Evaluation of the Framework Agreement for Engineering Services for the assessment and improvement of regional flood defenses

At the end of 2018, the water board (HHNK) concluded a framework agreement for Engineering Services Assessment & VBK with Arcadis, Iv-Infra, and RPS, each separately. The aim of this framework agreement is to guarantee continuity in production and to carry out both assessment and VBK activities in a smart, innovative, and cost-efficient manner. We are now approaching the end of the six-year term. HHNK has indicated that it will evaluate this framework agreement in 2023. The evaluation should help us decide how we want to work after the framework agreement expires: possibly with a new framework agreement or another form. APPM Management Consultants (APPM) carried out this evaluation in the third and fourth quarters of 2023. The purpose of the evaluation was to determine whether the objectives set out in the Framework Agreement's programme requirements had been achieved and how the Framework Agreement functions/has functioned, specifically in terms of cooperation. To this end, project leaders and project team members, program managers and program team members from Iv-Infra, RPS, Arcadis, and HHNK, as well as several other parties involved from HHNK, were interviewed.

In December 2023, APPM drew up the report 'Evaluation of the HAIR Framework Agreement - Engineering services for the assessment of regional flood defenses and the Boezemkades programme (VBK-2)'. This evaluation report draws a number of conclusions, such as:

  • Over the past five years, good progress has been made on the quantitative targets (including production) set out programme .
  • Continuity in work has proven to be a good basis for development and innovation. Various smart and innovative working methods are being developed within the projects.
  • Productive and constructive form of cooperation.
  • The joint development of (strategic) environmental management still requires attention.
  • The firm focus on production and progress took precedence over the joint development of a 'partnership' between the four organizations.
  • In general, all parties have a positive view of working within this Framework Agreement.

In summary: The quantitative objectives set out in the programme have been achieved, but the qualitative objectives have been neglected and therefore remain largely unfulfilled.

APPM made a number of recommendations in the report:

  • Focusing together on the deadline: contractual agreements and obligations, work agreements, annual planning;
  • Securing knowledge and experience gained within HHNK: fully transferring all realized products and innovations (documents, guidelines, calculation techniques, working methods) to HHNK;
  • Identify ambitions and expectations for the final year: specifically qualitative objectives;
  • Focusing on the further development of (strategic) environmental management: a number of integrated tasks involving regional challenges are on the agenda;
  • Share the results achieved and lessons learned from this Framework Agreement with the other water authorities (via STOWA, symposium).

The evaluation report was discussed by HHNK with RPS, Arcadis, and Iv-Infra, with special attention paid to the recommendations. For 2024, the four parties identified actions for both the projects and cross-project issues (including environmental management, cooperation, and data transfer). It is the wish of all parties to bring this Framework Agreement to a successful conclusion.

Gert-Jan Ursem