Construction work

Tender description

Highways England has appointed six partners to create the Smart Motorways Alliance (‘SMA’) over a 10.5 year period, including a mobilisation and a further period to complete outstanding works. One partner shall provide production management services (Lot 1), two partners shall be digitally enabled designers (Lot 2) and three partners shall undertake on-site assembly and construction role (Lot 3). The alliance will develop, design and build multiple road schemes under a single alliance contract. Partners will operate from a centralised production hub to co-ordinate delivery. The alliance will increase lane capacity on all parts of the strategic road network through embedding technology and converting hard shoulders to all-lane running. Where required, the alliance will also deliver associated works to co-ordinate wider HE programme of works. The alliance may also support HE deliver the wider autonomous and connected vehicles road implementation strategy. Highways England has appointed a partner to be accountable for the programme-wide management activities within the production hub function over the term of the Alliance Agreement (10.5 years) and thereafter to oversee completion of works called off under lots 2 and 3. Such works expected to complete within 2 to 3 years of expiry of the term of the Alliance Agreement. The production management partner will act as a catalyst for integration and collaboration between all seven alliance members (six partners and Highways England) within the production hub while providing capability in the service areas specifically related to delivery control and coordination and investing in the capability and competence development of Highways England to enable a programmatic approach that supports realisation of the intended benefits of an Alliance Model. The outcomes of the production hub function include the following, as a minimum: 1) business integration — managing and integrating resources from multiple companies to create and sustain effective and efficient programme delivery; 2) delivering services within the production hub in a leadership or supporting role as required; 3) Programme Management Office to enable delivery plan to be successfully delivered safely, to time, cost and quality and with robust change control; 4) supply chain management strategy — facilitate delivery of collaborative procurement hub, category management and wider supply chain performance; 5) technology and information strategy — facilitate and deliver technology architecture strategy to enable efficiency single source of the truth; 6) logistical management and scheduling — facilitate delivery of strategic co-ordination of plant material and resources across inventory storage and manufacturing assembly to smooth resource levels and effective sequencing; 7) people strategy — support alliance board and develop recruitment, skills and retention strategy to drive high performing culture; 8) continuous improvement, innovation and best practice identified at the scheme level and shared across the programme to support consistently high performing and continuously improving teams in both design areas and in all three construction areas; 9) commercial management — facilitate delivery of effective cost, commercial and financial management function to the alliance; 10) communications — lead effective communications strategy and business reporting management; 11) governance and risk management — provide effective risk controls to facilitate operational and strategic delivery; 12) quality management and assurance — provide an effective quality management system and controls to maximise operational efficiency; 13) business change and innovation — provide catalyst for business opportunities and deliver effective project management to successfully implement change. The specific resources and structure will be reviewed annually to reflect needs of forward design and build works programme. The digitally-enabled design partners will provide outline and detailed civil engineering design for smart motorway schemes. They will be accountable for delivery of the project control framework stages 1-7, including: • principal designer for allocated schemes, • design knowledge management, • surveys (supported by supply chain and on-site assembly partner), • environmental assessment and design, • statutory and consent management, • maximising use of digital design including building information modelling (BIM), • providing designs solutions to meet scheme needs, • promoting industry practice for road design. As an alliance partner, the design partners will promote and lead the standardisation and use of digital solutions to reduce the need for bespoke design and maximise efficiency. They will develop and apply a consistent approach to design whereby standardised SMP designs are developed for use across all on-site assembly areas to drive efficiencies across the value chain. The design partners will promote and manage the utilisation of the HE promoted ‘Rapid Engineering Model’ system to better inform designs, while standardising the methods and running digital rehearsals implementing a cyclical dynamic, where processes and capabilities are tested to deliver right first time, optimised on site assembly. The supply chain is critical to developing the flexibility, efficiency and speed to deliver the right product efficiently. Design partners will provide resource and expertise to deliver centralised production hub activity to maximise alliance objectives and delivery of efficient programme. As part of the contract award, the two alliance design partners will provide personnel to sit within the production hub and shall appoint representatives to the Alliance Board with a mandate to deliver all SMP schemes. The design partners' are assigned to one of two UK regions (North and South). The alliance contract includes a work allocation procedure. The on-site assembly partner is responsible for constructing highways infrastructure, including the provision of traffic management and testing and commissioning of any infrastructure as part of handover to highway operational teams. Using in-house and supply chain resource to deliver schemes, interfacing with other partners to support efficient and safe design with predictable cost and schedule outcomes. They will have specific responsibility for delivery for the following specific activities: • principal contractor for allocated schemes, • site mobilisation and site logistics, • site safety and temporary works, • Integration and co-ordination of roadside technology to connect to Highways England Traffic Management System, • site surveys, • environmental assessment and design, • asbestos surveys, • management and delivery of construction activities, • site performance control, • site level engineering, • installation and technology commissioning, • commission and handover management, • customer service and external stakeholder management. On-site assembly partners will provide resource and expertise to deliver centralised production hub activity to maximise alliance objectives and delivery of efficient programme. It will specifically lead and promote usage of off-site construction activity. They will work with alliance partners to standardise construction materials, methods and design to maximise productivity and innovation. On-site assembly partner's have been assigned to one of three UK regions (North, Midland and South). The alliance contract includes a work allocation procedure.