S30099 NHSS Review Implementation Phase 3

Overview

National Highway Sector Schemes (NHSS) are a collaborative venture between Highway Authorities, the National Accreditation Body (United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)), UKAS accredited Certification Bodies, relevant Trade Associations, Awarding Organisations and Training Providers in the United Kingdom. They were established in the mid1990s as bespoke schemes within an ISO 9001 quality management system framework. They were designed to replace existing Certification Body's schedules for the installation of highway products and where appropriate product conformity schemes. (Most of the product conformity schemes have been replaced by requirements included in relevant harmonised European Standards, as and when they became available.) National Highways' requirements relating to Quality Management Schemes (such as the NHSS) are contained in the Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works (MHCW) within GC 101- General Requirements for the Specification for Highway Works. The requirement for a Quality Management Scheme, and the relevant scope of its application, is embedded within the individual specification documents where applicable. At present, NHSS is the only quality management scheme that meets National Highways requirements, but in future there may be other accepted schemes if they satisfy our requirements. National Highways has undertaken a two-phase review of the National Highway Sector Schemes (NHSS) and the wider use of Quality Management Schemes for site-based activities. Phase 1 (2023-2024) concluded that National Highways should continue to mandate Quality Management Schemes for relevant activities but reduce reliance on specifying NHSS by name, thereby enabling appropriate equivalent schemes, supported by enhanced National Highways involvement. Phase 2 (2024) validated Phase 1's direction and identified several implementation needs, including: (i) the lack of a clear, documented rationale for why some activities require schemes and others do not; (ii) procurement checks that are typically light-touch (certificate-based), which increases the importance of downstream assurance; and (iii) limited evidence of consistent assurance activity "on the ground" beyond checking certification remains in place. The Phase 2 report sets out implementation workstreams covering internal awareness, risk-based scheme specification by activity, procurement criteria, and strengthened assurance.