Clients win voice on new-look CIB

by Kathy Watson



The client side of the industry will have an enhanced role in Chris Vickers' proposed new body to replace the Construction Industry Board. But they will still be outnumbered by the supply side.

As expected, Vickers' report, unveiled last week, has been widely canvassed and came out in favour of a body with a more strategic brief. The as yet unnamed body will deal with sustainability on economic, environmental and social issues rather than procurement and tendering practice as formerly. Vickers, the CIB chairman, expects it to be implemented this week.

The supply side organisations have had their representation on the board of management cut from 16 to eight under the plans, but they will still outnumber the client side's six seats, which remain unchanged.

The supply side is represented by the Construction Industry Council, the Construction Industry Employers Council, the Constructors Liaison Group and the Construction Products Association, each with two seats.

The client side will be represented by the Construction Clients Confederation, the new organisation to replace the Construction Clients' Forum. But its members will be hands-on clients rather than representatives of client organisations. The board of management will be supplemented by the chairman and deputy chairman and Government officials.

Tony Pollington of the Construction Clients' Forum welcomed the new strategic role outlined in the report but said they could not comment further until they had looked at Vickers' report in depth.

The new body will become very closely involved in Sir Martin Laing's focus group on sustainability, which is running a conference in July. It will also be involved in National Construction Week and the Considerate Constructors' Scheme whilst outsourcing their management. The new body will have an initial life of five years.

It will take six months for the Construction Industry Board to hand over to the new body, which should be in place by 1 January 2001. It will help steer the work of several bodies: CRISP (The Construction Research and Innovation Strategy Panel), which identifies future practice; the Movement for Innovation, which demonstrates and tests practice; and the Construction Best Practice Programme, which disseminates best practice.