Garden of Egan

Yes, the latest report from Sir John Egan has landed on desks – just as you were changing your organisation to meet the demands of his Rethinking construction document, out comes the follow-up, Accelerating change.

This time the goals are different. Out goes the emphasis on reducing accidents, defects, construction times and costs, and in come targets on the use of integrated teams in construction projects and strategies to attract bright young things into the industry and keep them there.

Of course, we will never know whether four years of the Rethinking construction agenda truly hit the spot. Where were the progress reports on its laudable targets? Was there ever any real measurement going on?

Let's hope that this time things will be different. Accelerating change will have to do exactly what it is says on the tin. Progress on Rethinking construction has been painfully slow – perhaps 10% of output has been affected by its suggested improvements, with far, far fewer than 10% of firms working to its principles. This time, the industry can't wait afford to wait another four years for change.