In January, The Save Construction Initiative (SCI) was represented at a BE News Roundtable in Birmingham by our North Wales Chair, Tania Knowles. SCI and Freeths were proud sponsors of the event. The roundtable focused on ‘How to Manage Risk and Avoid Project Failure‘, bringing together industry professionals to share practical insight into the issues that continue to impact delivery across the sector.
Tania described the event as “a valuable opportunity to be in a room full of like-minded professionals, all aligned on the need to improve how the industry plans, procures, and collaborates”. A recurring theme in the discussion was the urgent need for a cultural and behavioural shift, moving towards greater transparency and collaboration, earlier contractor engagement, and stepping away from systems and norms that no longer serve the industry.
What the room agreed on
While viewpoints varied across the table, several consistent challenges emerged, along with practical actions that could reduce risk on live projects and across organisations.
Early contractor engagement, done properly
Participants emphasised that early contractor engagement can reduce both delivery risk and financial strain, especially as projects progress and pressures compound. However, the group also acknowledged that early market engagement can sometimes feel tokenistic, where key decisions have already been made before meaningful industry input is invited. The clear message was that engagement must be genuine, with the supply chain brought in early enough to influence outcomes.
Procurement that enables delivery, not just selection
Procurement was highlighted as an area where risk is often baked in from the start, with calls for fairer processes, clearer visibility, and more realistic timeframes for pricing work. When programmes are rushed or unclear, risk transfers down the chain, and it rarely stays contained.
Payment culture and insolvency risk
The conversation also returned to the sector’s long-standing payment culture, and its role in driving instability and insolvency. Retentions were raised as part of this issue, alongside the need for contracts that are realistic, workable, and properly agreed by all parties. The group’s view was that improving payment behaviours is not a ‘nice to have’, it is fundamental risk management.
Skills shortages remain a live issue
The skills gap continues across multiple disciplines, affecting project certainty and delivery capacity. The discussion reinforced that this challenge is ongoing and interconnected with wider planning, commercial pressures, and industry confidence.
Risk is behavioural as well as contractual
A powerful thread running through the discussion was that risk management is not only about process, it is also about mindset, resulting in a call for better change management, and for businesses to invest in becoming more reflective, rather than reactive.
This linked to a wider point around industry culture, particularly the need to shift away from a fear-based environment, where scarcity and uncertainty drive defensive behaviours. With economic security and the political climate feeding anxiety, the roundtable suggested a move from a “Fear Culture” to one of “Faith”, where trust, collaboration, and long-term thinking are supported and rewarded.
The group also discussed the impact of hierarchy across the supply chain, including the language used to describe different disciplines depending on where businesses sit. Cultural shifts, including how we talk about each other’s role in delivery, were seen as essential to improving collaboration and reducing risk.
Looking ahead
One encouraging takeaway was a shared appetite for stronger, relationship-led working. The discussion reflected that the industry needs more partnerships that are not purely transactional, with procurement and communication structures that encourage long-term relationships rather than short-term leverage.
Tania also highlighted a striking statistic shared in the discussion by Chris Mackenzie-Grieve, that product values account for 24% of a project’s overall value, raising serious questions about efficiency and the potential waste of public funds.
SCI would like to thank Liz Hamson for moderating the discussion, and BE News for organising an important conversation at a time when the industry needs practical solutions. Let’s keep the conversations going!