The importance of frameworks in the UK's COVID-19 recovery

Frameworks have always had a crucial role to play in ensuring the delievery of projects and infrastructure across the UK, and in this post COVID world we believe the need for frameworks is going to be even greater.

Gerard Toplass, Chairman at Pagabo, believes that the construction sector is central to the UK's recovery – and that frameworks will be critical for the post COVID world as public sector bodies look to activate ‘on ice’ projects quickly and effectively. 

The construction sector 

Gerard continued, “The construction sector is a central building block to the recovery. We know that the government needs to increase spending in infrastructure and incentivise a revolution in the sector. 

“We need better roads and transport solutions, new homes and communities to live in, new ways and places to learn & deliver health, and new stimulus to innovate and support enterprise.

“But on their own, these will only deliver part of what we need. We need to rethink our approach to social value, new products and processes and how we deploy technology.  We need to build the future of our sector, rather than allow someone else to do it for us.

What do framework providers need to do? 

“There is a lot of emphasis on contractors and consultants acting responsibly, but as part of the journey, framework providers also need to work differently to help government realise their objectives', said Gerard.  

“Framework providers must offer simple, affordable and accessible solutions, but they must go further. In the same ways that the private sector needs to consider the suitability of their consultant or contractor, the public sector must choose a framework provider carefully.

“Pagabo's local authority clients come back to us again and again. This repeat business speaks volumes. We have a suggested checklist when clients are choosing a framework provider.

Does the framework:

• provide compliant, transparent and affordable solutions
• engage fully with clients and suppliers – by building a strong ‘eco-system’, working together and collaborating
• demonstrate the social value impact of investment – and detail this per project and how it benefits the local community
• have a proven track-record with strong sector and procurement expertise
• have robust finances and can demonstrate a ‘safe pair of hands’
• have a proven track record and a strong pipeline of work.
• want to be in this ‘for the long haul’ and help shape the future of the sector
• have a commitment to occupational health
• develop technologies to take the sector forward
• invest in the next generation of entrepreneurs and workers

If a framework provider is not delievering on these, then the public sector is simply not getting the best possible value. 

A focus on social value, technology and our ecosystem 

Gerard closed, saying, “Social value in terms of how we create economic benefits is an important area for Pagabo. The way Pagabo measures social value is highly technical and we get a lot of interest from local authorities because of the way our social value is calculated through to clients. We can create a really reliable social value figure. Because we can give our clients a full response in the social value, social economic and environmental factors, it’s drawing clients to us. Not only that, but social value is a link back to the wellbeing and thinking about what the new world looks like. 

“Clients need to look at the framework and the provider. We see ourselves as sustainable and heavily investing in innovation. Public sector clients want their framework provider to be around for the future. We carry out full market engagement to provide the very best solutions to clients, contractors and our supply chain partners. We have strong financial standing.  It’s not just frameworks we are creating – we are creating discussions around the future of construction and what that looks like.

“Right now, the way Pagabo takes its repayments is vitally important to our partners. We do not charge the contractor or supply chain partner up front. At a time when maintaining organisations’ cashflow, our ‘pay as you go’ model is appealing. Our model shows the confidence we have with clients.”

In this post COVID world we have a responsibility and a commiment to being more than just a provider of framework agreements. We have a role to play in shaping our sector's future for the better. 

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