In November 2020, the UK’s first 30-year National Infrastructure Strategy included the requirement that all nationally significant infrastructure projects are to appoint a Design Champion. This requirement aims to secure higher quality infrastructure for end users and to deliver wider public benefits for climate, communities and places. The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) commissioned Birdi & Partners and Frame Projects to develop guidance for the industry, enabling them to appoint Design Champions to their projects.

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Our work with ICE focused on more clearly defining the Design Champion role through interviews with a balanced spread of key individuals from the design, construction, and infrastructure sectors. The findings from the interviews were synthesised into a concise set of learnings, contained in a knowledge support report. The project sought to create a shared understanding of the responsibilities and qualities of a Design Champion, including where they should sit within the project team structure, along with strategic guidelines on the next steps for implementation.

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Link to research report