The Construction Industry Collaboration Initiative (CICI)

The Story so Far

The current post-Covid climate with high inflation, supply chain challenges, low productivity, labour and skills shortages along with economic contraction through recession are individually and collectively threats to the Construction Sector.

Construction Excellence has promoted the benefits of Collaboration for some 30 years but the sector has been reluctant to embrace it despite it having been found to be a proven and highly effective means of delivering projects nd contracts to time, cost, and quality. Tough economic times are a further driver for organisations to come to bring together to jointly solve challenges and problems.

Given the changing economic times LeadersMeets carried out research using the CE Webinar database they have built over the last two and a half years in July and August 2022. The key points from these being:

• 99% of respondents thought working collaboratively was important to delivering successful contracts and
  projects.
• 94% said that they collaborate with people from other organisations in delivering a contact or project.
• 60% said that they had never received any training in collaboration and working in a collaborative way. Of
  the 40% who had received training only 62% of this 40% had received 5 hours or more.
• 97% said that a greater understanding and learning by organisations of collaboration and working collaboratively would help them to embrace collaboration.
• 93% thought that working more collaboratively e.g. in joint problem solving would be a positive way to work.
• 78% thought that with the changing economic climate more organisations would resort to confrontational behaviour.
• The level of trust within the sector was rated at 5.5 out of 10.

Subsequent research found, through a volunteer panel comprised of experienced senior people drawn from across the sector, that the behavioural ‘forces against collaboration’ far outweigh the ‘forces for’ collaboration by some 16 to 3 over 19 pairs of polar based beliefs/behaviours.

The evidence for a Collaboration Initiative to promote, carry out ongoing research, develop and importantly provide training in Collaboration and Collaborative Working is compelling.

The aim of the Collaboration Initiative is to:

• Create and facilitate a Certificate Training course based upon the learning from the latest research above;
• Provide a regular ongoing Certificate programme that would comprise of some 5 hours duration that can be undertaken online in 1 hour weekly sessions and one that can be delivered in one day face to face;
• Obtain Certification of the training from a body or bodies such as CITB, CIOB, RICS, RIBA, etc;
• Seek to bring together a group of Member Organisations who would receive discounted training amongst other benefits (see below);
• Carry out continuing research to support the initiative;
• Run bi-monthly Workshops for member organisations;
• Widen the skills and training offering e.g. a Leadership in Collaboration Certificate;
• Promote collaborative behaviours and skills as essential to effective project and contract delivery:
• Aspire to make the Collaboration Certificate the base standard for all parties involved in the delivery of future Contracts and Projects within the sector; and
• Offer bespoke in-house development programmes and 1:1 coaching to members.

With the results of this research the aim is now to use this learning to encourage businesses and organisations in the UK Construction Sector to deliver contracts and projects through greater Collaboration and Collaborative Working.

More importantly, the research has confirmed to need for training and development
activities that will support the changes and transitions involved that will move the ‘forces against’ to ‘forces for’ Collaboration and Collaborative Working