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The need to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of infrastructure delivery to meet wider societal objectives is a global challenge.

Understanding why a flagship project like the UK’s High Speed 2 (HS2) northern leg failed and what should be done differently is an opportunity not just for the UK, but for governments all over the world to learn important lessons.

Professor CK Mak. Photo: ICE

Political and public support for infrastructure projects is more important than ever because infrastructure is key to addressing some of the biggest challenges society faces, like climate change and social inequality.

It goes without saying that different political systems impact how infrastructure projects are planned and delivered, but the importance of long-term, strategic thinking and defining clear objectives is universal.

Supply chains need the certainty of long-term project pipelines to develop the skills and capacity required to take on the huge challenges governments ask of them.

Societies can’t change how they live, work, and travel overnight – it takes time to plan and build things like new railways and energy networks.

Thinking about what the end goal is and working towards clear outcomes should inform everything else. For example, if the goal is to create a cleaner, greener transport network to reduce carbon emissions and improve public health, then policies that support the use of petrol-powered cars will not align with the objective.

Allowing time to properly develop projects, that is, time to consider different options and how proposed infrastructure will interact with existing assets, is also important to make the right choices, maximise the benefits, and reduce costs and disruption.

Identify the problem that needs solving

If we take our cleaner, greener transport network as an example again, time should be taken to understand how people are currently travelling and what they need to travel differently. It may be that improved bus routes are the answer, or a combination of introducing more electric car charging points and improving rail infrastructure could be the best solution.

What governments should not do is pick a project and develop it without taking time to understand if it is the best option – in the case of HS2, if a clear goal had been in mind at the outset (e.g., to improve connectivity between the UK’s northern cities), a high speed rail project may not have been the preferred scheme, and may never have been suggested.

Artists impression of HS2 train. Image: HS2

In other words, identify the problem we want to solve and develop the right solution – at the end, it should be by choice and not by chance.

Clear leadership at a project level is also essential.

It’s normal to have staff turnover and leadership changes throughout the course of a project that will take many years to complete. But steps should be taken to preserve corporate memory, and the way decisions are made should be transparent.

Projects sponsors and clients should not have to reinvent the wheel; objectives, desired outcomes, and roles should be clear to everyone working on a project.

Effectively delivering infrastructure is essential to address societal and environmental challenges. Getting it right helps improve people’s lives.