Added value:
In 2003, DEFRA set a directive to transfer UK critical ordinary watercourses to the responsibility of the Environment Agency. Halcrow were commissioned to capture a comprehensive inventory of flood defence assets complying with the National Flood & Coastal Defence Database (NFCDD). A total of 900km of watercourse was surveyed with features collected as points, polylines and polygons using MapInfo. The spatial location of all watercourse banks, flood defences and structures was referenced to OS digital mapping.  A detailed condition survey of these assets was collected as attribute data to assist with future maintenance programmes. A number of supporting data sets were collected during the survey of areas with minimal additional cost. This included video footage of the watercourse and surrounding area, detailed sketches, locations of invasive plants and risk assessments. With the work being carried out across the UK, national best practice standards were developed including bespoke validation methods and the use of standard procedures for capturing data.

This commission was carried out through a framework agreement offering financial incentives for delivery within budget, the difference between the original target cost and the final delivery cost was shared equally between Halcrow and the Environment Agency.

Innovation:
Halcrow has been involved with R&D into mobile data collection systems since 2000 and in conjunction with the Environment Agency, identified the best solution as a ruggedised tablet computer. This significantly reduced data input time and allowed the development of built- in check procedures ensuring data quality. Wireless data cards delivered information from remote areas to an ftp site available to both consultant and client ensuring constant data review.

The team attended a workshop to develop innovative management techniques throughout the project. The key message was to identify and eliminate waste through on-going route cause analysis, a process which allowed project delivery 20% earlier. An initial pilot study and site reconnaissance allowed for detailed estimation of timescale and price allowing funds to be used on other schemes. Other positive outcomes were the development of a customised progress reporting workbook and a fully resourced schedule identifying all constraints and gateways. This provided simple tools for communicating and sharing information and a proactive approach to mitigate any delay in the programme.