Have your say on strategy

Over 30 trade associations, including the ECA, have been asked to contact their member firms and canvas views on the Strategic Forum for Construction's proposals for the development of integrated supply teams as a way to improve the performance of the construction industry.

In one of the largest ever pan-industry consultations the Constructors Liaison Group (CLG) is asking its 1500 member firms to tell of their experience with, or lack of, integrated supply teams and to comment on the recommendations of the Strategic Forum.

The proposals include a review of the Construction Design and Management Regulations so that supply chain integration is made a prerequisite for improved safety performance. Also, the National Audit Office, as part of its commitment to obtaining best value, should ensure that the public sector instigates supply chain integration.

The Forum will also call for construction associations and institutions to ensure that integration is foremost on their agendas and that they co-ordinate efforts to promote better construction procurement practices and production processes. Finally, it believes that a toolkit demonstrating how best to develop and implement integrated supply teams should be made available to the industry.

The Forum was appointed by government to address the strategic priorities of the construction industry. It is focusing on the sequential appointment of designers and constructors to be replaced by the assembling of a team of client, consultants, contractors, specialists and key manufacturers at the design stage.

John Harrower, CLG chairman, is scathing of superficial attempts at partnering: "In reality partnering is usually just skin-deep. It involves only the client and main contractor. Specialists are called in too late to have any meaningful input upon the design. As a result, a valuable resource that can improve construction productivity, buildability and health and safety is squandered."