Industry Awareness of The Business Roundtable's CICE Project

This study is the second phase of a three phase research project to evaluate the impact of the Business Roundtable’s Construction Industry Cost Effectiveness (CICE) Project on the United States Construction Industry.

The basic data for the study were collected by a telephone survey in combination with a written questionnaire. 391 survey respondents were randomly selected from published lists of the largest firms in the nation. A sub-sample of 196 smaller Indiana construction firms was surveyed to compare to the survey of the large firms. Where statistical comparisons were possible, the results were very similar.

The basic level of awareness of construction industry participants of the CICE Project is still low. Slightly over one third of the main survey respondents, 36%, were aware of the project. General contractors, construction managers, and public owners were reasonably aware, while designers, private owners, and specialty contractors had a lower awareness. Educators, who comprised 10% of the sample, reported a 95% awareness of the project.

Approximately half, 56%, of the respondents who were aware of the CICE Project are utilizing the information to implement new programs to improve cost effectiveness in their firms. Of these firms, 53% felt significant results had been achieved, 39% felt it was still too early to tell, and 8% had reported no improvement. Three groups, general contractors, private owners, and educators, indicated more significant implementation efforts.

There is considerable interest in the CICE Project and its concepts amongst organizations aware of it. Of the main survey respondents to the project questionnaire, 68% indicated that they would be willing to participate in future project activities, while 89% of those who have tried to implement new programs volunteered to assist with an implementation study. Of the respondents who were not aware of the project, 76% requested that they be sent a set of the CICE Project reports.

These results, two years after completion and first distribution of the CICE Project reports, indicate that a significant segment of this large and diversified industry has been reached. However, the survey also indicates that the CICE reports have not been well studied even though their value as resource documents was rated high. Though the CICE reports have been very instrumental in influencing changes in the industry, the reports alone are not sufficient to accomplish the goal of promoting better cost effectiveness in the construction industry. More personal interaction and audio-visual presentations are also needed.

Recommendations

The Business Roundtable, the Construction Industry Institute, professional societies and other organizations representing the participants in the United States Construction Industry should continue their efforts to promote the concepts of the CICE Project. Construction education programs in the United States should make their students fully aware of the concepts of cost effectiveness in construction as an integral part of their educational process.