Introduction
By signing up to the Construction Clients’ Charter,
construction industry clients will be making a clear statement of their
commitment to improve their own performance. Charter Clients do not just pay
lip service to culture change but are prepared to measure their progress
against an agreed programme with increasingly demanding targets.
Through the Charter database, Charter Clients will
be able to benchmark their performance against their Improvement Programme and
against other clients. They will be at the forefront of the drive to improve
the value they obtain from their construction spend and will be recognised by
suppliers as best practice practitioners leading to a better business outcome
for all parties.
Effective continuous improvement involves adopting management processes
across the client’s organisation which most effectively lead to savings in
whole life and capital cost and which save time and lead to improved
functionality of the built asset. An
important component of continuous improvement is the measurement of the success
of the outcomes of the project so that steps can be taken to further improve
subsequent projects.
By providing the methodology to create an
Improvement Programme, the Clients Charter forms a framework for improving the
client’s ability to manage projects better and for creating a rigorous
partnering relationship with the construction team which will lead to
improvement in their performance.
The essential benefits of the Clients Charter are;
Focuses the client and project team on the delivery of better
value for money for the client, saving cost and reducing time.
Creates a mutually acceptable and rewarding business relationship
for clients and for the project team who increasingly offer better terms
to Charter Clients.
Substantially and progressively reduces the risk of cost and time
overruns, defective buildings and unsatisfactory experience when in use.
Since the Charter was launched in October 2001,
over 400 clients have registered. The Charter has been tailored to meet the
specific needs of groups of clients including housing associations, local
authorities and central government departments, as well as clients with smaller
or less frequent construction and maintenance programmes through the
development of the Mini-Charter. A number of private sector clients have also
registered.
The Construction Clients’ Charter originated in July 2000 when the Deputy Prime
Minister challenged the client community to draw up a charter that would set
out the minimum standards they expected in construction procurement today,
their aspirations for the future and a programme of steadily more demanding
targets to drive up standards. The Construction Clients’ Charter has been
designed to meet this challenge.
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