Aims: • To develop an awareness of the current trends & issues within the construction industry. • To develop an appreciation of how specific government policy affects those trends and issues. • To develop research, communication and presentation skills. • To develop analytical skills and valid solutions to fit the given criterion. Context: Over the past decade there have been several government reports and initiatives that have had a significant impact on the construction industry and how it operates. One such example being the report entitled Rethinking Construction 1998 and popularly known as “The Egan Report”. The report, written by Sir John Egan’s Construction Task Force, set out several targets that it felt needed to be achieved to improve the construction industries performance. These targets pushed the industry towards considering efficiencies in supply chain and waste management, partnering and other systems of collaborative working. In parallel to the pressures being applied internally on the industry, external influences have been increasing steadily over the last decade. The UK’s integration into the European Union (EU) and the concerns over the environment and sustainability have also had a huge impact on how we construct and use out buildings. Task: Write an Academic Paper (essay) that identifies some of the key influences that have shaped the construction industry over the past 10 years. The paper should include: 1) A review of the impact that the Egan report may (or may not have) had on the industry. 2) A discussion on the implications of the UK’s integration into the EU. 3) An exploration and analysis of how Government strategy is attempting to coerce the Construction Industry into becoming more sustainable against a backdrop of environmental uncertainty. Method: All papers are to be word processed in A4 format and for use of clarity the use of 12pt Times New Roman font 1.5 line spacing is required. The approximate word count is 1500 words with appendices excluded. All referencing must be fully identified using the Harvard System. The following assessment criteria are presented as a guide to the mark avaiable for this work and each section of your paper should be reflective of the weighting. As an example, the failure to provide an introduction will result in a loss of 15 marks. Assessment criteria: Introduction & Background Research = 15% of mark - Clear introduction to the issue and its background context. - Clear statement of the aims, objectives & Limitations of the study. Analysis and synthesis of the Task = 50% of mark - Discussion of the relevant issues relating to the topic, showing depth of research and understanding of 1) Egan''s Rethinking Construction 2) The European Influence 3) Sustainable construction and the Environment. - Significance of results and balanced arguments / discussion. - Evidence of background reading and the development of a balanced perspective in relation to the knowledge base of the subject. Conclusion and recommendations = 25% of mark Summarising the main points raised and discussion on how these can be developed and improved upon in practice. Structure and presentaion = 10% of mark - The content of the paper should be clear and well structured in logical sequence - The paper should follow the prescribed academic format including referencing.