The Construction Industry Collaboration Initiative (CICI)

Overview

Collaboration in the workplace between organisations has been a long-standing challenge. The Construction sector is no exception with its use in the sector having been at best patchy despite Construction Excellence having long advocated its benefits. 

The need for collaboration to improve contract delivery and projects through the supply chain has never been more important given the post-Covid climate that is today characterised by recession, inflation, economic contraction, labour and skill shortages, as well as supply chain issues problems further exacerbated in the sector by a lack of investment in Digitisation. 

As the ‘The Construction Playbook’ points out there is a long way to go if the sector is to see ‘measurable improvement in project outcomes…the development of longterm, strategic collaborative relationships…[that] supports the aims of improving the performance, profitability, and sustainability of the sector.’

Unfortunately, many leaders in the sector freely talk of and use the word ‘collaboration’ yet it remains one of the least understood words in the lexicon of business.  Many people across the sector do not believe in it with the ‘forces against’ for its adoption far outweighing the ‘forces for it’

A failure to effectively collaborate in a project, a venture, or in a partnership creates ‘non-value adding activities’ (NVA) that not only do not contribute to the achievement of the purpose, mission, or goals but add costs e.g. disputes, error, mis-communications etc., that reduces margins.  

NVA across UK business sectors averages around 30% of gross revenues. In a sector that operates on low margins, working collaboratively offers a huge opportunity to reduce NVA and thus not just maintain but increase margin but also importantly deliver and enhance quality. 

If the sector is to aim for and achieve ‘measurable improvement in project outcomes’ the evidence points to the need for people to receive training in ‘Collaboration and Working Collaboratively’, a feature that was pointed out by Constructing Excellence in a paper published in 2009. This ‘Survival Guide: Working out of an industry downturn. Which way will your organisation go?’ was very clear in saying that: 

‘Collaborative Working enables you and your partners to create more value by being more efficient and effective without the need to reduce profit margins, increase payment periods or look for claims. It does this because collaborative behaviours are all about working together earlier and smarter for mutual benefit. By eliminating waste and inefficiency in methods, processes and transactions between you, your clients and your suppliers, risks can be reduced (or eliminated) whilst predictability and suitability of outcomes are significantly increased.’

Some 13 years on the words are both still fresh and pertinent but the talk must stop and change begin with this initiative.  

Constructing Excellence South West and LeadersMeets have come together to partner in the promotion, administration and delivery of CICI with the Constructing Excellence Gloucester Club being the CICI Founding Member. 

• Deliver and facilitate a Certificate training programme based upon the Collaboration Research
• Carry out and publish continuing research into Collaboration to ascertain if behaviours are changing that currently prevent Collaboration effectively working in the sector;
• Act as a resource as well as a focus point for the promotion of Collaboration in the Construction sector;
• Continue to develop potential further Collaboration training to support the certificate programme e.g. Leadership for Collaboration;
• Provide members with online quarterly workshops for members;
• Maintain and action a continuous awareness campaign to change beliefs and attitudes about Collaboration and promote its benefits across the Construction sector;
• Employ existing and develop new tools and instruments to help members and organisations to improve all facets of Collaboration;
• Provide opportunities via a platform to share learning, experience, and knowledge of Collaboration and Collaborative working;