Levene Efficiency Scrutiny into Construction Procurement by Government
Following the Latham Report, the Cabinet Office commissioned Sir Peter Levene to review government procurement of construction and investigate how government could become a best practice client.
The Levene Efficiency Scrutiny into Construction Procurement by Government was published in 1995.
The report accepted that government was in part to blame for the poor performance of the construction industry, setting unrealistic timeframes and budgets, not properly understanding competition or risk and failing to create single points of contact.
It made a number of recommendations to improve the management of projects:
- Better communication with the industry to reduce disputes.
- Adoption of a more commercial approach.
- Negotiation based on value for money.
- Increased training for civil servants.
- The creation of single points of contact.
The Treasury assumed responsibility for coordinating construction procurement policy across government, and this role was later given to the Office of Government Commerce (OGC). NB OGC has now been absorbed into the Efficiency and Reform Group (ERG) within the Cabinet Office.
In March 1997, following the publication of the Levene Report, the Government Construction Clients’ Panel (GCCP) was established with membership from across government. This resulted in the creation of the Achieving Excellence initiative in 1999 to implement the recommendations contained in the report.
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