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About the Construction Sector Unit
Construction Sector Unit
Who we are
We
work with businesses, employees and consumers to drive up UK productivity and
competitiveness to deliver prosperity for all.
The
Construction Sector Unit leads for government on construction issues, with colleagues in
other government departments, to make a stronger case for construction in the UK government, in Europe and
elsewhere. The
Unit's work covers materials and products; suppliers and producers; building services
manufacturers, providers and installers; contractors, sub-contractors,
professionals, advisors and construction clients.
We
share the Strategic Forum for Construction’s vision:
“Our vision is for the UK construction
industry to be consistently world class in delivering products and services
that maximise value for clients
and end users and exceed expectations.”
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What we focus on
Improving
finished construction products (such
as building and infrastructure) and services (power and heating for example) including design quality, the built environment,
facilities management, and the industry’s role in urban regeneration, housing
output, industry capacity issues, whole life performance and sustainability.
Improving
the construction process: products supplied into construction; process
improvements such as off-site fabrication, product standardization, improving
sustainability of the process and reducing pre-qualification bureaucracy
through Constructionline; and integration of the construction team (suppliers
and clients) to drive out waste in the construction process. Other process
issues include contractual relationships (for example arbitration and adjudication).
Tackling
people issues in construction: recruitment and retention of workers, and
Respect for People, including health and safety, training and education, and
issues relating to the informal construction economy.
Improving
quality in the industry. For commercial clients, Constructionline can
increasingly demonstrate competency and take-up of Rethinking Construction
initiatives, encouraging industry improvement through competition and
better-informed clients. In the domestic repair and maintenance sub-sector,
the Quality
Mark scheme rigorously assesses firms against technical,
management and other good practice standards, and, once compliant, offers them
to householders who want a simple and reliable way to identify reputable
builders.
Promoting
and sponsoring research and
innovation: collaborating with industry and
clients to bring forward the knowledge, long-term thinking and dissemination
of best practice, underpinning the agenda for change and improvement.
Improving
technologies and techniques in construction: getting better technological
solutions to the problems faced by construction businesses and embedding these
in best practice and processes of the future.
Raising awareness in the industry of the benefits of information
technology (through the Sustainable
construction: reducing
the impact of construction on the environment and minimizing waste of natural
resources in the construction process, over the life cycle of the structure.
Inward
investment, and promoting the UK as the number one place to do construction
business.
Promoting
overseas activities by the construction industry (exports, overseas investment,
joint ventures and other forms of collaboration), through our close links with the
Construction Unit in UK Trade & Investment. Assisting
small construction firms, through a Construction Best Practice Programme
outreach scheme, and through our links with the Small Business Service and
Business Links, as well as encouraging individual firms to engage in the
business improvement agenda. Assisting
firms in UK regions, through our links with the Regional Development
Agencies,
Government Offices and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland.
These
all contribute to the Rethinking Construction initiative. [go to top of page]
Our aims
The
Construction Sector Unit, in partnership with industry, has the following aims,
to “drive up UK productivity and competitiveness”:
To
provide effective links between the industry and government, ensuring policy
development is based on a clear understanding of the industry. Also to
ensure that legitimate concerns about existing or proposed UK, European
Union and international legislation and policy are addressed with all
relevant parties.
To encourage industry to increase its contribution to
sustainable development, by improving processes and the quality of built
products.
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To encourage the industry to provide coherent,
well-supported, cases to government on policy development and
regulation.
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Activities
Our effectiveness depends on a good understanding of the
construction industry and on developing trust between the Unit and the
companies and trade associations that make up the industry. We
seek to develop this by:
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Building
good working relationships with companies, trade associations and other
industry bodies - through regular meetings, workshops and exchanges of
correspondence.
Undertaking
analyses of the competitiveness of the industry. Bringing industry into
the development of these analyses, and developing action plans (often shared
with industry), to take forward findings. Encouraging
trade associations to be effective and give leadership to their sub-sectors,
so they provide valuable industry analysis and channels of communication to
the wider industry. Providing
our staff with experience in the industry through secondments and visits to
companies. Providing industry with the opportunity to gain experience in
Unit activities. Supporting
research relevant to the industry and to the objective of sustainable
construction. Disseminating the results both directly, and through the
Construction Best Practice Programme and other associated programmes. Undertaking
activities jointly with industry, as well as through the Construction Best
Practice Programme, HEVACR 2005, and
the Rethinking Construction organisation, to
promote improved industry performance. Encouraging
the industry to participate in government-sponsored industry events and
initiatives. Encouraging
benchmarking, best practice and demonstration projects, so we all know how the
industry is performing.
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Assessing our performance
We
have broad measures to assess the performance of the Construction Sector Unit.
We obtain feedback on our work from the construction industry, both through
direct communications from individual companies and through trade associations.
We have developed a series of Key Performance Indicators with the
industry, and have set ourselves targets
to achieve identified improvements in these Indicators through our activities.
Individual programmes that we administer have their own assessment processes.
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