Are registration schemes all they're cracked up to be?

Voluntary registration for construction companies became a reality this week. The Design Build Foundation's high-powered registration scheme got off to a small but auspicious start, with a matriculation ceremony at the House of Commons for the first five to make the grade. Amec Capital Projects, Balfour Beatty Construction, HBG Construction, Try Construction and Wates Construction all received their gongs from Sir Sydney Chapman, chairman of the All Party Environment Group.

Of course a fancy certificate was not their motivation for jumping through the hoops of the most testing registration scheme in the industry. Having shown their prowess in customer focus, understanding of design, supply chain management, safety and various other things, the five have differentiated themselves in an over-crowded, over-competitive, marketplace.

This ideal of standing out from the crowd is what drives companies to participate in such programmes. The trouble is registration and prequalification schemes have an unfortunate tendency to promise much and deliver little.

The DBF is extending the scope of the scheme to include clients, consultants, trade contractors and designers. It is not obvious what advantage clients will get in return for spending thousands of pounds to be assessed. True, applying best practice could help them get better results. But arguably those clients who need such help most will probably be least inclined to sign up.

Could it be the reason the DBF is deciding to include customers is so clients can show solidarity with the supply side? If so, there is a much simpler way for them to do the decent thing: they can start by ensuring the best companies get their work and then see that they share in the rewards when it has been properly carried out.