The Construction Quality Improvement Collaborative (CQIC) is described as “a charter to drive for quality, sustainability and collaboration across construction industry”.

It is an initiative of the Scottish Construction Accord, launched in October 2022 to promote workforce diversity, procurement reform, digital technology, modern methods of construction, net zero and build quality.

Industry leaders in Scotland hope that the existence of the CQIC charter will induce companies to change how they do things and to put “construction quality at the centre of all decision-making”.

The charter is supported by the Construction Scotland Industry Leadership Group, the Construction Leadership Forum and the Scottish Futures Trust as well as of the Scottish Construction Accord

Construction Scotland Industry Leadership Group chair Ron Fraser said: “As we face some of the greatest challenges we have ever had to deal with, we need to work differently, learn from each other and tackle the things that no longer serve our sector or our clients.

“While we all aim for the same positive outcomes, we can sometimes find ourselves tackling challenges on our own rather than finding ways to collaborate with others. The CQIC initiative wants to change that so that everyone involved in projects works together to achieve the levels of quality expected.”

Construction Leadership Forum chair Ivan McKee, who is minister for business in Scotland’s devolved government, said: “Following the launch of our Construction Accord, the Construction Leadership Forum’s next phase will be one of action and delivery, with quality at the heart of that work. We don’t underestimate the scale of that challenge and, to succeed, every individual must take responsibility for quality. It’s encouraging to see Construction Quality Improvement Collaborative lead in championing this important issue and I look forward to seeing quality improvements across the sector.”

Peter Reekie, chief executive of infrastructure body the Scottish Futures Trust and chair of the transformation board of the Scottish Construction Accord, said: “This is a key moment for the construction sector, and I know that everyone involved is ready to step forward to address the challenges and opportunities set out in the accord. We all know that getting it right first time makes sense financially, environmentally, and importantly, from a safety perspective. It is also vital if we are going to deliver on our target for achieving net zero.”

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