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The UK construction industry is the sixth largest industry in the UK in terms of turnover. During the last decade, it has undergone an unprecedented period of self-examination, including input from most of the leaders of the major suppliers and clients as well as from leading politicians, civil servants and political advisers. From 1993 to 2003, government and industry collaborated closely to achieve political and structural change in the industry and to bring about nothing less than a re-organization of the way it undertakes its business. This key text is an objective presentation of the critical issues inherent in the construction industry during this time. Providing invaluable source material for students of government/industry relations, industry practitioners and clients, and for economic and social commentators, this valuable resource draws on revealing personal accounts from politicians, civil servants, advisers and industry leaders, as well as factual reportage, archives and official papers of the period. Informative and enlightening, this book objectively details and documents exactly what happened at this time, and the reasons for it, and offers an unbiased interpretation of the successes or failures of the various initiatives that emerged, including the Movement for Innovation, Rethinking Construction and Constructing Excellence.
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Change in the Construction Industry
The UK construction industry is the sixth largest industry in the UK in terms of turnover. Efforts of successive Governments since the war to achieve an effective, viable, and efficient industry providing genuine value for money have recognised the vital part this industry plays in producing the country’s infrastructure. Yet these efforts have, to a large extent, been unsuccessful due to the fragmented state of the industry, the adversarial nature of the industry’s relationship with its clients and within its own structure, and the failure of government departments in the past to give a convincing policy lead to encourage investment and good management. During the last decade, the industry has undergone an unprecedented period of self-examination, including input from most of the leaders of the major suppliers and clients, both private and public sector, as well as from leading ministers and opposition politicians, their civil servants and political advisers. Government and industry have attempted to work together to achieve political and structural change in the industry through collaborative action, and to bring about nothing less than a re-organisation of the way it undertakes its business. Change in the Construction Industry details and documents, in an objective and factual way, what happened and the reasons for it, and offers an unbiased interpretation of the success or failure of the various initiatives that emerged, such as the Movement for Innovation, Rethinking Construction and Constructing Excellence. Drawing on personal accounts from politicians, civil servants, advisers, and industry leaders who were involved at the time, and who are willing to be quoted and identified, it provides invaluable source material for students of government/industry relations, for industry practitioners and clients, and for economic and social commentators. David M. Adamson is Director of Estates at the University of Cambridge. During the Latham Review he was involved in the establishment of a comprehensive client representative body, the Construction Clients Forum (CCF) and was Deputy Chairman and Supervisory Board member. He was also on the Executive Committee of the Construction Industry Board and is currently on the Board of the Construction Skills/CITB. Tony Pollington was a career civil servant, serving in the old Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport, and the Department of the Environment and Property Services