Proposal for a New Approach to Building: Call for Evidence
Download the full outcome
Detail of outcome
The publication of this response to the Call for Evidence comes at a critical time, following the publication of the National Infrastructure Strategy in November 2020 and alongside the launch of the Construction Playbook. The Playbook is a transformational next step in the P-DfMA journey, and a powerful example of ambitious, pragmatic and effective collaboration between government and industry.
There is a clear line of sight from the presumption in favour of offsite construction, through the responses we received to the Call for Evidence, to the policies included in the Construction Playbook, including: harmonising, digitising and rationalising government specifications and standards; adopting portfolio approaches to delivery where possible; and ensuring whole life performance and value is embedded across the project lifecycle and a critical success factor at procurement.
Significant progress has been made, and the emphasis is now on translating policy into practice and ensuring the construction industry, and our vital economic and social infrastructure assets, emerge stronger, more sustainable and more resilient over the coming years and decades.
Original call for evidence
Call for evidence description
The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced at Budget 2017 that five central government departments would adopt a presumption in favour of offsite construction. This signalled that the government was committed to leveraging its buying power to support the modernisation of the construction sector.
Following these commitments we are now taking the next steps to implement this measure by setting out a new approach to building, to be adopted across government departments where it presents value for money. We have called this a platform approach to design for manufacture and assembly (P-DfMA).
It proposes that government departments can take a consistent approach to construction by using standardised and inter-operable components from a wide base of suppliers across a range of different buildings. This is to drive a new market for manufacturing in construction and thereby take advantage of economies and efficiencies of scale.
Before committing to this approach, government is consulting to understand how prepared the sector is to adapt to this change and support the delivery of this approach.
Contact us
The call for evidence will run for 12 weeks, closing on 17 February. All questions and responses with your interest should be submitted by email to pdfma@ipa.gov.uk.
Documents
Last updated 8 December 2020 + show all updates
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Outcome and government response published
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First published.