APM welcomes report calling for “radical shift’ in Government’s approach to infrastructure delivery

Association for Project Management (APM) has welcomed a new report launched by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Project Delivery (APPGPD).

Building a Better Future: Inquiry into improving the delivery of national infrastructure projects launched at the House of Commons on Wednesday, 12 November. It calls for action to prevent infrastructure projects from being “boiled in the pressure cooker of Government, Parliament, the media and public expectation” and makes several recommendations to the UK Government.

The APPGPD, chaired by Henry Tufnell MP, held its inaugural inquiry in March 2025 aiming to enhance the delivery of major national infrastructure projects in the UK. The inquiry found that too many projects fall into the “valley of death” between policy and delivery, where ambition and investment are lost to bureaucracy, political churn and a lack of skills.

The report draws from evidence submitted by infrastructure organisations, project professionals academics and APM affiliates. It found that the current approach is not setting up infrastructure projects to be delivered on time, within budget or in a way that providesmaximum value to communities or the country. Henry Tufnell urged ministers to consider the report's recommendations, engage with the APPG and ebrace solutions presented by the infrastructure world.

Vice Chair of the APPGPD, Llinos Medi MP (pictured), spoke with contributors, parliamentarians and APM Corporate Partners at the launch of the report at the House of Commons. She said: "Projects that are delivered efficiently and successfully boost economic growth and productivity.

"With the launch of the Government’s 10 year infrastructure strategy and the national infrastructure project pipeline this summer, the APPG’s report is incredibly timely to ensure that we get the delivery of future projects right."

Humayon Pramanik, APM’s Director of Communications and Public Affairs, added: "APM has been lucky in that we’ve been quite close to this report. We’ve seen this report develop into something incredibly powerful. There is plenty in it to be happy about and hopeful about as well."

What the report says

Recommendations in the report include:

1. The Government should use the 10-year infrastructure plan and the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), backed by long-term investment in projects, to embed delivery discipline as a permanent feature of government to end the so-called "valley of death" problem that exists between policy and delivery. This would require that targets are set early, resources and accountability are clarified, and major projects are protected from short-term politics and delivered consistently across Parliaments.
2. The Government should mandate that all major projects secure independent delivery assurance before announcement, involve project specialists at the policymaking phase and ensure project delivery skills and expertise are built in from inception. This should be accompanied by Departmental benchmarks and clear targets for the proportion of officials who are delivery-focused professionals.
3. Project management training should be mandatory for Senior Civil Servants and anyone managing a government project over £10 million. An accountable Chief Project Officer should be incorporated into Government departments to ensure all areas of Government understand how complex, long-term projects are delivered.
4. The Government should consider establishing a National Infrastructure Delivery Skills Roadmap to lock in a consistent talent pipeline aligned with long-term national infrastructure priorities. While actions such as the ringfencing of funding for support training and apprenticeships in project management should be considered through routes such as the Growth and Skills Levy.
5. When considering Private-Public Partnerships, the Government must ensure the public sector has the engineering, legal, financial and negotiation expertise needed to match the private sector to clarify risks, set clear project specifications, and drive value for the taxpayer. 
6. A major shift is needed in procurement to ensure early supplier involvement, the inclusion of project professionals throughout the process and lessons learned from other countries. 
7. Empower NISTA to oversee national infrastructure projects from policy to completion, ensuring consistency, accountability and effective delivery across Government.
8. The Government should lead in communicating the benefits and public value of national infrastructure projects, requiring major projects to set clear Public Value Statements. 

‘Embedding project expertise at every stage’

Professor Adam Boddison OBE, Chief Executive of APM, said: “This report makes clear that closing the gap between infrastructure ambition and delivery is vital to the UK’s future prosperity. The APPG on Project Delivery’s recommendations recognise that professional project delivery is the key to achieving better outcomes for the economy, society and taxpayers.

"By embedding project expertise at every stage – from policy design to on-the-ground execution – and by investing in the people and skills that make delivery possible, we can ensure national infrastructure projects are delivered efficiently, sustainably and with lasting social and economic benefit.

"I’d like to thank APM corporate partners and individual members for their support in submitting written and oral evidence to the APPG inquiry."

Building a Better Future: Inquiry into improving the delivery of national infrastructure projects can be viewed here.