Following an independent assessment by the British Standards Institution (BSI) of the implementation of formal collaborative relationships with Bath and North East Somerset Council and Oxfordshire County Council, ISO 44001 was awarded to each of the contracts.

To achieve the certification, both contracts and clients had to conduct a gap analysis of their current processes and attend a series of workshops and meetings to develop their contract- specific relationship management plans. They also had to evidence all the good work and value that collaboration can bring to their teams and the communities the business works for. This involved putting in place surveys to monitor the development of trust in the relationship throughout the contract.

The certification is the first international standard to address collaborative business relationships. It shows that VolkerHighways can provide a consistent framework, which is adaptable to different clients and stakeholders, while ensuring effective, collaborative working relationships.

In addition to the new certification for both Bath and North East Somerset and Oxfordshire contracts, Luton and Medway HTMCs also achieved re-certification.

Nicola Keegan, quality manager for VolkerHighways, said: “VolkerHighways is delighted to see that the collaborative nature of our contracts has been formally recognised through the ISO 44001 certification. The implementation took approximately eight months to achieve on both contracts, through dedicated effort and commitment from our partners and contract teams.

This achievement is testament to the continued hard work and partnership between VolkerHighways, Bath and North East Somerset Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Luton Council and Medway Council.”