Asset management standard in ‘construction playbook’ could be introduced in Wales
A minimum standard for information and asset management could be brought into a Welsh version of the UK Construction Playbook under government plans to modernise the sector.
Asset management standard in ‘construction playbook’ could be introduced in Wales #UKhousingA minimum standard for information and asset management could be brought into a Welsh version of the UK Construction Playbook under government plans #UKhousingThe move is one of 22 proposals put forward by the Welsh government to encourage built environment businesses to use digital technologies when constructing buildings and managing them after they are occupied.
Rebecca Evans, cabinet secretary for the economy, energy and planning, published a digital action plan for the sector, which was developed with trade body Constructing Excellence in Wales.
The secretary also published the government’s wider mission statement for the sector, which accounts for 10% of the country’s economic activity and one in 14 of all jobs in Wales.
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Ms Evans said the digital plan “outlines key priorities to help drive productivity, improve project delivery and support the development of future-ready skills across the sector”.
She added: “Construction is a foundational sector that underpins the delivery of essential infrastructure, housing, public services and economic development.
“It is central to our ambition for a greener, fairer and more prosperous Wales, and it plays a vital role in supporting local supply chains, creating jobs and delivering social value.”
The 22 proposals in the digital strategy include campaigning for the adoption of the Welsh version of the playbook, which would set out a “digital approach for Wales” in the sector.
It comes five years after the UK Construction Playbook was launched, which sets out policies on how the UK government, including linked bodies such as Homes England, should assess, procure and deliver public works programmes, as well as highlights commercial best practice.
Other plans being mooted in Wales include more government investment in construction technology companies, creating information hubs and a centralised compliance system linked to public sector authorities, and exploring a “digital twin” for every public sector asset.
Several proposals are concerned with standards, including an aim to “replicate requirements from incoming legislation for high rise across all other municipal buildings”, create digitally enabled environmental, social and governance metrics to use in all public sector projects, and support technologies in the Welsh materials market that evidence product traceability.
The publication of the plans also comes as new duties for procurement in Wales, brought in under legislation from 2023, are set to be in force from early 2026.
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