The Department for Work and Pensions tackles increasing unemployment using construction framework

The requirement

As unemployment in the UK reached a 5 year high as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, figures showed that unemployment rates would continue to rise; particularly after the furlough scheme had ended. With this in mind, it was evident that people across the UK needed support with retraining and accessing benefits such as universal credit and getting back to work. The DWP was therefore given the task, of expanding its face-to-face job centre offer to handle this demand and help tackle this expected unemployment crisis.  

The solution

As we approached the end of the furlough scheme and the planned lifting of lock-down, the DWP needed a rapid procurement response. Working in collaboration with our construction category team, the DWP created a Rapid Estates Expansion Programme, as the project spanned across 130 sites and therefore required deep framework capability.

To source an appropriate framework which could offer a rapid awards process, the DWP used our Construction Works and Associated Services (CWAS) framework. This framework helps the entire public sector to deliver a wide range of major and minor building and civil engineering projects of all values for the public sector. 

CWAS has a UK wide capability, which enabled the DWP to source everything they needed under one framework. They had up to 38 principal contractors available via the CWAS framework, demonstrating the necessary capacity for a programme of this scale. CWAS was able to provide all aspects of fit-out for the job centres, including lighting, fixtures and fittings, desks and chairs. 

The DWP ensured they incorporated social value into their procurement using themes from the Procurement Policy Note PPN 6/20. They focused on suppliers who recruited the unemployed as well as those who used apprenticeships and resilience in the supply chain. They also included metrics for suppliers to report on things like the number of new startups, small and medium sized enterprises, voluntary community and social enterprises and mutuals. They phrased the questions, so that as well as some concrete outcomes in line with some specific metrics, they didn’t stifle innovation. It also gave suppliers the opportunity to provide some really good suggestions that could also be put into practice. 

The results

There were a number of key success points which demonstrated the value of the Rapid Expansion Estates Programme. 

Firstly, soft-market engagement directly informed the commercial approach along with the client’s understanding of supplier scheduling capability, supply chain capacity at tier 2 (mid tier contractors who play a major role in the construction industry) and tier 3 (contractors for smaller or medium sized projects). This was accelerated by the use of pre-drafted documents which we supported DWP with.

In addition, the CWAS framework coverage and lotting structure reduced the overall procurement costs for the DWP. This was due to the standardisation of the contractor appointment process, standardisation of commercial documents and a single point of contact which we offered for additional support and guidance. 

The wide choice of call-off contracts also facilitated the use of the NEC4 Term Service Contract which helped drive contracting efficiency, using fixed schedules of rates with pre-established overhead, profit and people costs. There were also shared learnings from across the rapid, early-delivered parts of the programme which helped to feed forward into upcoming works. 

This programme also helped to reduce a number of risks, including:

• the framework helped mitigate the risk of delay as suppliers had already been vetted on things like capability, health and safety, and insurance, which helped saved DWP a lot of time
• pre-established rapid appointment criteria emphasised quality and reduced commercial friction
• standardised boilerplate clauses and dealing with common public procurement amendments reduced time spent on contractual review for both client and contractors
• we collaborated extensively with DWP via “critical friend” review of commercial documents, smoothing the tender process

Claire Thomas, Senior Category Manager at the DWP said:

We have worked closely with CCS on the delivery of our Rapid Estates Expansion Programme. The team has worked with us very collaboratively, prioritising the timely procurement of contractors for these vital works.

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Our Construction Works and Associated Services framework provides a wide range of major and minor building and civil engineering projects.  

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