Forbes Johnston, Technical Director, Mott MacDonald

Forbes is a Director of Mott MacDonald and is a Chartered Engineer with over 25 years experience of working as a Network Manager in Scotland being responsible for the management and maintenance of high volume strategic routes as well as low volume rural unclassified roads.. Firstly for Strathclyde Region (which was the largest local Authority in Europe ) then as Unit Manager for an Operating Company looking after one of the Scottish equivalents of the Highway Agency’s super-agencies. In addition, Forbes managed a number of buildings, airports, harbours, water & sewerage and ferry services

Forbes joined Mott MacDonald Group seven years ago and heads up a division providing strategic advice and technical management consultancy on PPP , PFI , network & infrastructure management and maintenance, emergency recovery planning to governments, international funding agencies, lenders, contractors and local authorities, both in the UK and internationally. He also provides Best Value, Resource Accounting and strategic asset management advice to local authorities in the UK as well as advice on funding options as well as development of business cases for PPP / PFI .

Forbes brought innovative approaches to the procurement of maintenance and management of highway networks and wrote the Outline Business Case for the procurement of Portsmouth City Council’s Highway Management and Maintenance by PPP / PFI which was approved in December 2001 by the UK Government and has now been adopted by HM Treasury as a model for future projects. He is currently employed by the Government to develop a model contract, specification and payment mechanism for this type of contract.

Forbes was also the developer and author of the first performance specification used for delivery of long term highway management and maintenance and is currently developing on behalf of the Department of Transport & 4ps, what will become the national standard in the UK

Forbes is also Advisor to the Government of the Russian Federation for the restructuring of Rosavtodor, the Russian Federal Highway Authority and the development of a PPP strategy for the delivery of its Federal Highway Service.

Forbes is also PPP advisor to the Government of Hong Kong for the development of a PPP strategy and documentation for the delivery of its Highway Maintenance Service, Special

Forbes is also Advisor to the EBRD for implementation of Municipal Roads PPPs in Polish cities, Strategic Advisor to the Government of Australia for the implementation of a Highways PPP in Cardinia Shire near Melbourne . He also advises the World Bank on the maintenance and management of transport corridors as well as PPP Initiatives.

Presentation:
Is PFI the only way forward for Road Maintenance ?

• The need for our transport assets
• The importance of road maintenance
• consequences of not investing
• Case Study : Portsmouth Highways Maintenance and Management PFI
• The road ahead