Ahead of the TIP Live conference on Wednesday 19 April, we interviewed Sirish Parekh, Head of Estimating Performance, Benchmarking and Data at the Infrastructure and Projects Authority. Sirish shared his thoughts on TIP Live and the projects that help make the built environment more resilient, adaptive and sustainable.
Sirish will be taking part in a panel discussion at TIP Live that will be taking place at The Vox, Birmingham, that will explore the ‘next steps for TIP and improving productivity’.
What are you most looking forward to about TIP Live? Any speakers or sessions you're particularly excited to listen to?
This is a difficult question as there are many interesting topics and presenters to hear from in one day. Project delivery has faced many challenges in the past, and will certainly face them in the future - I am looking forward to listening to the insights from the sessions and how we are addressing these challenges.
I am also looking forward to the incredible networking opportunities and being able discuss the key themes around TIP. Sharing ideas is precisely what these events are all about so please do come find me and my IPA colleagues.
TIP Live will be in Birmingham and we've seen some amazing regeneration and major projects such as the Birmingham Commonwealth Games on The Vox conference centre's doorstep. What other regional projects across the country do you think are getting it right?
I completely agree. The Birmingham Commonwealth Games were a success and it’s vital to observe the benefits that these projects bring, not just how much they cost. There are many other vital projects being delivered across the UK that will boost economic recovery, such as the Department for Education School Rebuilding Programme and the Government Property Agency’s Hubs that embed the TIP principles.
While some projects have fully embraced the TIP principles, there are many projects that are moving in the right direction, particularly where I see more evidence and data driven approaches.
Which of the TIP principles do you feel is most important in UK project delivery right now? And why?
I am somewhat biased here and so unashamedly nominate ‘benchmarking for better performance’, however I recognise the necessity of all TIP’s principles, if we are to maximise the value of project outcomes.
My reasoning behind prioritising benchmarking is simply to ensure we learn from our past to better inform our future, otherwise we are likely to make the same mistakes and hinder progress. Understanding why projects succeed and fail allows us to innovate. This may seem straightforward, however capturing, rationalising, interpreting and analysing data is challenging, but necessary, if we are to develop insightful outcomes such as benchmarks. And, these insights do not stop at cost and time - other metrics such as carbon and benefits are also incredibly important. As we embark on this journey, we will explore many avenues to optimise our use of data and inject confidence in our projects, as well as advance our digital capabilities. Of course, this is all part of meeting our objective of nothing less than world-class delivery.
And, finally, what advice would you give to anyone still yet to book their place at TIP Live?
The IPA has worked hard to determine what matters to our country’s future health and weave them into the TIP Roadmap, so this is an opportunity to see and hear how government and industry are making this a reality, but to also contribute your thoughts and ideas. Invest your time in building a brighter future for the United Kingdom for now and generations to come.
To hear from Sirish and many more inspirational project delivery leaders and innovators from across government and industry - click the link below to register:
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