It is my privilege to introduce, on behalf of the SpeCC Board, a scheme that will, over time, transform the concrete building industry.

SpeCC - the Registration Scheme for specialist concrete contractors, will serve to advance the quality of concrete construction. This will be achieved by identifying, under the Scheme, criteria that will establish the competency and reliability of contractors and subject such criteria to regular inspection and audit.

The ultimate success of the Scheme will depend upon client support and specification of the scheme and its Registered Contractors. I am convinced that all concerned parties will benefit from the scheme, along with the industry as a whole.

SpeCC undertakes independent audits covering the whole spectrum of issues required by clients and will only Register Contractors with the scheme if they have been proven to meet these requirements.

Registration will require the contractors to,

• meet the criteria set for each relevant Sector of the scheme, and maintain that level of competence throughout the life of Registration, confirmed by Annual audits (Please see the 'Registration Requirements' of the scheme for more detail).

Clients that use registered contractors will,

• have ready access to a reputable and professional contractor
• have confidence in the services offered by such specialist contractors
• benefit from a co-operative approach.

The Scheme took some while to develop under the auspices of CONSTRUCT with support from the then DETR. Having developed the Scheme it has been subject to a pilot phase to assist contractors through the registration process. This work has also been supported by the DTi, to whom the Board wish to express their thanks.

As contractors sign up to registration under the Scheme a quality based operational culture will develop that will deliver client expectation and minimise remedial action and the adversarial attitude that accompanies it.

The Scheme, formally launched in April 2002, is in keeping with both government and industry's aspirations to provide a quality driven service.

Prof. Peter Hewlett
Chairman of SpeCC
2002