Regulatory vision “must be proportionate and dynamic enough” to succeed

Last December, the Government announced in the Single Construction Regulator prospectus that it will publish a new strategy for the built environment professions, trades and occupations in 2027.

In responding to the Government’s Call for Evidence on the new strategy that was flagged in May, the CIC made several observations.

To support reform of the sector, Government must ensure that there’s an incentive for professionals to put themselves under rules of ethics, professional conduct and Continuing Professional Development. In many disciplines, there are a significant number of individuals working in the sector outside of any relevant professional institution or discipline.

The CIC has set out a Plan of Actions needed to strengthen professional standards, reinforce public trust and raise standards of governance and professional competence in the built environment sector. CIC members have done (and continue to do) a huge amount around improving competence and are keen to work with Government to deliver the reforms that the sector needs.

Regulation and oversight

Regulation and oversight must be proportionate and co-designed with industry in order to be robust. Government itself has a huge role to play in both working with the professional bodies and bringing about broader behavioural change through procurement, prompt payment, enforcement of existing rules and engaging in a practical way beyond the role of legislator and regulator.

As the built environment sector’s biggest client and with a pipeline of hundreds of billions of pounds’ worth of work over the next decade, there’s plenty that can be done within the current system that would make a transformational change.

The building stock will be used by future generations and needs to play its part in order to provide a robust defence against overheating, flooding, wildfires and other climate-linked events. This will lead to a wider discussion over what’s considered ‘safety-critical’.

A strategy focused narrowly on fire and structural engineering and Building Control professionals will miss the gaps that most affect flood risk, overheating and the success of energy saving measures (including retrofit). Addressing this within Government’s vision will help to protect consumers and the UK’s safety and national security in addition to reducing pressure on public services.

AI: opportunities and challenges 

The CIC re-emphasised the call it made in the Single Construction Regulator prospectus consultation for Government to work with industry on the opportunities and challenges of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data interoperability and to help break down the barriers to collaboration (including poor legacy data, cost, poor cyber security, limited digital skills and insufficient clarity over data ownership).

Graham Watts OBE (CEO at the CIC) commented: “The professional institutions have continued to make improvements in their competence requirements for members, both in terms of their initial qualification and their ongoing development, but there are many people working in professional occupations that deliberately remain outside of the formal professional body network.”

Watts continued: “Whatever the Government chooses to do in relation to professional regulation, it absolutely must ensure that standards are raised across the sector and not just for those who already submit themselves to the requirements of the professional institutions. Government must build on the change that has already been made.”