The Strategic Forum for Construction has published its Accelerating change report.
The latest report from the Strategic Forum for Construction calls for more projects to be carried out by integrated teams, a massive recruitment drive, new model payment mechanisms and a code of practice for site working.

The Accelerating change report, the follow-up to Rethinking construction, has laid down some tough targets for the industry to meet. The Forum would like to see 20% of construction projects undertaken by integrated teams by the end of 2004, with 20% of client activity by value embracing the principles of the Clients' Charter. By the end of 2007, both these figures should rise to 50%.

The Forum also aims to reverse the long-term decline in the industry's ability to attract and retain a quality workforce. It will develop and implement strategies to enable the industry to recruit and retain 300 000 qualified people by the end of 2006, and result in a 50% increase in suitable applications to built environment higher and further education courses by 2007.

The Forum's outgoing chair Sir John Egan said: "In my foreword to Rethinking construction, I challenged the construction industry to commit itself to change so that, by working together, a modern industry could be created. Accelerating change is evidence of the ability of the industry to come together and agree a strategic framework for action."

The Specialist Engineering Contractors' Group represents the interests of the m&e sector on the forum. The Group has been actively involved in the integrated teams working groups and will be examining the role of payment mechanisms within supply chains, including the impact of insolvency law on subcontractors. It will produce recommendations for change by July 2003.

It will be the job of new Forum chair Peter Rogers of developer Stanhope to ensure that the report has an impact on the industry. "We need to make sure that the Forum is as inclusive as possible and its strategy as clear and as simple as possible," said Rogers. "We need to find ways of carrying the message throughout the industry, not simply to a small minority."