the Treasury should meaningfully engage the public on the benefits of infrastructure, but also the necessary trade-offs that will inform project and programme prioritisation.