星空传媒

Nigel Griffiths, the new minister responsible for the construction industry, attended the launch of the BSRIA Partnering Toolkit on 24 June, which was hosted by the Specialist Engineering Alliance. The initiative's aim is to encourage all parties within the team to commit to partnering by helping them to fully understand and appreciate the key principles and benefits to be derived from its adoption.

BSRIA recognises the plethora of information already on the market with regards to partnering but feels that this latest initiative will better explain the actual benefits to the parties involved, rather than coming purely from the client's perspective. Greater information is available to suppliers, specialist contractors and manufacturers and early involvement of key players, including the m&e sector, is seen as crucial to fully benefit from partnering.

The Toolkit sets out critical factors for partnering, which include: trust; commitment towards team building; a high level of senior management involvement; openness; early involvement of key players; and identification of mutual objectives.

However, the Toolkit also highlights that partnering can not be entered into half-heartedly. It challenges the reader to question their motives for partnering and whether they have the appropriate mindset and company culture to adapt to the new ways of thinking required by what can be a radical shift in the way business is done.

The Toolkit goes on to set out mechanisms that should be considered to enable a successful partnering project and the reasons why they will benefit all partners on a scheme.

For more information on the BSRIA Partnering Toolkit, which costs 拢60 to non-members and 拢40 to members, contact BSRIA on 01344 426511 or go to www.bsria.co.uk.