Derek's core points are that responsibility for the current construction crisis rests firmly with owners' procurement practises, principally in the allocations of risk they adopt. He states:
Owners and their consultants will be likely to achieve the best results if they stand back from inappropriate procurement tactics and take a broader view of getting the right contractor for the appropriate job at a fair price and based on fair conditions.
I couldn't agree more. His closing comment is prescient:
All consultants (lawyers, architects, engineers, project managers and quantity surveyors) should stand up to their clients and explain to them why short cuts, harsh clauses and penny-pinching are counterproductive in many ways.