One sign of greatness is being able to admit to mistakes and learn from them. It seems that construction cannot or will not learn from past failings and is about to return to single-stage tendering and confrontational relationships (12 June, page 29)

Frameworks are important, but it is the principle of working as a team and focusing on delivering a great project that has to be the goal. Teamwork or collaborative working was central to Egan and we should not get too hung up about frameworks per se.

At the heart of the problem is the short-termism driven by money. Yes, clients are under pressure, but so is everyone else. Negotiation and discussion to agree a plan for a project that suits everyone and provides real value for the customer must be the goal.

Tendering on price is a huge step back towards litigation and adversarial working, which are a recipe for bad buildings. It might be going too far to say that the industry appears to be dominated by recidivists, but let’s at least hope this compulsion to lapse into bad habits is resisted. Then maybe we can come out of this mess without creating more work for the lawyers.

Milica Kitson, chief executive, Constructing Excellence in Wales

Topics