Council update September 2021

Following an open strategy session looking at creating the government’s design champions, ICE Council members discussed a range of topics including ICE’s Driving Productivity Knowledge Programme, and a Fairness, Inclusion and Respect survey.

ICE Driving Productivity knowledge programme

The ICE Plan states our commitment to collaborating with others to support the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). In line with UNSDG 8 and 9, one of the strands of our knowledge programme over the next five years will focus on transforming the productivity of our industry, in part by driving modern methods of procurement and manufacture.

With construction productivity lagging behind most other major sectors, it is essential that we start delivering more for less. If we are to make meaningful strides in tackling issues such as climate change and population growth, we know we need transformation rather than incremental change.

Enabling Better Infrastructure and Project 13 are projects which ICE has already launched, the latter in collaboration with the Infrastructure Client Group (ICG) and ICE’s new Productivity Community Advisory Board (CAB) will bring together ICE communities and stakeholders to take forward the programme.

Council members participated in an engaging discussion about what ICE can do to be agents of change and looked at questions including what clients should be asking for during procurement. Some really interesting thinking emerged, and I know that my successor as ICE President, Ed McCann, is very keen to explore the input from Council members and industry thinkers as he explores productivity and design as his key theme.

Fairness, Inclusion and Respect Committee membership survey and the anti-racism toolkit

The timing of the Council meeting coincided with the England football team’s very successful Euro 2020 campaign. The success was overshadowed by the abhorrent online abuse that several Black players received, once again thrusting racism into the spotlight. It was timely that the chair of ICE’s Fairness, Inclusion and Respect (FIR) Committee, Kate Cairns, presented the findings of a membership survey into racism.

The results of the survey are stark and Council is keen that ICE leads the way in looking at the findings of the survey with a view to helping industry do better. One such tool is ICE’s Anti-Racism Toolkit, designed in association with Association for Black and Minority Engineers (AFBE), aimed at offering advice to the industry on how to help make lives better at work for Black and minority ethnic employees.

The survey identifies where there are opportunities to make positive change and I urge you to take a look at it and the kit, and ask yourself “Am I doing enough to be actively anti-racist?”

Chartered Infrastructure Engineer

I’m pleased that members are continuing to show their support for the proposed Chartered Infrastructure Engineer title, which will help us to broaden our membership and the range of skills held by qualified members. Council is eager to take the discussion out into the membership so that when it is time to vote in early 2022, they have all the facts to make a fully informed decision.

I’m delighted to say that I will be hosting a further discussion opportunity later in September with a panel drawn from across our membership. I really do hope that you are able to join and put any questions you have to our panel.