United Utilities Water Limited (UU) is delivering a scheme titled Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme (HARP) to provide long-term water supply resilience to Manchester and the Pennines. The project will utilise a Competitively Appointed Provider (CAP), which is currently being procured using Ofwat’s new Direct Procurement for Customers (DPC) approach. Under the DPC approach, Ofwat requires the appointment of a Consultant to protect customers in relation to the DPC project. Ofwat requires this role to obtain assurance around the costs and delivery of a DPC project. UU views the role of the Consultant as crucial to ensure objective, independent oversight of costs that may be passed on to customers and to provide robust scrutiny and assessment of the CAP’s management of project costs and delivery. The Consultant will act as an independent party to UU, the CAP, and Ofwat, and will therefore owe a duty of care to all three parties.