The Construction Leadership Forum (CLF) – a collaboration between government and industry – has published its Transformation Action Plan for the Scottish construction sector.
The ‘action plan’ – more a list of aims and aspirations – includes visions for reforming construction procurement, improving quality, moving towards net zero, increasing the uptake of digital technology, and gathering and exploiting data. It also outlines proposals to engage with and communicate more effectively with the sector.
The CLF is Scotland’s equivalent of the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) in England and is the main forum for Scottish government interaction with the construction industry. It is chaired by the minister for small business, currently Richard Lochhead.
In November , the CLF consulted on a draft version of the plan. Feedback from that helped inform version, which becomes just the first iteration of a plan that is expected to develop as and when progress is made.
The plan comprises 11 initiatives, each led by a working group: Procurement, Pipeline, Skills, Fair Work, Quality, Digital, Modern Methods of Construction, Net Zero, Supply Chain, Data & Insights and Communications [– the English version only has eight working groups; does that make the English less ambitious or more efficient?]
Each working group is co-chaired by a representative from both the public and private sectors, with the overarching programme managed by the Transformation Action Plan board.
The co-chairs of the Transformation Action Plan Board are Morag Angus, the Scottish government’s chief surveyor and head of property & construction, and Peter Reekie, chief executive of the Scottish Futures Trust, a government agency set up in 2008 to improve value for money in infrastructure procurement.
Richard Lochhead said: “The construction sector is vital to green, economic growth across Scotland and central to our net zero ambitions. This Transformation Action Plan will drive progress in important areas such as fair work and procurement, delivering the sustainable, innovative and prosperous industry Scotland needs.”
Peter Reekie added: “As a proud civil engineer in a role that gives me sight across the whole construction sector, I know how important the industry is to Scotland’s economy, to our country achieving net zero and what a great career it can provide.
“For the sector to deliver more , with improved outcomes for businesses, its workforce, its clients and wider society, it must change. And every part of the industry must be involved in that change, feeling the benefits from it. That is why the Transformation Action Plan is a collaborative effort, bringing passionate people from across the sector together to work for our collective good.
“There is much to be done, but we can only change with that collective effort and broad engagement in our aims, our work and what we achieve. I urge everyone involved in the construction sector across both the public and private sectors to get involved – in a working group, or by spreading the word to help create the industry we want to see.”
The Plan is available to download at www.scottishconstructiontransformation.scot/transformation-action-plan
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