OPINION
constructionmanagermagazine.com
Entering ‘the room where it happens’ We need more women in positions of influence to shift construction’s gender balance. By Virginia Borkoski
Caroline Gumble CIOB
Cladding proposals need a rethink The government’s solution for replacing unsafe cladding should not burden leaseholders with paying for something over which they had no influence or control, says Caroline Gumble
Recladding work on Galliard’s New Capital Quay development in Greenwich
The CIOB has been actively supporting the building safety agenda and, as part of that, monitoring the issue of cladding remediation for some time now. It is very clearly a matter of public interest and relevant across the breadth of the construction industry. It is important to understand the scale of the problem – figures from the new build database and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicate that up to 11 million people in the UK are in accommodation that is potentially unsafe. There’s no doubt that this situation is causing unnecessary distress to so many people – and it’s clearly compounded by the current lockdown, with some people literally stuck all day, every day in a high-rise flat. While there is no doubt that the construction industry has a role to play in
ensuring that a situation such as that which led to the Grenfell tragedy can never happen again, there is also leadership required from government to work with the industry and residents impacted by this issue. The government recently announced a package of measures intended to help with the remediation of potentially unsafe cladding on high-rise buildings. Robert Jenrick MP, secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, outlined what he called an “unprecedented intervention”, with some additional funding and a five-point plan which was supposed to “provide reassurance to homeowners”. Those proposals will only help to alleviate the distress of a fraction of those affected. Early in February, in response to an opposition day debate on ‘protecting tenants and leaseholders from unsafe cladding’, the CIOB issued a call to the government, to commit to acting immediately on finding a funding solution which does not penalise leaseholders and leave them burdened with paying, even in part, for historical building safety remediation works, while also ensuring that these costs are excluded from the proposed building safety charge. While those in the industry are leading the way on driving up quality standards in construction, I believe we need to see a more practical and targeted response from government, including prioritising buildings under 18m in height where there might be vulnerable residents, and a funding solution which does not penalise leaseholders and leave them burdened with paying for something over which they had no influence or control. ● Caroline Gumble is CEO of the CIOB.
Just 9%. That is still the percentage of women working in all roles in the US construction industry. This statistic has remained steady for years now. As a woman with over 30 years’ experience in the construction industry, now in an executive leadership role, I continuously ask myself, and am asked by others, one simple question: Why? One question I have in response: Are we in ‘the room where it happens’? If you know the Hamilton song, you will also know that it is an elitist mystery, as to what actually happens, ‘in the room where it happens’. To be able to shape policy and have a voice, a strong voice, women need to be in that room. Power influence, respect, confidence, alliances, politics and strategy all emanate from here. Plans are made, deals are struck, relationships forged, negotiations conducted. When women are in the room, we can and must influence a shift in policies and attitudes that can raise that 9% statistic. Whether it is a boardroom for a public company, a not-for-profit organisation, a senior leadership conference room, a partners’ dinner or an executive Zoom call – if women are not in the room, we are easily forgotten. Research tells us that unconscious and implicit bias have significant exclusionary effects on women’s potential for advancing in the consistently male-dominated industry. All of us recognise ‘replicative hiring and selection’, and even when proactive policies are instituted to improve diversity, most companies still either consciously or unconsciously look for similar cultural, personality, background and values traits, perpetuating hiring ‘in our own image’. How do women get into these ‘rooms’? Through perseverance. Being proactive. Confidence. Experience. Having a champion. And yes, some luck. And what happens when you finally find yourself ‘in the room’? The bar is set high for the small percentage of women that make it, requiring a balance of setting the example while setting the stage. Bringing others with us in spirit who have not yet arrived. Understanding the responsibility to influence hearts and minds. Reaching up with one hand, while reaching back to raise others up. Championing women’s advancement. Making space and opening doors – especially those that lead to ‘the room where it happens’. Virginia Borkoski FCIOB is program executive at New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority and a trustee of the CIOB.
14 | CONSTRUCTION MANAGER MARCH 2021
14_15.CMMar21.caroline.feedback_scW.indd 14
16/02/2021 10:52
