Alison Cox is London managing director for Sir Robert McAlpine
Between 1997 and 2019, UK construction productivity growth fell by an average of 0.6 per cent each year. Over the same period, the productivity of the whole UK economy rose by 2.8 per cent. This means a larger workforce is now required to match historical output; and with a growing demand to deliver projects more sustainably, cheaper and faster, the situation seems increasingly challenging.
“The writing and publishing of the playbook was the easy part – what we choose to do with it is our next challenge”
As an industry, we achieved amazing things through that really intensive first period of the pandemic where we had to completely adapt the way we worked. So it feels natural to continue the momentum that we gained and the collaboration that we developed then to tackle more of the issues that are affecting us now – like the productivity challenge.
This is what the Construction Productivity Taskforce (CPT) – a specialised cohort of industry stakeholders, founded by productivity champions Be the Business – aims to do by publishing Trust and Productivity: the private sector construction playbook. Developed by contractors, developers, suppliers and more, the guide describes 10 key drivers for industry success, including forming effective partnerships, adopting portfolio and longer-term contracting, and taking outcome-based approaches.
The CPT started from the principle that if we continue to work as we always have done, we will continue the traditional narrative of adversarial relationships and cost and programme increases. The best projects today have already changed their way of working – and that’s what the playbook captures. It outlines clear, practical solutions that would deliver successful projects, allowing all parties to flourish, be rewarded fairly and invest for future success. These principles apply to all stages of the project lifecycle, from initial planning through to completion and aftercare.
Practical help
The playbook is digestible, easy to use, and will undoubtedly benefit businesses that engage. It has been specifically designed so users can dip in and out at their convenience and take away real, usable advice from each chapter that they can implement in their day-to-day work. You don’t need to block out a training day or take a course. The playbook and its practical guidance are there waiting to be used now, and for any size of organisation.
So far, the industry response has been great. But we don’t underestimate the significant behavioural change needed to make a real impact. The risk is that the playbook becomes just another report on how to improve our sector, and that the very real opportunities are lost. In many ways, the writing and publishing of the playbook was the easy part – what we, as construction professionals, choose to do with it is our next challenge.
Industry best practice should be our standard practice. Encouraging clients and their advisers, construction teams and our supply chain to pick up the playbook and implement its principles will boost productivity, quality and value. In doing so, we can improve health, safety and wellbeing, reduce carbon and build the skilled workforce of the future.
We are all facing the same challenges, so let’s leverage our collective power, get behind the CPT and the playbook, and make every project as good as our best.
