It hasn’t even welcomed its first passengers yet but the Trams to Newhaven project is celebrating after winning an award at the 2023 GO Excellence Awards. It has won in the Infrastructure or Capital Projects category at the Go Excellence in Public Procurement Awards in recognition of how all elements of the project needed to be considered, coordinated and inputted jointly by all members of the project team.
The project team consists of several different organisations including the City of Edinburgh Council, Turner & Townsend, Anturas, Sacyr Farrans Neopul joint venture and Morrison Utility Services. All had to come together to achieve the end result and this included programme interface, stakeholder management and external communications.
Hannah Ross, Senior Responsible Officer for the project at the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “The Trams to Newhaven team were delighted to be recognised at the GO Awards on 1 June. We worked hard at the start of the project to build a procurement strategy that would underpin the successful delivery of the project, across the procurement and project teams at the Council and together with our advisors. The relationships that were developed from the outset meant that all partners worked closely and constructively to manage the complex commercial, programme and reputational issues as they arose.
“The project helps deliver against the economic, social and environment aspirations of Edinburgh including promoting equality, reducing poverty and delivering a sustainable city. The introduction of a high capacity, reliable tram will sustainably serve one of the most densely populated parts of the city, improving connectivity to and from the waterfront, promote further economic development in Leith, helping to deliver more jobs and housing. In addition, enhanced public realm and cycling provision delivers on the city’s place making agenda.”
The GO Excellence in Public Procurement Awards have showcased those organisations leading the way in public procurement best practice across the whole of the UK since 2002.