Congratulations to English Partnerships’ boss David Higgins, who has finally been persuaded to take the job of building the stage for the largest sporting extravaganza ever to be seen on our shores.

As the chief executive of the government-backed Olympic Delivery Authority, Higgins will mastermind the delivery of dozens of London Olympic venues and facilities (see news). And it’s easy to see why the government has trusted him with the job. For one thing, he has done it before. During his time with Australian developer Lend Lease, he delivered the aquatics centre and Olympic village for the Sydney 2000 Games. Add his regeneration experience at EP, and he was the obvious choice to run the ODA.

But Higgins has no doubt taken the post on his own terms, and after lengthy negotiation. He will be only too aware of the levels of exposure and scrutiny he will be subjected to from the world’s media over the next seven years. And he will know that his relationship with, and reporting structure to, government ministers will be crucial. The pressure Higgins will face is not to be underestimated. As we know, the design and building of sporting venues is inherently risky, the deadline is set in granite and the budget is tights.

So, in our humble opinion, and after careful consultation with senior construction leaders, here are Building’s five suggestions for successfully constructing an Olympic Games:

1) Make sure relationships within the ODA are harmonious, and that there is a coherent reporting structure. Set out exactly what input will come from the Treasury, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Jack Lemley, the ODA’s chairman, who will be working a three-day a week.

2) Ministers come and go, so ensure that there is an Olympics champion within the civil service to ensure continuity.

3) Develop a brief from the outset. Don’t just rely on the Olympic agenda and timings. And cast in stone plans for infrastructure, legacy and the commissioning of the venues. Oh, and make sure the plans are right from the beginning.

4) Pick a team with stamina. You will need people who’ll be able to stay with the organisation all the way to completion.

5) Employ the right communications director. Should things start to go wrong, it will be vital to nip scare stories in the bud. And don’t underestimate the fascination of the world’s media with potential disaster, nor how they can disrupt the best-laid plans.

Postscript

Tom Broughton, deputy editor

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