Rund has taken part in Lovell’s latest Employer’s Agent roundtable, focused on how the industry can help deliver the Government’s target of 1.5 million new homes.

Hosted by Lovell, the event brought together senior figures from across the housing sector. Discussions centred on the practical changes needed to unlock greater pace, certainty and value in housing delivery.

The session built on an earlier roundtable held last autumn, continuing an industry‑wide conversation on how Employer’s Agents and Project Managers can help drive better programme outcomes.

The discussion centred on three key themes:

• Early Project Manager / Employer’s Agent engagement – highlighting the role of early collaboration in de‑risking programmes and aligning expectations from the outset.
• Open book tendering – exploring how transparency and trust can support stronger, more sustainable partnerships.
• Gateway 2 – sharing practical insight on readiness, assurance and the importance of clear governance at a critical stage.

Rund’s contribution focused in particular on how earlier integration of the Employer’s Agent can materially improve cost certainty and programme confidence, supporting clients to move from managing issues to preventing them.

Will Taylor, Associate Director at Rund, said: 

“It was encouraging to see a shared commitment to improving processes and collaboration across our industry. Events like this matter because they move the conversation from policy into practical delivery; this is ultimately what will help get homes built.

The Employer's Agent is well placed to help align objectives and manage interfaces across complex delivery environments. On large housing schemes delivery performance is shaped long before construction begins, reinforcing the value of early-stage Project Manager/Employer's Agent appointment. I believe that meeting the 1.5m homes target doesn’t require wholesale reform, but improvement in the mechanics of delivery will be required. Early Project Manager/Employer's Agent involvement supports well informed client decisions, promoting better risk visibility and clarity through the entire project lifecycle.

Whilst no single intervention will unlock delivery alone, reinforcing a balanced, systems-led view will promote greater coordination between policy, procurement and project governance.”

The roundtable reflected a broader industry recognition that meeting the 1.5 million homes ambition will depend as much on changes to procurement, partnership and process as on policy itself.

Importantly, the roundtable was structured around action rather than discussion alone.