Behavioural Assessments Key Part of Enabling Works Contractor Selection

This week the first permanent structure on the HS2 railway route was installed ahead of schedule. A major tribute to the JV and its supply-chain.

The 2,750-tonne structure was wheeled into place in just 105 minutes, finishing 22 hours ahead of schedule on 9th August 2020. HS2 enabling works contractor, LMJV (Laing O’Rourke and J Murphy & Sons Joint Venture) delivered the work.

Behavioural Assessments Key Part of Enabling Works Contractor Selection

Back in 2016 B2B lead the behavioural assessments for selecting the HS2 Enabling Works contractors which lead to contracts being awarded for Phase 1 to:

  • Area South – CS JV (Costain, Skanska Construction UK)
  • Area Central – Fusion JV (Morgan Sindall, BAM Nuttall, Ferrovial Agroman (UK)
  • Area North – LM JV (Laing O’Rourke Construction, J Murphy & Sons)

Risk & Opportunity Based Behavioural Criteria

Working with Hs2, B2B used its unique and systematic approach to determining the critical few behavioural criteria based on risks, and identified those behavioural competences most particularly needed over and above technical skills of the contractor team.

  • Collaborative Working
  • Analytical Problem Solving & Decision Making
  • Planning & Organising
  • Initiative & Proactivity
  • Health & Safety

Each of the behavioural criteria were tested with tenderer teams time and time again in a systematic Behavioural Assessment Centre comprising several realistic exercises involving Tenderer teams working collaboratively with (what turned out to be) their future HS2 partners.

Members of the B2B team designed and delivered the first behavioural assessment centres in the UK over 20 years ago and went on to deliver them for the highest profile, highest value and most challenging projects in the World. Congratulations to the LMJV team.