Highways Agency Supplier Recognition Scheme 2014 Best Practice Report Introduction This report looks to highlight the key aspects of the winning and highly commended entries in each category. Background 2014 was the fourth year of the Highways Agency Supplier Recognition Scheme. The annual recognition scheme highlights the vital contribution made by the Agency’s suppliers who help it operate, maintain and improve England’s network of motorways and A roads. This year entries for the awards increased significantly – as 118 bid for the honour to receive public recognition from the Agency across seven categories. These included joint ventures, the extended supply chain and small and medium enterprises. 2014 Winners and Highly Commended The Highways Agency received 118 entries from 50 entrants which included single suppliers and joint ventures. The following winners and highly commended were chosen: Winners Highly Commended Building and Sustaining Capability Costain Carillion Civil Engineering Customer Experience Carillion Civil Engineering Mouchel (Designer) & Carillion (Delivery Costain Ltd Partner) Delivering Sustainable Value & Solutions Costain Group plc Interserve Construction Limited Sir Robert McAlpine & AW Jenkinson Managing Down Cost/Improving Value Carnell Group Carillion Civil Engineering WSP Skanska Balfour Beatty/Atkins Delivery Simulation Systems Limited Team Promoting Diversity & Inclusion EM Highway Service Limited & BAM/Morgan Sindall JV Recycling Lives Safety, Health & Wellbeing Carnell Group A-One+ Integrated Highway Services Atkins Costain Ltd Colas Ltd Skanska Construction UK Ltd EM Highway Service Limited Hanson Asphalt & Contracting Supply Chain Management Collaborative Procurement Working Group (CPWG) (Carillion plc, BAM Connect Plus M25 Ltd Morgan Sindall JV, Costain) with Asset Norbert Dentressangle Logistics UK International, Polypipe & Saint-Gobain Skanska UK Plc PAM UK Supplier Recognition Scheme Best Practice Report Best Practice Report Building and Sustaining Capability The judging panel were seeking evidence where suppliers have created opportunities to bring people into the workplace and develop skills and capabilities through delivery of HA contracts. Some of the key points picked out by the judging panel were: Suppliers building capacity and capability for the future by investing in their employees and engaging with outside organisations such as local job centres, local authorities, schools, colleges and the Prince’s Trust. The winning submission focused on the need to build a core team of highly experienced professionals, engaged local staff and operatives to deliver sustainably, brought promising new entrants into the industry, developed and encouraged future careers in construction, focused on training to improve and develop skills on the project and used feedback to continuously improve. The winner developed the team through recruitment, development and training. The winner and highly commended had both successfully applied to the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) for the project to become a National Skills Academy for Construction (NSAfC).They were set a number of challenging targets relating to local employment, training and skills development. They had a dedicated Project Skills Co-ordinator. Engaged local staff and operatives. The winner had successful engagement with Sheffield Jobcentre and contact with the North East Derbyshire Strategic Employment Partnership (NEDSEP) which consists of representatives from a number of local authorities. Quote from Cllr Graham Baxter MBE, Leader of the NE Derbyshire District Council “I am delighted with the outcome for everyone concerned, it’s really added value to the investment.” The highly commended had created 33 new job opportunities with employees working directly for them. The winner was working with the Prince’s Trust to develop a resource pool providing opportunities for young people by developing a “taster day” followed by a two week placement for under- represented groups in Derbyshire. The “taster day” was offered through the local job centre through the ‘Get into Construction’ programme. Apprenticeships were offered to 12 successful candidates. Apprenticeships were offered by the winner through NEDSEP programme with local schools and colleges working with Chesterfield College. The highly commended had recruited 5 graduates and provided 7 undergraduates with work experience. They had 6 part-time students within the commercial team. Developed and encouraged future careers in construction by developing the future pipeline of industry entrants by working with local schools at various events, giving presentations and participating in career days. Work had also been undertaken in providing work experience opportunities to ex-forces personnel as well as Jobcentre Plus. Focused on training to improve and develop skills and used feedback to continuously improve. There had been a significant increase in the level of investment in training days for staff. The winner’s STEM ambassadors developed an app to help people understand the various careers available and the routes. Page 2 of 6 Supplier Recognition Scheme Best Practice Report Customer Experience The judging panel were seeking to recognise suppliers with an industry leading commitment to customer service, through understanding customer needs and using feedback to constantly improve the customer experience. Some of the key points picked out by the judging panel were: Strong evidence of customer focus and working with the local community e.g. educational activities visiting local schools, Stay Safe presentations to primary schools, career days at local secondary schools and colleges and utilising local knowledge to identify possible rat runs and seeking advice on where extra signage would be of benefit. Availability of Public Liaison Officer 24/7 so that any complaints and queries are dealt with immediately. Scheme webpage with a dedicated Journey Impact section providing information of forthcoming closures and diversion routes by email alerts to customers signed up to receive them. Commitment to local communities and those affected by the road improvements e.g. open door events, raising funds for local charities and assisting local projects by donating materials, man power and holding charity fund raising events. Focussed consideration given to the needs of customers, stakeholders and communities e.g. identified the benefit of refining the details of sharing road space by taking the absolute minimum required, appointed a dedicated road space co-ordinator to liaise and communicate with the MAC teams, developed Emergency Access Points designed in collaboration with the emergency services which has been submitted as an example of best practice to the HA’s knowledge bank. Introduced signage with artwork by children of workers on the project aimed at customers to think about the team as real people as well as the important message they are conveying. Worked with partners to develop a system that uses Automatic Number Plate recognition to capture live journey time information which is then displayed on temporary variable message signs throughout the length of the scheme. Proactive approach for effective communication and relationship management with customers and stakeholders e.g. worked with HA to review the top 20 stakeholders to seek opportunities for communication to explain the scheme and traffic management strategy to improve understanding of what matters to customers. Good customer focus e.g. information in Motorway Service Areas beyond the scheme limits, back to work initiative with managers joining the workforce to see from the customer’s perspective. Close working with the community e.g. giving recycled road planings to a local charity and ongoing and consistent engagement with customers, stakeholders and the community e.g. letter drops to local residents, monthly liaison meetings with maintainers and consultation with the regional control centre and emergency services to keep all informed. Use of remote interrogation fault monitoring capability to reduce roadside maintenance visits, giving less disruption to customers. Page 3 of 6 Supplier Recognition Scheme Best Practice Report Delivering Sustainable Value and Solutions The judging panel were looking to recognise suppliers that have integrated environmental, social, economic and management aspects of sustainable development into delivery of Highways Agency contracts. Some of the key points picked out by the judging panel were: An ambitious, group-wide, sustainability framework and action plan to 2020 and beyond, putting sustainability at the forefront of the company’s decision making. A strategy built around ‘four capitals’ (natural, social, knowledge and financial) that capture the wider impact of their activities and which aligns closely with the strategic objectives of the Highways Agency. The submission evidenced positive ambition and outcomes across all the criteria for this award with a reminder to us all to embrace innovation and continuous improvement. Submissions that demonstrated robust consideration across the three sustainable development pillars; economic (timber and woodchip market values), environmental (woodland management programme and wood to energy power) and social (health and safety solutions and specialist collaboration). The project provided evidence of cost mitigation and confirmed the logistics of material handling from timber and woodchip to biomass