The Infrastructure Podcast

Today we delve into the world of communication and examine the challenges faced by infrastructure professionals when it comes to winning buy-in for new ideas, policies and projects. That’s buy in from the public and from politicians.I have described this process as creating the Stories to communicate change. Well let’s discuss this!It is a stark reality that the experts charged with planning, designing, constructing and operating our infrastructure assets are not necessarily always AS focused or AS skilled as they need to be when it comes to translating brilliant and sensible ideas into popular or even supportable solutions. Typically, problems can occur from a lack of focus on the impact that a particular idea or project might have on specific people, or insufficient understanding of the needs and fears of local communities. This failure to properly analyse the benefits – or disadvantages – can quickly render change practically difficult or politically impossible.Getting this analysis and approach wrong can stop progress in its tracks; getting it right usually ensures that the benefits of infrastructure investment are reaped across communities – communities who understand and believe in that change and who subsequently have the confidence to demand more.It’s a huge and important challenge, so to help me I have two guests today, Teresa Jolley and Sir Nic Carey, founders of transport communication specialist DEFT153. Teresa and Nic both of  have career spanning experience in helping experts across the sector to successfully navigate this tricky process - and in building the vital trust required to shepherd individuals and teams through difficult processes of change.Teresa’s background is in communications and in the design and delivery of events, networking and community engagement across the transport sector. Nic has spent a career working largely in central government to help accelerate the uptake and use of data as tool to better design policy interventions – most recently as head of data an digital transformation at the DfT.Together, according to the internet, they “simplify the communication of technical subjects” and “help technical staff deliver engaging insights that inspire change”.Resources DEFT153 websiteBournville Clarinet Choir - Teresa's creative outlet!

In this podcast we talk about the need to modernise UK construction.I have been writing about this sector for close to three decades and this subject has been a consistent and infuriatingly repetitive issue.A bit of background to set the scene around three decades of reports an initiatives. In 1994, the Latham Review kicked things off and set out the need for collaboration and single teams, to boost quality, reduce disputes and improve margins. It was quickly followed by the Egan Review in 1998 which also highlighted the need to rethink construction with stronger client leadership and more collaboration.This led to the Movement for Innovation, and the 2001 Strategic Forum for Construction who’s 2002 report Accelerating Change set a path towards greater use of digital technology in the industry eventually leading to the mandating of the use of BIM on public project a decade later.Then came the Wolstenholme Review urging us in 2009 to “Never Waste a Good Crisis”.And the establishment of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) in 2013 to oversee Construction 2025, a new industry strategy targeted with reducing cost and carbon, accelerating delivery and increasing exports.In 2016 we had the Farmer Review, aptly titled Modernise or Die which set out ten recommendations for fundamental change. And in 2017 the Infrastructure and Projects Authority’s Transforming Infrastructure Performance report again urged change through use of off-site fabrication and digital technology.The perilous state of the industry was laid bar in 2018 by the Hackett report into the 2017 Grenfell Fire. This underlined the systemic, ethical and professional failures which sat at the heart of tragedy in west London.Then came Covid, the drive towards a net zero future, and the battle to cope with rampant inflation across the building and construction material sector and the chronic lack of skills needed to drive the sector – not helped of course by the impact of Brexit.It is fair to say that the industry lurches from crisis to crisis. So to discuss the challenges that lie ahead, my guest today is Mark Reynolds, co-chair of the Construction Leadership Council and, in his spare time, also Group Chairman and Chief Executive of global consultancy and construction firm Mace.ResourcesConstruction Leadership CouncilLatham Review – Constructing the TeamEgan Review – Rethinking ConstructionWolstenholme Review – Never Waste a Good CrisisFarmer Review – Modernise or DieMace Group website

In this podcast we talk about the challenge and opportunities of reforming the UK rail network and specifically ask how this vast and complex national asset can be effectively and successfully transitioned back under public sector control and management.A bit of background: In May 2021 the Williams/Shapps Plan for Rail set out the government's plan for transformation. In short, the plan will see control of the rail network, trains and operations passed from the current fragmented and largely private sector run ownership to a new, public body, known as Great British Railways. This will own the infrastructure, receive the fare revenue, run and plan the network and set most fares and timetables. Network Rail, the current infrastructure owner, will be absorbed into this new organisation, as will many functions from the Rail Delivery Group and Department for Transport. It has been described as one of the most ambitious changes to our railways in a generation. While no longer in control, the private sector will remain critical to asset management and operations and incentivised to “run safe, high-quality, punctual services, manage costs, attract more passengers and innovate”.The Great British Railways Transition Team, is now preparing the ground, and working with government to change the culture and approach to rail investment from the centre and, as they put it “getting the whole railway thinking commercially through reform”. The challenge is to embrace this new way of working and bring Great British Railways into being by autumn 2024.It's a huge task. And to discuss challenges that lie ahead, my guest today is Anit Chandarana, Lead Director at the GBR Transition Team, the man very much in the hot seat when it comes to leading those vital changes.ResourcesWilliams/Shapps Plan for RailGreat British Rail Transition Team websiteDepartment for TransportOffice for Rail and Road Network Rail

This podcast is about about “the power of employee ownership” and discusses why so many firms are moving towards this model as a means to attract and retain talent and to help focus minds and resources on the value of investing in skills and innovation.Clearly, other ownership models are available. For example, the engineering consulting sector has seen huge change of late with the emergence of a small number of super-large, globally focused, businesses. And while they argue that this model does not stop them from being great employers or indeed from investing in new ideas, there is also a school of thought that suggests employee ownership remains the true path to equity for all.To discuss this issue, my guest today is Simon Light, Chief executive for Europe, Middle East and Africa at consultant GHD. Now, GHD is a business which is, indeed, owned by its 11,000 staff around the world and is a model which the firm says “is a powerful point of differentiation that helps drives passion and accountability in how it serves clients, delivers projects, and pursues new opportunities.” Let's discuss.....ResourcesGHD websiteHarvard Business Review - the Big Benefits of Employee OwnershipSolving the PFAS puzzleDigital experience

In this podcast we talk about the challenge of creating a circular economy in the built environment as key to working towards a sustainable, net zero carbon emission future. Last month a new movement was launched across infrastructure at the World Circular Economy Forum with a vision for a built environment whose purpose is, and I quote: “to enable people and nature to flourish together for generations.”I call it a movement because it involved a range of people, organisations and businesses who came together to publish a document called Our Shared Understanding - a summary of core concepts that inform the transition to a circular economy. So what is the circular economy in respect to the built environment?  Well according to this report its “about enabling people and nature to live and grow within our planet’s capacity to provide resources and handle waste”.That means getting the greatest possible value from the use of materials, products, assets and systems in the built environment - value as defined by the social, environmental and economic outcomes gained from that investment. More on that later.This document also highlights why circularity is so important and of course sets out a number of key objectives and challenges to help the sector to finally embrace the concept. In short, it calls for collective action to first choose to make change happen and second, for radical collaboration accelerate the move towards circularity. To guide us through the challenges, my guest today is Mark Enzer, Strategic Adviser, Mott MacDonald and visiting professor, University of Cambridge, who has been driving this movement and continues to agitate for change across the sector.Resources Our Shared UnderstandingDigital Twin HubUK government circular economy package policyCentre for Digital Built Britain Digital Twin legacy site

In this podcast we are going global and focusing the conversation around the findings of a new report published recently by Economist Impact called Infrastructure for Good – Building for a better world.The report has been produced in association with Duke University in the US and is supported by global consultancy Deloitte. There's a link to the report in the resources section below.Essentially the report points out that while infrastructure is a transformational investment for supporting growth and social development and touches nearly all of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), around the world this investment delivers widely divergent outcomes.In short, without proper planning and a clear understanding of the factors behind this divergence, infrastructure can actually increase rather than reduce global inequality.To guide us through this report, the conclusions and its recommendations, and of course to explain how it has been possible to properly understand how infrastructure investment value can be benchmarked, I am joined today from New York by Pratima Singh, Principal in Policy & Insights at Economist Impact, one of the report authors and an expert in the economic and social drivers from infrastructure investment.ResourcesInfrastructure for Good reportInfrastructure for Good websiteCase studiesThe Barometer dataInfrastructure for good - the methodology

In today's podcast we are talking about EVs – Electric Vehicles. Specifically, we are going to look at what has to happen to ensure that the process or refuelling an electric or hybrid vehicle is as painless as popping petrol or diesel into a conventional fuel tank. The conundrum of how and where to charge up the vast number of new EVs now flooding onto the UK’s streets is being wrestled with up and down the country. Not just by owners and potential owners, but also by the highway authorities and property managers who are increasingly under pressure to make more charging facilities available. So where are we now? `Well according to the latest government statistics in January 2023, there were 37,000 public electric vehicle charging devices installed in the UK.Of these 19% were rated “rapid” devices or above while 57% were fast charging devices. – whatever that means? In terms of charger location, 32% are on street while 49% are known as “destination” chargers – places to charge on arrival at a destination such as car parks. The mystery deepens!What is clear is that there is an uneven geographical distribution of charging devices within the UK. While the UK average is 56 per 100,000 people – in London that number is 131. However, the number of charging stations is up 7% since last October. But, given that the UK government is banning the sale of new petrol and diesel engine vehicle in 2030, the question of course, is whether the roll out of charging stations – and of course the increased grid capacity required to sit behind those station – is fast enough?To find out, and to guide us through the UK’s EV challenges, my guest today is Asif Ghafoor, chief executive, Be.EV, which, backed by Octopus Energy Generation, is currently working with communities around the Manchester region and across the UK to roll out new charging infrastructure.ResourcesBe.EV websiteJanuary government stats on EV charging infrastructureApril government stats on EV charging infrastructureManchester Charging into the FutureTypes of EV charger explained:- Slow: typically for home charging or lamppost charging - Fast: typically for destination charging or all day dwell charging - Rapid: on forecourts where you pull in to charge for 40 minutes.- Ultra rapid: on forecourt where you pull in to charge for 10-15 minutes.

This podcast gets stuck into the art of brilliant infrastructure client behaviour.Well what’s that - and why does it matter? Surely the client’s the client and whatever they say goes – the supply chains task is to deliver.Well absolutely yes – and absolutely no.Getting projects set up for success from the start is the fundamental job of the client. Brilliant client behaviour allows the project success that flows to be shared by all stakeholders in the project.But just how often are they brilliant? And if not why not?To find out, my guest today is Nirmal Kotecha, Director of Capital Programmes at UK Power Networks and past-chair of the Infrastructure Client Group management board. Nirmal is also a board member of the Major Projects Association so has been thoroughly embedded in the challenge of understanding what works and what doesn’t work for clients when it comes to major project delivery.Nirmal said recently that “Defining clear outcomes from infrastructure investment is going to become a key competence for clients in future.”He added: “This will form the basis for driving significant change in the way we procure and commercially incentivise organisations to ensure they are fully aligned in the pursuit of the desired outcomes."So what does that mean in reality? What has to change and who has to lead?ResourceUK Power Networks websiteThe Major Projects AssociationThe Infrastructure Client GroupThe Construction Leadership CouncilAnglian @One Alliance  

Let me start with a story. Last year I completed an epic nine-day, 1000 mile cycle adventure from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise money for my local hospice, St Christophers in Sydenham South London (there’s a link below – please do support their latest What Matters Most campaign).It was an interesting and rather challenging few days. We used well planned routes that kept us off the main roads and largely away from the madness of the Strategic Road Network But what it did highlight was the variability and often shockingly terrible condition of the road surfaces and cycle ways available to those battling the elements on two wheels. Yes, there were some lovely stretches of smooth, deserted backroad to travel along, But there were also many appalling road surfaces to navigate, and some really poorly thought out and maintained dedicated cycle ways - which, frankly, were more dangerous that the main carriageway.Nothing new of course to the average commuter cyclist or Sunday tourer. But it does get you thinking. With the rising demand for active travel - which is being supercharged through ubiquitous electric hire bikes and scooters across every major UK city, surely this problem has to be solved?Which brings me back to today… fortunately on my cycle adventure someone else carried my bags. All I had on my bike was water bottles, a puncture kit, my Wahoo bike computer, iPhone And my wonderful high tech internet enabled See.Sense safety lights - which not only kept me safe with their excellent bright and reactive lighting, but that also monitored the road conditions and my cycling decisions every pedal stroke and pothole along the way.It is therefore my pleasure to welcome Irene and Philip McAleese to the podcast today, the couple from Northern Ireland who invented my lights and this technology - it’s a fascinating story.ResourcesSee.Sense websiteThe new See.Sense Commuter Platform St Christophers Hospice What Matters Most campaign

This podcast discusses the power of public infrastructure - examining how investment in new and renewed assets can radically change lives and create huge additional social value to improve communities.The phrase levelling up has become something of a catch-all when it comes to UK public infrastructure investment – a way to spread the nation’s wealth beyond London and the South East; a way to redistribute opportunity towards long forgotten communities; or perhaps a means to access the skills and hidden talent currently overlooked across the nation.Describe the benefits how you will. But essentially it is all about creating focus on the social outcomes. It’s about thinking beyond the usual obsession around economic benefit to actually judge the value of interventions on the way they impact real people’s lives. Here we are talking about benefits such as better health and learning outcomes, greater access to housing and transport, reducing carbon emissions and increasing community cohesion.Achieving this so-called social dividend is now increasingly critical. For any organisation or business hoping to succeed in the public infrastructure arena – in planning, in delivery, in operation and in maintenance – social outcomes must be both top of mind and, more importantly, a genuine ambition.So to help us to understand more about this vital issue and the power of public infrastructure to deliver social value, it is my pleasure to welcome Michelle de Franca, managing director UK & Ireland at Bechtel Infrastructure. Michelle spends her time helping clients to plan and deliver infrastructure investment so is well placed to assist today.ResourcesBechtel websiteLevelling Up - UK government website