Fears for future of fair play watchdog

Serious doubts about the ability of the Construction Industry Board to act as the industry's best practice watchdog were expressed by the former leaders of the National Joint Consultative Committee for building, which was formally wound up last week after 42 years of operation.

They believe the CIB is too centralised and lacks local and regional feedback. They fear it could operate by dictat rather than consensus and it could become little more than a "talking shop."

Concern has also been expressed that a best practice advisory operation might not survive the Construction Industry Board's currently agreed 3-year lifespan.

Axing of the NJCC - which comprises architects, surveyors, consulting engineers, builders and specialists - was announced in April when it was agreed that its advisory role would be taken over by the CIB which would extend its coverage into civil engineering and would include client representation.

"I am deeply disappointed that I have failed to convince the constituent bodies that they could perhaps take a different line and retain the NJCC in some form," said committee chairman Alan Weitzel at last week's meeting.

"I foresee a real danger that the CIB will be unable to respond quickly enough to changes in the industry over the coming decade. There will be tremendous changes. And, if the board is to fulfill all its tasks, it may miss the boat."

Weitsel said a final business plan was still awaited setting out the details of how the replacement watchdog would operate. "I hope at least it will be a discreet organisation that can continue if the CIB does not," he said.

It had been made clear that the CIB did not intend to have a regional set-up. And it was claimed that this represented a major weakness. Various regional committees of the NJCC, including both Scotland and Northern Ireland, declared their intention to continue in some form or other.

Commenting on the criticisms of the CIB plan, Rudi Klein, legal adviser to the Constructors Liaison Group, said: "Obviously, there is some concern over whether it will deliver. Hopefully, the board will shortly be publishing its first three good practice guides.

"If there are no real changes in practice, we will have to consider some form of sanction in the longer term and this could be statutory. A new Government may more amenable to that notion. At present there is an idea that those contractors who adopt best contractual practice could be given some form of star rating."