The Construction Playbook: Principles too slow to be implemented

THE Confederation of British Industry has this week stated that the adoption of the principles for better contracting set out in the government’s Construction Playbook is too slow. This is a view echoed by Gerard Toplass, group CEO of The 55 Group, which is the parent company for national framework provider Pagabo, leading risk, management and compliance software company Sypro, and social value specialist Loop.

He said: “We absolutely agree that the principles of the Construction Playbook setting out better contracting are not being adopted at a quick enough pace. We’d also say the same of all of the principles covering the procurement and project lifecycle. The Playbook should – and quite frankly must – be at the heart of everything we do.

“At The 55 Group, we embrace the Construction Playbook and everything it stands for. Whether it is at the initial procurement stage, managing contracts and project processes, managing ongoing estate risks, or examining the social value benefits of schemes or activities, our businesses are right at the forefront. This is all wrapped up in a digital-first approach, both in our own operations and in driving technology adoption across the whole industry for processes and training alike.

“We’re on a mission to help the industry gain a better understanding of the Playbook’s principles and the best way to implement those into all activity. This includes work Pagabo is currently doing with the Open University to create a series of podcasts that focus on the key elements of the Playbook.

“This series aims to provide the public sector and any other clients with the building blocks to implement the Playbook’s core aims and will be launched later this year.

“Most importantly, as built environment specialists we must support our clients, the public sector, and each other in understanding the key policies and how to implement them. This means that we need to not just talk about them but find ways of educating and driving the all-important change needed across the sector.

“We need to work towards talent density within procurement, properly set up frameworks that have good coverage of suppliers, lots and geographies, and the use of digital technology – all wrapped up in compliant practice with social value at its heart.”