CIOB supports call for Chief Construction Officer

Thursday, 17 July 2008 7:11 AM

The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has supported a call from the Business and Enterprise Committee (BEC) for the creation of a Chief Construction Officer.

As part of a wider report into the state of the construction industry - titled Construction Matters - the BEC called on the government to create the post to ensure joined-up thinking in the industry.

"We believe this is best provided at official rather than ministerial level," argued the report.

"We have given this 'champion' the title of Chief Construction Officer (CCO). The role would be to co-ordinate and engage with all parts of the public sector that have a policy or procurement interest in construction, both at central and local government level."

This has now been supported by the CIOB.

"We support the recommendation to create this new post, and see this as a useful first step in dealing with the UK government's fractured approach towards the industry," said CIOB chief executive, Chris Blythe.

"The construction industry interfaces with the government as a client, regulator and as a provider of funding. With its regulatory and funding provider hat on the government has no fewer than eleven departments and bodies influencing construction industry policy.

"As the largest single procurer of construction works, every government department and local authority are clients to the construction industry."

Under the proposals the role would have responsibility for:

• Enforcing the adoption of best practice in procurement across the public sector as defined by the Construction Commitments.

• Function as the single main point of engagement between government and the construction industry.

• Oversee implementation of the Strategy for Sustainable Construction and government's contribution to meeting the new Accelerating Change targets.

• Improve the image of the construction industry generally.

• Ensure regulatory consistency across departments.

"We believe it's a good sign that the proposed post falls at the official level rather than ministerial level," added Mr Blythe.

"Ministers often have competing responsibilities and portfolios, whereas a senior official would have operational responsibility for construction in key departments and the delivery of construction policy."

The UK construction industry was worth £113.5 billion in 2006 - ranked in the top ten outputs of the world.

Chris O'Toole

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