“Jon’s work has provided invaluable advice and assurance on a number of fronts. The enthusiasm and energy he brings to training sessions and workshops means participants feel engaged and involved.”

Chris Richardson
Commercial Director of Connect Plus

Bespoke NEC3 training for Connect Plus

The Challenge

To provide a wide ranging, role specific training on NEC3 for Connect Plus – the people who keep the M25 running - whilst identifying areas for improving their performance.

Orbiting London, the M25 along with its key arterial links covers 440 kilometres of motorway and is the UK’s busiest stretch of road. Connect Plus was developed as a Public / Private Partnership to oversee its continued operation and development over 25 years on behalf of the Highways Agency (now Highways England). This unique consortium includes Balfour Beatty, Skanska, Atkins and Egis Road Operation UK. Connect Plus contracts with the contractors, who do the physical work, using the NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract under a Framework arrangement.

Jon was approached by Connect Plus in advance of one of their highest profile projects which was to physically de-toll the Dartford river crossing to improve traffic flows. The idea was to develop a series of training events and workshops to help Connect Plus’s staff run NEC3 contracts better. The thinking was that everyone needed a good grounding in the NEC3, plus different personnel required role-specific in-depth training.

The Solution

Jon developed a bespoke package of training which included :

  • A one hour introductory eLearning package titled ‘NEC3 in an hour’, which he had already authored, for everyone touched by NEC.
  • Delivery of four one-day workshops which Project Mangers, site supervisors, quantity surveyors, planners, designers and other support staff all attended. By mixing the audience, the idea was to generate an honest exchange of views to :
    • identify areas for improvement
    • gain a common view of the causes of these issues and
    • get the different professions working together better.
  • Additional role specific eLearning for Project Managers, quantity surveyors,, designers and Supervisors. Depending upon their role in the project, each job role was asked to complete particular modules online. For instance, quantity surveyors were assigned the four payment modules and five compensation event modules; whilst planners had to do the four programme modules.  The Project Managers were tasked with completing all 35 modules!
  • ‘Deep dive’ face-to-face workshops for each of these roles, to address real issues and action plan out ways to resolve recurring ones. 

The Result

By providing a detailed programme of support and face-to-face training, Jon helped empower Connect Plus employees to solve the issues themselves.  By breaking down the training to address different audiences, Jon helped participants identify and address specific needs. For example, he subsequently:

  • Held two additional workshops focusing on the Dartford Crossing project, one for the whole project team plus all five of the contractors involved; then a further programming workshop to generate ideas and action points, so that the ambitious opening deadline could be met.
  • Ran a design workshop, as a knowledgeable facilitator, to help identify and address issues with Connect Plus’s standard contract documentation and agree what to do about them;

Connect Plus has retained access to the eLearning modules that Jon introduced so that people receive on-going training, including annual revision training, to ensure continued competence on NEC3. Jon is also now helping Connect Plus develop their next generation of framework contracts under the NEC3 form.