Costain, the smart infrastructure solutions company, has secured a contract alongside partners Stantec, Turner and Townsend and Mace to support Thames Water in the development of a new, client-led Programme Management Office (PMO) to oversee its multi-million pound AMP7 capital programme.
Thames Water, the UK’s largest water and wastewater services provider, is changing the delivery of its Capital Investment Programme from the previous AMP6 Alliance model to an ‘Intelligent Client’ model to drive greater efficiencies for its 15 million customers. This will require the progressive build of in-house capabilities in programme, project, commercial and financial management.
Costain will provide consultancy services to support the Thames Water programme in three specific areas. Firstly, in the reporting and governance of progress against Thames Water’s AMP7 objectives, outcomes and milestones. Secondly, driving efficient digital delivery across the whole programme to ensure that from definition, solution and need into the capital delivery environment our client will continually be generating efficiencies. Thirdly, embedding digital tools across the whole asset investment lifecycle driving the right use of data for decision making, enabling Thames to have ‘one version of the truth’. This will deliver even greater efficiencies in the future by enabling a TOTEX approach to its AMP7 investment programmes.
Leading edge digital knowledge will be brought from other major programmes that Costain has worked on, for example the A14, Britain’s biggest road project, where a web-based platform has been developed to coalesce data from multiple sources. The joint venture project was delivered eight months ahead of schedule with £109 million in efficiency savings including £3.5 million from digital initiatives.
Gerard Shore, water sector director, Costain said: “This contract builds on our successful performance on the AMP6 capital delivery programme and enables us to bring together our wealth of experience in providing programme management consultancy, integrating digital technology solutions and delivering complex programmes to support Thames Water’s ambitions. We look forward to helping them develop the skills and implement the tools, to drive greater value for customers across the whole business structure.”
Tim Horton, capital delivery director at Thames Water, said: “We have ambitious plans for the next five years including a further reduction of leakage, reducing interruptions to water supplies and reducing pollutions, and our suppliers will be key to helping us achieve those goals through establishing a Thames led forward looking programme management office.”
This contract follows Costain’s appointment to Anglian Water’s £350 million new Strategic Pipeline Alliance to provide a range of integrated services including strategic programme management, digital technology expertise and complex programme delivery for the supply-side strategy of Anglian Water’s Water Resources Management Plan. In addition, Costain was recently appointed to Yorkshire Water’s Technical Services Framework.
