International Women’s Day this year, with its theme of ‘accelerating action’, comes at an important moment for the built environment and construction industry.
Industry Challenges and the Need for Reform
The industry is and has been fundamentally challenged to raise its standards and embrace new culture and behaviours. The recent Government response to the Grenfell Tower Fire Phase Two Inquiry Report and publication of the Green Paper on Construction Product Regulatory Reform confirms the Government’s commitment to double-down on the complete restructuring of building safety regulation as well as bringing forward system-wide reform of the construction products regime. This is crucial to preventing further tragedy.
The direction of travel laid out by the Government is clear. Industry does not need to wait. The reality of this though is that it should not be news to anyone. Years of Government reviews from Egan and Latham through to Hackitt and Morrell have clearly signposted the way. The industry has discussed, debated and in some cases begun to embrace change over the past nigh on 8 years since the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Rebuilding Trust in the Industry
The reality is that the Grenfell Tower fire exposed very real, appalling and completely unacceptable failure across the industry. And if you look at it from the perspective of the public/the citizen or the consumer we are talking about a fundamental loss of trust and confidence in the industry over years.
Yet it is an industry that is responsible for devising and building the very backbone of our lives – the places we all live, work and play. All parties must now play their part and embrace greater responsibility, accountability and transparency. The built environment and construction industry must fundamentally rediscover and rebuild itself and how it operates.
Opportunities for Growth Admist Challenges
Whilst this is a major challenge it is also a major opportunity. It comes at a time when the Government’s stated ambition is to build 1.5 million new homes over the Parliament. On top of this there are goals and needs in relation to building hospitals, prisons, schools as well as building remediation, refurbishment and de-carbonisation. The list goes on.
The Role of Diversity in Driving Change
So how does the industry face up to these challenges and opportunities? Increasing diversity will be absolutely critical to this. The new thinking that comes from greater diversity and new impetus that comes with fresh talent in the industry is critical to accelerating action in the face of the change being demanded.
Some progress has been made. We do see greater diversity coming into the sector in both operational and management positions. But look around the meeting rooms and offices or on project sites across the sector – how diverse is the built environment and construction industry? And particularly in its leadership, is the industry benefitting all it could from a more diverse leadership? This is a moment to fundamentally refresh and rewrite the behaviours and culture of the sector.
A Call to Action: Accelerating Change
An important element of the delivery of rebuilding the built environment and construction industry is greater commitment to diversity and reaping the benefits from this. Marcel Proust once said: The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new sights, but in looking with new eyes.
The moment is here to accelerate change. For all to play their part and this industry to rediscover and rebuild itself, greater diversity, including in leadership, will be fundamental to delivery of this.
