Project delivery performance: insights from English roads major schemes

Generally negative prevailing views of infrastructure delivery performance is sclerotic and in need of an evidence-based reappraisal. This study evaluated the project delivery performance of National Highways, the government company responsible for delivering England's road investment strategy...

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Main Author: Chapman, P
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024
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author Chapman, P
author_facet Chapman, P
author_sort Chapman, P
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description Generally negative prevailing views of infrastructure delivery performance is sclerotic and in need of an evidence-based reappraisal. This study evaluated the project delivery performance of National Highways, the government company responsible for delivering England's road investment strategy which completed 138 road/highway major schemes over 16 years between 2001 and 2016.93% of major schemes had a benefit-cost ratio, BCR, of 1 or more which means most projects delivered more benefit than their cost. 69% have a high BCR of 2 or more, delivering benefits at least twice the cost of the project. Typical cost performance was a 2.4% overrun with 42% of projects delivered on or under budgeted cost. The overall value of cost overruns was compensated for by the value of underruns so the net cumulative balance was below zero. Cost performance improved over time, with a typical cost underrun of −6% observed in projects completed in the latter half of the studied time period. The improvement to delivery cost performance is most likely to be explained by changes in policy and practice, including: improved estimation of costs; Strengthened appraisal and approval; Developing procurement strategy; Improving programme management; Implementing lessons learned.
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spelling oxford-uuid:d3d3e716-0ebf-41e7-bb3b-e1dea8aa59152024-05-08T11:43:22ZProject delivery performance: insights from English roads major schemesJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:d3d3e716-0ebf-41e7-bb3b-e1dea8aa5915EnglishSymplectic ElementsElsevier2024Chapman, PGenerally negative prevailing views of infrastructure delivery performance is sclerotic and in need of an evidence-based reappraisal. This study evaluated the project delivery performance of National Highways, the government company responsible for delivering England's road investment strategy which completed 138 road/highway major schemes over 16 years between 2001 and 2016.93% of major schemes had a benefit-cost ratio, BCR, of 1 or more which means most projects delivered more benefit than their cost. 69% have a high BCR of 2 or more, delivering benefits at least twice the cost of the project. Typical cost performance was a 2.4% overrun with 42% of projects delivered on or under budgeted cost. The overall value of cost overruns was compensated for by the value of underruns so the net cumulative balance was below zero. Cost performance improved over time, with a typical cost underrun of −6% observed in projects completed in the latter half of the studied time period. The improvement to delivery cost performance is most likely to be explained by changes in policy and practice, including: improved estimation of costs; Strengthened appraisal and approval; Developing procurement strategy; Improving programme management; Implementing lessons learned.
spellingShingle Chapman, P
Project delivery performance: insights from English roads major schemes
title Project delivery performance: insights from English roads major schemes
title_full Project delivery performance: insights from English roads major schemes
title_fullStr Project delivery performance: insights from English roads major schemes
title_full_unstemmed Project delivery performance: insights from English roads major schemes
title_short Project delivery performance: insights from English roads major schemes
title_sort project delivery performance insights from english roads major schemes
work_keys_str_mv AT chapmanp projectdeliveryperformanceinsightsfromenglishroadsmajorschemes