Interim - Cost Assessment

Tender description

Job Purpose & Key Responsibilities The successful candidate will be expected to split their time across two of Ofwat’s key strategic programmes, Water 2020 and Finance & Governance. These two requirements are outlined in more detail below: Finance & Governance – cost assessment lead The Finance & Governance programme requires an experienced individual to advise on comparative analysis and benchmarking (including in relation to cost assessment and outcomes) within the programme and supporting work on transactions and sector comparators. This requirement would be expected to take up c. 3 days a week for c. 6wks (alongside the work on Water 2020 outlined below, and therefore full time in total), and then full time for the remaining c. 4wks of the contract. Water 2020 – interim cost assessment support Following the publication of (and responses to) our consultation document on our regulatory approach for water and wastewater services in England and Wales, the focus of the Water 2020 programme is now on developing our detailed methodology for the next price review. Key deliverables for this are our draft methodology statement in July 2017, and final methodology statement in December 2017. In order to inform these, Ofwat is continuing to develop our approach to cost assessment, including: • Issuing data requests for water and wastewater; • Development of cost assessment models; • Enhancement activities; • Activity/value chain modelling; and • Refinement of our approach to special cost factors. We require an interim to provide support on the basis of c. 2 days a week, for the first c. 6 weeks of the contract, after which the requirement is expected to be solely on Finance & Governance (as outlined above.) This support is needed to provide extra resource on a high profile workstream. This role will help support the wider team working on cost assessment, and key tasks that could be covered by the role include: • Developing a robust project plan; • Help in the development and agreement of policy through relevant project and programme boards; • To represent Ofwat at working group meetings with the sector to discuss policy proposals. Skills and Experience It is expected the post holder will be able to demonstrate: • Proven experience of project planning and working with a diverse project team, and of ensuring outputs are delivered on time and to a high standard. • An understanding of cost assessment within the water sector. • A track record of setting out policy recommendations to internal project and programme boards. • Strong written and verbal communication skills. • Evidence of representing an organisation to external stakeholders, at and above peer level, where external stakeholders may challenge policy assumptions.