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Remember the nineties? When things were a bit... kinder than they are today? The Cold War was over, there was a jazz-loving president in the White House and Nelson Mandela was building a new South Africa. It was the golden age of 鈥榮oft power鈥�. The construction industry was under the spell too. The nineties were all about 鈥楥onstructing the Team鈥�, shared goals, partnerships and backing down from squaring up.

First coined in 1990, soft power involves wielding power over others not by threatening them with sticks or paying them with carrots, but by co-opting them so that they want what you want. Examples of soft power in global politics may be sorely lacking today, but in construction it鈥檚 a concept that still finds favour. And another idea born in the nineties 鈥� the Considerate Constructors Scheme 鈥� perhaps offers one of the best examples of soft power in action.

The 10-year-old industry-run scheme aims to improve construction鈥檚 image by gauging a project鈥檚 neighbourliness and the quality of its workplace provisions as well as promoting sustainable building. Its voluntary code of practice is adopted by participating firms who receive site visits from monitors who record how well the code is being observed.

Good sites are rewarded, for example at an annual awards ceremony, while poor sites are encouraged to do better. It鈥檚 all part of the soft power ethos. 鈥榃e don鈥檛 have teeth, but we do have weight,鈥� suggests general manager Edward Hardy. Much of that weight has been inherited from Sir Michael Latham鈥檚 industry-shaking report which inspired the scheme鈥檚 inception.

As I would learn during a day shadowing monitor and scheme director Mike Mitchell, a visit from the Considerate Constructors Scheme is more 鈥榤ilk and two sugars please鈥� than 鈥榮how us your books鈥�. But despite the gentle approach, it seems to be getting its message across. Roughly 30% of UK construction activity is registered with the scheme. As Hardy says: 鈥業n the early days we had to sell the scheme to reassure people it wasn鈥檛 about more red tape and making life difficult. But now it鈥檚 broadly accepted.鈥�

Not all parts of the UK are compliant however. Uptake in Scotland is particularly poor, although it did provide this year鈥檚 most considerate site, a Scottish Water project in Perthshire.

The monitors are 鈥榯he backbone鈥� of the scheme and the secret of its success. 鈥業鈥檝e heard that on many occasions they have been the most experienced professionals to have visited a site,鈥� claims Hardy. Mitchell says that during visits, he鈥檒l temper the inspection according to three factors: the size of the contractor involved, the size of the project and the experience of the site manager. 鈥業f a small builder is not sure of its environmental policy, we鈥檒l say, 鈥渋t鈥檇 be good to check that鈥�. But if it鈥檚 one of the big boys, we鈥檇 be like, 鈥渃ome on!鈥�.鈥�

Hardy adds that the complaints system is crucial to the scheme. 鈥楾here were 118 complaints in March, UK wide. On receipt we take them directly to the contractor. They tend to be dealt with fairly quickly.鈥�

Considerate Constructors has stayed true to its original remit, but as legislation and industry have evolved, so has its questions.

It now asks, for example, if contractors are monitoring their carbon footprints, if they provide access for all, and how many of its operatives speak English. If you believe in soft power, then simply by raising these questions, the scheme becomes a potent force for change. 鈥楽even years ago we asked if showers were provided on site. Back then it was a tiny percentage. Now, practically all large sites have them. We鈥檝e helped bring about that change,鈥� says Hardy.

Whether an hour 鈥� the time allocated for a visit 鈥� is enough for the monitors to work with is a moot point. 鈥業t is and it isn鈥檛,鈥� muses Hardy, adding that 60 minutes is a lot of time out of a site manager鈥檚 busy schedule.

Alternative programmes, such as Westminster council鈥檚 Considerate Builder Scheme, are another moot point. Hardy is diplomatic when he says he is happy to work with other schemes and adds 鈥榯heir remit is more concerned with road congestion anyway鈥�. But he does concede that in the long term, a single point of reference is preferable. 鈥楾he industry needs a standardised benchmark,鈥� he admits.

The nationwide scheme is not without its critics. Some question the experience and aptitude of the monitors while others suggest it is pointless to award brownie points to a project if it is neighbourly but suffers from poor internal relations as, some believe, has been the case with previous winners. Says Hardy: 鈥榃e have to remember what our remit is. What we do is simple: we monitor how the site is projected to the outside world. There are other bodies which cover a number of site-related issues.鈥� And the quality of its monitors? 鈥榃e have a rigorous selection process in place now. Not everyone makes it. About three quarters of applicants become monitors.鈥�

Furthermore, in June, the industry body will publish an independent report which will judge its success in terms of goals achieved and how it is perceived. Hardy promises it will be a 鈥榳arts and all鈥� investigation.

But there鈥檚 another, less introspective initiative, planned for its tenth anniversary year. Edwards explains: 鈥榃e鈥檙e asking, 鈥淲hat is the site of the future?鈥� and through the scheme we hope to drive the industry towards that ideal.鈥� Whether that鈥檚 wishful thinking or soft power in action is up for debate. Put the kettle on and let鈥檚 talk about it. cm

More information:

www.considerateconstructorsscheme.org.uk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_power