NEC Contract Board members speak at King's College Open Forum on project procurement

NEC Contract Board members speak at King's College Open Forum on project procurement
NEC at the Open Forum on Project Procurement at King’s College, London last month. From left to right, Global Director of NEC Contracts Rekha Thawrani, NEC Contract Board member Professor David Mosey, NEC Contract Board Chair Peter Higgins, NEC Contract Board member Shy Jackson.

Members of our NEC Contract Board were invited to speak at the ‘Open Forum - Project procurement: rules and systems for success’ at King's College, London held last month. This was a major construction procurement conference with speakers from around the world, held to explore where construction procurement is heading and how we shape it responsibly. It was also attended by the Chair of the NEC Contract Board and the Global Director of NEC Contracts.

On 19 February 2026, two members of our NEC Contract Board, Professor David Mosey and Shy Jackson, were invited to speak at the international ‘Open Forum - Project procurement: rules and systems for success’  at King's College, London (KCL) by Dr Roxana Vornicu, Senior Lecturer at KCL’s Centre of Construction Law. 

This major construction procurement conference was held to review the procurement rules, systems and contracts that support successful project outcomes (the delivery of which is at the heart of NEC Contracts), improved value, and reduced risks. 

The first panel looked at how the Gold Standard for the procurement of public sector developments is transforming international frameworks with insights from successful frameworks across the UK and Europe, including how the Ministry of Justice in the UK has delivered improved value through offsite manufacture, digital information management and integrated supply chains. 

Of particular note was the discussion of CWAS3; with a value of £120 Billion, the Crown Commercial Service is about to procure the largest construction framework in the world which will apply the 24 Gold Standard requirements and will use the Framework Alliance Contract (FAC-1) that became part of the NEC Contracts family last year.

The second panel reviewed reforms and revisions of procurement legislation across the EU and the Procurement Act so far in the UK, and the last panel focused on the challenges of delivering defence and nuclear projects in an era of strategic urgency and the contracts and procurement strategies that help integrate teams and improve outcomes. 

The conference was well-attended by clients, contractors and students, as well as by the Chair of the NEC Contract Board Peter Higgins, Global Director of NEC Contracts Rekha Thawrani, and Head of Content at NEC Contracts, MiMi Aye.

Details of all the speakers and the full programme can be viewed here.
 
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