Gold Book The stories behind the most innovative, impactful and inspirational civil engineering practices Contents 6 Overview How the NCE100 Companies of the Year were chosen 8 8 Staff feedback analysis Staff feedback was key to 0% 100% NCE100 award winner choices 57% 11 NCE100 Very Satisfied Top10 The 10 best NCE100 companies in 2018 20 Trending 20 The top 20 up and coming civil engineering firms 22 Trending 20 winner FJD Consulting stood out 93% among the up and comers Satisfied 25 NCE100 winners The 15 greatest stories of 2017 56 NCE100 22 16 listing The NCE100 Companies of the Year 58 NCE100 Judges The 45 judges who assessed the NCE100 firms NCE100 GOLD BOOK 2018 3 EUROPE’S LEADING MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENT & DESIGN CONSULTANCY WE BELIEVE IN THE POSITIVE POWER OF HUMAN CURIOSITY & THE POSSIBILITIES IN TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION & DESIGN As Europe’s leading consultancy for future communities and cities, Sweco is delighted to be ranked by the NCE as the 6th civil engineering company in the UK and proud to be the recipient of its Low Carbon Leader Award. [email protected] | 0113 262 0000 | www.sweco.co.uk Foreword Welcome to the NCE100 Gold Book. Inside we are recognising some fantastic civil engineering businesses. The companies inside are the most innovative, impactful and inspirational companies operating in the infrastructure sector today. We know this because the NCE100 is the most rigorous and robustly-judged business recognition scheme in civil engineering. To achieve recognition here, firms have had to present their achievements to a panel of 45 judges representing the industry’s leading clients, owner/operators stakeholder groups and change bodies. But not only that, they had to allow us to conduct a comprehensive survey of their staff. We are grateful to the almost 8,000 engineers who responded and provided us with their invaluable insight. These firms also had to answer some key questions designed to eliminate any company that is not meeting the NCE100 criteria of driving our industry forward by doing the right things, in the right way, to deliver outcomes that benefit society. Recognition comes in three ways. We have 15 award categories: five recognise firms innovating The NCE100 is in project initiation, design, delivery and operation; five more recognise firms who are making an impact with industry- the most rigorous change initiatives; and five more recognise firms who serve as inspiration to us all by delivering outcomes for society. and robustly-judged We also give special recognition to the role of the smaller business recognition scheme firms in our industry; the firms often incubating the best ideas but who do not always have the marketing clout to get in civil engineering their voices heard. We recognise these firms through our “ Trending20 – our pick of the small firms with the best stories to tell. But we begin with the top 10 – the firms who, according to the NCE100 judges, their staff and their data, really are standing out – and our ultimate winner, the NCE100 Company of the Year. I hope you find our Gold Book informative. Mark Hansford Editor, New Civil Engineer NCE100 GOLD BOOK 2018 5 NCE100 Overview Choosing the cream of the crop THE NCE100 COMPANIES OF THE YEAR IS THE MOST RIGOROUS ASSESSMENT GOING, MARK HANSFORD EXPLAINS WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE THE GRADE IN 2018. The NCE100 showcases truly Tideway chairman Sir Neville patents in the process? outstanding civil engineering practices, Simms, Crossrail chief executive Perhaps this is not surprising given consultants and contractors, big KEY FACTS Simon Wright, Highways England that 52 of the 100 have a budget and small. We were looking for the smart motorways programme director for research and development and companies who, in 2018, have got the 24 Shaun Pidcock, Cabinet Office innovation. most inspiring stories to tell. Stories of construction director David Hancock, And on the subject of managing innovation, of changing our industry Number of Innovate UK innovation lead Sarah risk, so important in the post-Carillion for the better, and of making the world staff employed Eager, Heathrow Airport chief world, 72 of the 100 had a risk register a better place through their projects. by FJD people officer Paula Stannett and and a strategy for managing it. The winners of the NCE100 Infrastructure & Projects Authority When it comes to business culture, Companies of the Year 2018 were Consulting senior advisor Keith Waller. it is good to see, for example, that 70 revealed on 23 May at an awards The stories they picked out as of the NCE100 firms have a formal ceremony at the Troxy, London. The £1.5M to outstanding are told in the awards inclusion policy but a shame that winners celebrated with 650 guests section of this Gold Book. only 25 are signed up to Women Into from the UK’s leading civil engineering £1.7M Alongside the judging, data supplied Science and Engineering’s 10 Steps to firms and their peers from across the FJD’s annual to us by these companies about how Gender Equality – just one more than industry’s top companies. turnover they operate was used to help us last year. We recognised the leading firms formulate our top 10. More positively, 60 of the 100 have in 15 specific areas of excellence This data was quite revealing and formal initiatives in ensure that staff before revealing the top 10 NCE100 shows the extent to which the civil are not overstressed or over-tired. Companies of the Year. engineering industry is driving forward. The key sense-check question Each category had a trio of judges For example, when it comes to tech around collaboration was whether a hand-picked for their specific expertise excellence and innovation, would you firm had BS11000 certification – and in the skillset being judged. have guessed that the 100 companies just 22 do. Judges this year included Transport collectively brought 932 innovations Similarly, on low carbon, the key for London commissioner Mike Brown, to market this year, securing 32 question was whether a firm reported 6 NCE100 GOLD BOOK 2018 SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS The NCE100 would not be possible without our sponsors and supporters. Thanks to: Platinum Sponsors Royal HaskoningDHV Wavin Gold Sponsor Invennt Silver Sponsor Black & Veatch Supporters Global Engineering Congress Hewson Consulting Engineers Stantec WSP Group On staff Nations Sustainable Development Arcadis takes Opus as Gold Medal Winners. Goals and had set targets to help to the stage Interestingly, but perhaps feedback achieve them. after claiming unsurprisingly, smaller firms would There was then one final piece of the top spot claim nine of the top 10 spots if the alone, smaller firms NCE100 assessment jigsaw and it is NCE100 assessment was based on the most important. staff feedback alone. Top of the pile would have filled Worth half the marks when it comes this year – by some distance – would to building our top 10, it is the results have been MJ Rooney Construction, out 16 of the top of a comprehensive staff survey. We followed by Floodline Consulting, “ are massively grateful to the almost London Bridge Associates, Waterco, 20 spots, with only 8,000 who filled in our survey, the Anthony D Bates Partnership and Costain, Mace and findings of which come next. Project Centre. The NCE100 Company of the Year The highest-rated big firm was Arup, Arcadis joining Arup this year was Dutch-owned Arcadis. coming in at number 7 in the staff As well as wowing our judges and feedback rankings. claiming the Smart Operator gong On staff feedback alone, smaller and being highly commended for firms would have filled out 16 of the its carbon footprint – and just 29 do. diversity leadership and making the top 20 spots, with only Costain, Mace When it comes to talent shortlist for innovation in project and Arcadis joining Arup. development, 67 of the 100 have an management and excellence in climate This staff input, sitting alongside the approved ICE training agreement. resilience, it was only a few points views of the judges and the analysis of And finally, what about providing behind Arup in staff scores too. the company data, makes the NCE100 inspiration by seeking to make the It means in three years of NCE100 the most comprehensive assessment world a better place? Well, it really there have been three different of civil engineering firms going. These would be good if a few more than winners of the NCE100 Company of 100 are the companies that have been 22 said they supported the United the Year, with Arcadis joining Arup and making the biggest stir in 2018. NCE100 GOLD BOOK 2018 7 NCE100 Analysis View from Satisfaction Dashboard MY COMPANY IS GREAT AND I HAVE NO DESIRE TO WORK the coal face ANYWHERE ELSE 83% YES 17% NO ONLY THE NCE100 ASKS A FIRM’S STAFF WHAT THEIR BUSINESS IS REALLY LIKE TO WORK FOR. HERE WE REVEAL WHAT MY FIRM REWARDS ME FOR PARTICIPATING IN INDUSTRY ALMOST 8,000 CIVIL ENGINEERS SAID ABOUT INNOVATION GROUPS WORKING FOR THEIR COMPANIES IN 2018. Civil engineers remain a happily hefty 87% of those responding were employed bunch, with 83% of the professionally qualified or working 7,640 who responded to the NCE100 KEY FACTS towards qualification with the appro- 39% YES NO61% questionnaire agreeing with the priate professional body. statement that their company is 71% But only 23% of them said they “great” and that they have “no desire” actively participated in the work of to work anywhere else. That is quite an Percentage of their professional bodies by sitting on endorsement. NCE100 firm committees or panels.