Published
The formation of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) marks a significant structural shift in how the UK approaches major project delivery. In this blog we analyse what the creation of NISTA means for the future of major projects, the implications for industry, and why the accompanying release of the Teal Book deserves particular attention.
The announcement that the Infrastructure and Projects Authority would be merging with the National Infrastructure Commission came shortly after the new government came to power last July having been sign-posted in the Labour Party’s election manifesto.
The merged organisation, the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, or NISTA as it will be referred to, has come into effect today. Former CEOs of each organisation, James Heath for NIC and Nick Smallwood for IPA, both announced their retirement from their respective organisations and Jean-Christophe Gray will be leading NISTA as interim Chief Executive until a permanent Chief Exec is appointed.
The merged organisation enables several recommendations made in our perspectives report on lessons from the cancellation of major projects, and NISTA has the remit to tackle systemic challenges and barriers that have plagued the initiation and delivery of major projects – not least the development and implementation of a 10-year infrastructure strategy to provide investors and industry more pipeline certainty.
One thing to highlight is that NISTA also launched its Teal Book, which hopefully won’t get overshadowed by the NISTA announcement itself. The Teal Book provides clear, practical guidance on the essentials for everyone leading, delivering, and overseeing projects, programmes and portfolios in government. It builds on the government’s functional standard for project delivery first launched in 2018 and is designed to work alongside HM Treasury’s Green Book and other central guidance.
We look forward to NISTA’s continued membership of the Major Projects Association, following on from previous incarnations as IPA, IUK, and OGC, and eagerly await the publication of the 10-year infrastructure strategy in the summer.