Behavioural Based Continuous Improvement - a solution to poor productivity in construction? Learning from the safety industry.

If the UK is to deliver its infrastructure pipeline then clearly there needs to be a shift change in how projects are delivered and the productivity levels that can be achieved. McKinsey’s latest report, Improving Construction Productivity, highlights the need for greater collaboration and sharing of knowledge. However a significant shift in mindset will be required to achieve the level of collaboration, trust and transparent knowledge sharing proposed, to change behaviours for everyone working on and involved in major projects. 

Behaviour based safety programmes have led to significant improvements in safety performance in construction over the last 15-20 years and quality programmes are similarly moving in this direction.  Are behaviour based programmes the next step to achieving a collaborative and engaged workforce, supply chain and client team with a common goal of continuous improvement leading to improved project productivity?

This article discusses how a behavioural based approach to safety could be adapted to continuous improvement on major projects and proposes a model for Behavioural Based Continuous Improvement (BBCI) with a call to action to help test this model for practical implementation by major projects.

Introduction

A recent report by Arcadis Opportunity Knocks: Delivering the UK’s Infrastructure Pipeline (1) stated that the UK needs to double its output over the next 10 years to be able to achieve the infrastructure pipeline and that the industry needs to undergo a significant shift in ways of working to achieve this. It called for a new level of collaboration between stakeholders, planning authorities and the supply chain all working towards one goal. 

The construction industry suffers from poor productivity comparative to other sectors such as manufacturing as shown in the chart from McKinsey’s report on Improving Construction Productivity (2). 

Figure 1: Productivity comparison of construction and manufacturing sectors

The McKinsey report highlights seven levers to improve productivity, a common theme of which is the need to collaborate and share knowledge.  For example:

• Contractual systems focused on collaboration and problem solving (requiring a level of trust for transparent sharing of data)
• A move towards standardised design libraries that support repeatability rather than custom spec
• Building longer-term supplier and subcontractor relationships (learning from the aerospace industry)
• Supplier development programmes
• Owners needing to implement change across all three aspects of a project: management systems, technical systems, and mind-sets in on-site execution
• Owner – contractor collaboration for innovation in digital technologies, advanced materials and automation.

To achieve this level of collaboration, trust and transparent knowledge sharing a significant change in mindset is required to change behaviours for everyone working on and involved in major projects. 

Are behaviour based programmes the next step to achieving a collaborative and engaged workforce, supply chain and client team with a common goal of continuous improvement leading to improved project productivity?

What can we learn from Behaviour Based Safety programmes?

Lessons can be learned from how safety culture programmes have led to significant improvements in safety performance in construction over the last 15-20 years. Figure 2 from the HSE statistics(3) shows an overall downward trend of all workplace injury in the construction sector since 2001/02. The rate in 2013/14 was around 40% less than in 2001/02.

Figure 2: HSE statistics: Incident rate of self-reported injuries in the construction sector

Mindsets have been changed largely in part to the use of behavioural safety programmes. The Pybus’ model in Figure 3 charts the development of safety culture starting from the ‘traditional’ phase where rules, enforcement and individuality dominate leading to a reduction in accidents although its effectiveness then plateaus. The ‘transitional’ phase then places an emphasis on the importance of engineering controls and safety management systems; helping to reduce accidents further until another plateau is reached. Finally the innovative phase, where trust in people and being proactive are seen to be essential in order to further reduce accidents, is generated. In this phase, people are key elements and their behaviours become crucial in enhancing safety performance. Talabi describes this in his paper Behaviour-based safety (BBS): a construction industry's perspective(4) and points out that it is important that the features of the earlier phases must continue to be applied along with the emphases of the newer phase however a more humanistic approach to safety is the way to further enhance safety performance.

Figure 3: Evolution of safety, Pybus model

Could this approach to building safety culture be transferred to other cultural change programmes, in particular could it be applied to continuous improvement on major programmes focused on improving productivity?

Application analysis of IOSH Safety features to Continuous Improvement

Let’s consider the features of a behavioural based approach to safety as set out by IOSH(5) and assess their transferability into a behavioural based approach to continuous improvement:

1. Leading from the top - Top management needs to ‘buy-into’ the programme to ensure commitment and resources for the organisation.  Good leadership applies equally to continuous improvement as it does to safety. 
2. Significant workforce participation - Full engagement of the workforce in the programme is an essential part of behaviourial safety. Without this engagement it’s difficult to make improvements.  Similarly for behaviours associated with learning from experience and continuous improvement on site, it will be essential that the workforce are engaged such that they want to contribute. See below proposed Behavioural Based Continuous Improvement (BBCI) which engages the workforce.
3. Targeting specific unsafe behaviours - The programme focuses on the small percentage of unsafe behaviours that are responsible for a large percentage of an organisation’s accidents and incident records. Getting employees and management working together to understand the reasons for unsafe behaviour and to identify and agree targets for change helps to promote ownership and agree common behavioural measures.    The BBCI programme focuses on the small percentage of behaviours that are responsible for the large percentage of quality and learning incidents. The programme gets the workforce and management working together to understand the reasons for behaviours that lead to quality and learning incidents and to identify and agree targets for change. 
4. Observational data collection - Trained observers regularly monitor their colleagues’ safety behaviour against agreed measures. Making an observation is like taking a photograph – it provides a snapshot of a moment in time. The greater the number of observations, the more reliable the data become, as the employees true behavioural pattern can be established.  Observations can be expanded to cover continuous improvement, not so much a photograph but a snapshot of opinion focusing on process & delivery improvement, inefficiencies, knowledge gaps encouraging positive ideas and innovation. 
5. Data-driven decision making processes  - The data from the observation process allow you to measure safety performance. You can then examine the trends in these data to identify the key operational areas that need improvement. It’s then possible to positively reinforce employees safe behaviours whilst taking steps to correct unsafe behaviours.  The data from the observation process allow you to measure continuous improvement culture. You can identify the trends in these data to identify continuous improvement initiatives. It’s then possible to positively reinforce good practice in continuous improvement through sharing of process improvements or ideas whilst taking steps to reduce issues, improve lessons learning and fill knowledge gaps.
6. Organised improvement intervention - The planned intervention often begins with briefing sessions in those work areas and departments that will be involved. Then volunteer groups are brought together, such as steering committee and observers, who then receive training in observation and feedback techniques. The project team oversees the development of the process in the organisation, from the initial analysis of accident and incident data through to monitoring performance, setting goals and reviewing progress.  See proposed BBCI programme below.

Behaviour Based Continuous Improvement

Adapting the behaviour based approach to safety model, a Behaviour Based Continuous Improvement programme model is proposed as below.

Continuous improvement means continuously seeking to improve performance on the project. This may be through collaborating and sharing knowledge and learning lessons before, during and after a major project and capturing innovation and good ideas at all levels of the project team and the supply chain as well as using lean and six sigma to optimise processes and reduce inefficiencies. 

Behavioural Based Continuous Improvement (BBCI) aims to embed continuous improvement behaviours into the culture of the major project at all levels from client team through the on site delivery teams and off site supply chain. 

BBCI requires structured knowledge tools and systems that support collaborative working and knowledge sharing with specifically trained and accountable enabling resources in place such as a central Knowledge and Innovation Management team(s) working closely with the Quality, and Process Improvement teams (eg, Lean/Six-Sigma). Also of importance is dispersed leadership of knowledge and innovation within the project and functional teams with identified Knowledge and Innovation Champions supporting their team to share knowledge and continuously improve to deliver productivity improvements.

Taking the lead from safety a BBCI programme would focus on ownership of continuous improvement goals and activities by the workforce and other project personnel using observers from the workforce. They key point of a behavioural based programme is that the workforce own the process and decide which behaviours they want to improve. It does however require significant commitment by management and investment in training and ongoing support. 

A framework for this is proposed below:

Figure 4: BBCI Steering Group

Management within the supply chain and main contractor/client team are all trained in behavioural based continuous improvement. The project lead or senior management will also be the named Knowledge Lead.  

Knowledge and Innovation Champions are typically team leaders trained in BBCI. The Knowledge and Innovation Champions bring feedback regarding their experience to the BBCI Steering Group

Observers are employees and members of the workforce trained in continuous improvement observations. Observers work with their work teams to set goals for their own work area and pin-point key areas to observe and with the Knowledge and Innovation Champions to agree and review observation goals. 

The BBCI Facilitator and Manager is part of the core continuous improvement team and is responsible for training the teams and management in behavioural based continuous improvement. They are also responsible for supporting the Project Manager for the BBCI steering group and facilitating the steering group meetings.

The Knowledge and Innovation Managers proactively engage with the workforce to reinforce the continuous improvement culture and generate ideas, and support the Observers and Champions on the BBCI programme.

The BBCI Steering Group is chaired by the Project Manager and brings together the Knowledge Champions from the workforce and management teams to review trends and agree strategic direction.

Communications campaign

Communications is also a key part of influencing and sustaining a culture. This could include:

• Strategic campaign eg, Safety has Target Zero, Quality has Right First Time, BBCI could be Learn >> Share >> Improve
• High profile interactive reporting of statistics, through site posters, intranet, newsletters, staff briefings, etc eg, no of learning incidents; no of innovations; Continuous Improvement stats from performance assurance framework
• Quality Alerts – Learning Incidents – showcasing repeated errors and recommendations for improvement
• Continuous Improvement Awards – celebrating the excellence of the supply chain
• Supervisors – trained in communication skills as part of BBCI for delivery of effective key messages
• Stepping Up week – a week of events focusing on engaging the supply chain on Continuous improvement activities
• Reward and recognition scheme - celebrating success of the Continuous Improvement programme, eg, through an awards scheme that recognises those that have gone above and beyond in contributing towards a continuous improvement initiave or an idea

What does a pre- and post-Continuous Improvement culture look like?

Construction Quality (6) uses the table below to describe the culture before and after quality incident monitoring is embedded and similar parallels can be drawn for measuring Learning Incidents and  Knowledge Management Performance Indicator (7):

Call to Action

If the UK is to deliver its infrastructure pipeline then clearly there needs to be a shift change in how projects are delivered and the productivity levels that can be achieved. It is proposed that Behavioural Based Continuous Improvement (BBCI) is one such initiative that can help this cause. 

I am collaborating with Mick Hill of Greenhouse Integration, a culture change expert, and we are setting up a workshop in November to test this BBCI model with industry players from major projects. The aim of the workshop is to deliver a practical BBCI model that can be published for use by major projects. If you are interested in participating in this workshop then please do get in touch.

References

1 Arcadis (2017) Opportunity Knocks: Delivering the UK’s Infrastructure Pipeline. www.arcadis.com

2 McKinsey (2017) Improving Construction Productivity. www.mckinsey.com

3 HSE (2016) Health and safety in construction sector in Great Britain, 2014/15. www.hse.gov.uk

4 TALABI, B.O., GIBB, A.G.F. and EDUM-FOTWE, F.T., 2015. Behaviour-based safety (BBS): a construction industry's perspective. IN: Behm, M. and McAleenan, C. (eds). Proceedings of the CIB W099 Benefitting Workers and Society through Inherently Safe(r) Construction, 9th-11th September 2015, Belfast, pp. 181 - 190.

5 IOSH (2015) Looking for higher standards: Behavioural safety - improving performance. www.iosh.co.uk

6 Construction Quality Executives Council (2015) Measuring Quality in Construction. www.constructionqualitycouncil.org

7 Karen Elson (2017) Learning Incident Rate - measuring lessons learned performance on projects. Insights from safety and quality. www.dhirubhai.net