FAQs
The construction industry is this country’s largest industry, ranging from building contractors who construct our homes, schools, hospitals, sky scrapers and shopping centers to the heavy construction industry that builds power plants, highways, bridges, airports, dams, water treatment facilities and the like. Vast and diverse, the construction industry consists of architect/engineers, contractors and subcontractors who tend to specialize. Those in the construction industry may work projects for both private and public owners. The Initiative is open to responsible companies that design and build projects, including architect/engineers, general contractors and subcontractors. The industry also interacts with multiple facets of government at the federal, state and local level. In short, the construction industry is high risk business in which only those companies of proven competence, reliability and demonstrated integrity will survive over time.
The Initiative is a voluntary, non-profit, non-lobbying association of construction industry companies established by CEOs in April 2008 to encourage and sustain best ethical and business conduct practices in the construction industry.
The Initiative was created to establish a process for the industry to promote integrity and ethical conduct. The essential goals are the advancement of organizational cultures that encourage and support ethical behavior and compliance with the law, and the sharing of best ethical and compliance practices within the industry.
The Initiative requires each signatory company to pledge to follow six core ethical principles, to adherence to these principles, and to participate in an Annual Best Practices Forum to discuss best ethical and business conduct practices among its members and with representatives from government and other organizations. The core principles are:
- Each member shall have and adhere to a written Code of Business Conduct. The Code shall establish high ethical values and compliance with the law applicable to the U.S. construction industry.
- Each member shall train its personnel as to their personal responsibilities under the Code.
- Each member commits itself to work together toward maintaining open competition in the industry, free of conflicts of interest and undue influences.
- Each member shall have responsibility to each other to share best ethical and compliance practices in implementing the Principles.
- Each member shall participate in the Annual Best Practices Forum.
- Each member, through participation in this Initiative, shall be accountable to the public.
The Initiative is a stand-along, single-purpose organization and is not affiliated with any other organization or industry association. The Initiative is governed by a Steering Committee of the chief executive officers of the founding organizations. Its day-to-day affairs are guided by a Working Group of representatives of participating organizations and by an independent Coordinator, who serves as executive officer of the Initiative.
A list of the founding companies and other Initiative members can be found on the Members page of this website. The Initiative is open to other responsible and like-minded construction industry companies that are willing to pledge to follow the CIECI Principles.
Achieving exemplary ethics and business practices across an industry is something that will occur only if the leadership of the industry makes a significant commitment to achieve the articulated standards. With this Initiative, each CEO is pledging that his or her organization will achieve the ethics and business conduct standards that are addressed in the core principles. Each participating company will do this because they have chosen to do it voluntarily. This is the best way to achieve lasting change.