In partnership with key stakeholders the cidb is concretizing for action a national strategy for sustainable contractor development. Central to this strategy is the development platform created by the Register of Contractors and streamlined procurement practice. The Register of Contractors now enables the systematic targeting of development interventions to:

• Grow South Africa’s contracting capacity, moving smaller contractors into mainstream construction
• Target empowerment gaps revealed by the register
• Promote enterprise sustainability and consolidation, creating sustained employment and skills development
• Raise the performance and quality of contractors, delivering improved value to clients and society.

The strategy and programme rely on the partnership of clients and stakeholders to address the need for improved capacity in meeting growing construction demand to 2010 and beyond.

Drawing on the existing contractor development programmes, the strategy seeks to overcome piecemeal approaches, providing a comprehensive response that addresses:

• Key success factors, the role of stakeholders and integration within the scorecard goals of the Construction Charter
• Targeted interventions based on the Register of Contractors, which categorises contractors according to capability
• Access to finance, information, knowledge systems and training
• Monitoring of growth and enterprise development
• Common approaches and the cooperative effort of organs of state and industry
• Cidb outreach to support contractor development

To establish best practice cidb has reviewed contractor development programmes promoted by Public Works and industry. These and other existing programmes form the nucleus for a national contractor development programme:

• Vukusakhe – Kwazulu Natal
• Incubator Programme – National Department
• Sakhasonke – Limpopo and Eastern Cape
• Stepping Stone – Western Cape
• Sakha’bakhi – Mpumalanga
• Kubakhi – Gauteng
• Contractor Development Programme – Eastern Development Corporate
• Contractor Development – Royal Bafokeng Economic Board
• SAFCEC Enterprise Development Programme