Leading professional bodies for construction and engineering have joined together to help the industry reduce the costs of conflict, and deliver major infrastructure and property development projects on time and on budget. The Conflict Avoidance Pledge is driving behaviour change in the land, property and construction industry by encouraging all organisations to consider their working practices and the way they deal with disputes. The pledge is voluntary and self-assessed, and can be signed by any organisation or firm regardless of size or location.
RICS writes:
When an organisation signs the pledge, it means they are committed to:
- working proactively to avoid conflict and facilitating early resolution of potential disputes.
- developing their capability in the early identification of potential disputes and in the use of conflict avoidance measures.
- promoting the value of collaborative working to prevent issues developing into disputes.
- working with industry partners to identify, promote and utilise conflict avoidance mechanisms.
- There is no fee or cost to become a signatory and, once you have made your pledge, you will be able to display the pledge’s logo on promotional materials.
The Conflict Avoidance Pledge is as follows:
- We believe in collaborative working and the use of early intervention techniques throughout the supply chain, to try to resolve differences of opinion before they escalate into disputes.
- We recognise the importance of embedding conflict avoidance mechanisms into projects with the aim of identifying, controlling and managing potential conflict, whilst preventing the need for formal, adversarial dispute resolution procedures. We commit our resources to embedding these into our projects.
- We commit to working proactively to avoid conflict and to facilitate early resolution of potential disputes.
- We commit to developing our capability in the early identification of potential disputes and in the use of conflict avoidance measures. We will promote the value of collaborative working to prevent issues developing into disputes.
- We commit to work with our industry partners to identify, promote and utilise conflict avoidance mechanisms.
All you need to know about the Pledge
Why was it created?
The financial cost of disputes in the construction industry is measured in billions of pounds. Conflict also causes immeasurable harm to business relationships and brand reputations, and is extremely slow and difficult to resolve. When problems occur, projects are frequently delivered behind schedule and over budget. Many contracting parties are now focusing on encouraging collaborative working and the use of early intervention techniques to try and resolve differences of opinion before they escalate into full blown disputes. An increasing number of major infrastructure bodies are now using embedded conflict avoidance mechanisms to control and manage potential conflict and prevent the need for formal dispute resolution procedures, such as adjudication, arbitration or litigation.
Several of the UK’s leading professional bodies for construction and engineering have joined together to help the industry reduce the costs of conflict, and deliver major infrastructure and property development projects on time and on budget. They are:
- Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
- Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
- International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) United Kingdom
- Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
- Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)
- Dispute Resolution Board Foundation (DRBF)
- Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (ICES)
- Transport for London (TfL)
- Network Rail
The ambition of this collaboration is to promote greater understanding and use of conflict avoidance techniques, which help contracting parties deal with differences of opinion early and amicably, and avoid costly, slow and potentially damaging litigation. The collaboration is also developing initiatives to inform you, and similar high-level decision-makers, about the added value of these techniques and how to access and use them.
How to implement and apply
The Conflict Avoidance Coalition Steering Group have developed a toolkit which provides you with a guide to best practice, tips for implementation and other tools that will allow you to effectively apply the Pledge within your firm/organisation.
The toolkit has been shaped by feedback from industry partners to ensure it meets the needs of users. The toolkit aims to educate people working across the industry about the lifecycle of conflict avoidance and early intervention to prevent disputes.
What am I/my firm committing to by signing the Pledge?
By signing the Pledge, your firm/organisation:
- Will immediately become a member of the International Conflict Avoidance Pledge Coalition
- Will have its name, field of activity and logo listed on Conflict Avoidance Pledge website
- Will be entitled to use the Conflict Avoidance Pledge logo on your corporate documents, website and promotional materials
- Will be entitled to use the words “Member of the Conflict Avoidance Coalition” on your corporate documents, website and promotional materials
As a member of the Conflict Avoidance Coalition, you will also receive Coalition newsletters and notice of CAP events. You will also benefit from the growing international interest in Conflict Avoidance and collaborative contracting, and through the work of the Coalition, bring your organisation’s engagement with these principles to the attention of potential business partners.
