Constructing Excellence
Encyclopedia
Constructing Excellence is a UK
-based construction industry membership organisation. In the UK, it is unique insofar as its member organisations are drawn from across the industry supply chain
, ranging from clients, through contractors and consultants, to suppliers and manufacturers of building materials and components. Created in 2003, Constructing Excellence leads efforts to apply the progressive thinking of the 1994 Latham
and 1998 Egan Report
s, having absorbed several of the bodies established since those government-instigated reports were published.
Following the recommendations of the Latham Report, the Construction Industry Board was established to oversee industry reform, including the application of partnering
by construction project teams. In parallel, industry reform group, the Reading Construction Forum, was developing guidance on partnering in construction, and the Construction Best Practice Programme (CBPP, and its sister programme, IT Construction Best Practice, ITCBP) was created to provide guidance and advice to UK construction and client organisations wanting to gain the knowledge and skills required to implement change. The Design Build Foundation (DBF) was launched in 1997 as a catalyst for change, drawing together forward-thinking construction industry customers, designers, contractors, consultants, specialists and manufacturers, representing the whole construction supply chain.
Following the Egan Report, Re-thinking construction, Movement for Innovation (M4I) and the Confederation of Construction Clients were formed, along with focused sector groups: the Housing Forum, the Local Government Task Force and the Government Construction Clients Panel.
This profusion of groups proved unwieldy, and during the early years of the 21st century, several mergers took place. In 2002, the DBF and Reading Construction Forum merged to form a new supply chain body, Collaborating for the Built Environment, known as Be. In 2003, M4I and the Construction Best Practice Programme merged to form Constructing Excellence, and in 2005, Constructing Excellence and Be merged.
, written by Richard Saxon and published in 2005, and the Wolstenholme Report (Never Waste a Good Crisis), written by Andrew Wolstenholme and published in 2009, which reviewed progress since the 1998 Egan Report and made further recommendations to the industry. Also in 2009, Constructing Excellence, jointly with the JCT
, launched the JCT Constructing Excellence collaborative contract
(originally the Be Collaborative Contract).
It also undertakes UK government consultancy work, including compilation (with BRE
) of the industry's annual Key Performance Indicators (included in the ONS
's Construction Statistics Annual).
Constructing Excellence provides administrative support to the Construction Clients' Group
(formerly the Confederation of Construction Clients) and, where appropriate, works in partnership with the pan-industry government liaison body, the Strategic Forum for Construction
.
In August 2007, Constructing Excellence took on the management of the Network for Construction Collaboration Technology Providers
. The NCCTP members include: 4Projects
, Causeway Technologies, Business Collaborator (today UNIT4 Collaboration Software) and Sarcophagus.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based construction industry membership organisation. In the UK, it is unique insofar as its member organisations are drawn from across the industry supply chain
Supply chain
A supply chain is a system of organizations, people, technology, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer. Supply chain activities transform natural resources, raw materials and components into a finished product that is delivered to...
, ranging from clients, through contractors and consultants, to suppliers and manufacturers of building materials and components. Created in 2003, Constructing Excellence leads efforts to apply the progressive thinking of the 1994 Latham
Latham Report
The Latham Report, titled Constructing the Team, was an influential report written by Sir Michael Latham, published in July 1994. Latham was commissioned by the United Kingdom government and industry organisations to review procurement and contractual arrangements in the UK construction industry,...
and 1998 Egan Report
Egan Report
The Egan Report, titled Rethinking Construction, was an influential report on the UK construction industry produced by an industry task force chaired by Sir John Egan, published in November 1998...
s, having absorbed several of the bodies established since those government-instigated reports were published.
Origins
Constructing Excellence was the result of the convergence and merger of several related industry initiatives.Following the recommendations of the Latham Report, the Construction Industry Board was established to oversee industry reform, including the application of partnering
Business partnering
Business partnering is "the development of successful, long term, strategic relationships between customers and suppliers, based on achieving best practice and sustainable competitive advantage".- Mission :...
by construction project teams. In parallel, industry reform group, the Reading Construction Forum, was developing guidance on partnering in construction, and the Construction Best Practice Programme (CBPP, and its sister programme, IT Construction Best Practice, ITCBP) was created to provide guidance and advice to UK construction and client organisations wanting to gain the knowledge and skills required to implement change. The Design Build Foundation (DBF) was launched in 1997 as a catalyst for change, drawing together forward-thinking construction industry customers, designers, contractors, consultants, specialists and manufacturers, representing the whole construction supply chain.
Following the Egan Report, Re-thinking construction, Movement for Innovation (M4I) and the Confederation of Construction Clients were formed, along with focused sector groups: the Housing Forum, the Local Government Task Force and the Government Construction Clients Panel.
This profusion of groups proved unwieldy, and during the early years of the 21st century, several mergers took place. In 2002, the DBF and Reading Construction Forum merged to form a new supply chain body, Collaborating for the Built Environment, known as Be. In 2003, M4I and the Construction Best Practice Programme merged to form Constructing Excellence, and in 2005, Constructing Excellence and Be merged.
Activities
As well as continuing the demonstration project and best practice work started by the Construction Best Practice Programme and M4I, Constructing Excellence has produced several notable industry reports, including Be Valuable, an assessment of life-time cost approaches such as 1:5:2001:5:200
In the construction industry, the 1:5:200 rule is a rule of thumb that states that:The rule originated in a Royal Academy of Engineering paper by Evans et al.Sometimes the ratios are given as 1:10:200...
, written by Richard Saxon and published in 2005, and the Wolstenholme Report (Never Waste a Good Crisis), written by Andrew Wolstenholme and published in 2009, which reviewed progress since the 1998 Egan Report and made further recommendations to the industry. Also in 2009, Constructing Excellence, jointly with the JCT
Joint Contracts Tribunal
The Joint Contracts Tribunal, also known as the JCT, produces standard forms of contract for construction, guidance notes and other standard documentation for use in the construction industry. From its establishment in 1931, JCT has expanded the number of contributing organisations...
, launched the JCT Constructing Excellence collaborative contract
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
(originally the Be Collaborative Contract).
It also undertakes UK government consultancy work, including compilation (with BRE
Building Research Establishment
The Building Research Establishment is a former UK government establishment that carries out research, consultancy and testing for the construction and built environment sectors in the United Kingdom...
) of the industry's annual Key Performance Indicators (included in the ONS
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
's Construction Statistics Annual).
Constructing Excellence provides administrative support to the Construction Clients' Group
Construction Clients' Group
The Construction Clients' Group is a United Kingdom construction organisation representing major clients of the construction industry. It represents the views of clients to the Strategic Forum for Construction....
(formerly the Confederation of Construction Clients) and, where appropriate, works in partnership with the pan-industry government liaison body, the Strategic Forum for Construction
Strategic Forum for Construction
The Strategic Forum for Construction is a United Kingdom construction industry organisation established in 2001 as the principle point of liaison between UK government and the major construction membership organisations...
.
In August 2007, Constructing Excellence took on the management of the Network for Construction Collaboration Technology Providers
Construction collaboration technology
Construction collaboration technology refers to software applications used to enable effective sharing of project-related information between geographically dispersed members of a construction project team, often through use of a web-based Software as a service platform.-History:The terms...
. The NCCTP members include: 4Projects
4Projects
4Projects is a UK privately held Software as a service company based in Doxford International Business Park in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. It also has offices in the USA, Canada, and the Middle East...
, Causeway Technologies, Business Collaborator (today UNIT4 Collaboration Software) and Sarcophagus.