There is evidence that PPP stimulated innovation, although contractors are more positive than authorities about the impact. |
Contractors were more positive than authorities about the innovation demonstrated in the projects surveyed: 39 percent of contractors believed that they had shown considerable innovation, only 25 percent of authorities agreed. 31 percent of authorities thought that there was no evidence of contractor innovation. In part this reflects the authorities' considerable involvement in the development of designs, and their view that they should share the credit for some innovations claimed by contractors.
Innovations noted included energy efficient designs driven by the transferred risk around energy performance and, in the schools and further education sectors, flexible layouts, and innovative location of and access to community facilities. Also in the schools sector, one contractor delivered a new building in place of the refurbished building proposed by the authority, while remaining within the affordability budget.
There was little evidence of innovation in building techniques in accommodation projects. By contrast, in the water sector there was considerable evidence of technical innovation with the introduction of techniques new to Scotland (for example "bendy channel" grit removal, Cambi sludge treatment and tertiary UV treatment) and of rigorous options analysis resulting in redesign of the authority's proposed systems - in some cases combining treatment plants, in others carrying out more treatment locally.