CII's Integrated R&D Ideation Process
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Overview and Call for ideas
The Construction Industry Institute (CII) has developed an Integrated R&D Ideation Process to generate, develop, and prioritize research and development ideas. This process aims to maximize the value and impact of CII's initiatives for its members by fostering innovation and collaboration.
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Ideas can be submitted any time using the online form (link below) here but individuals and groups are encouraged to read the sections below to better understand the process.
1. Ideation Process
The CII Ideation process consists of four main steps:
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Idea Generation
The official kickoff for idea generation is a workshop at the CII Spring Board of Advisors (BOA) meeting.
CII committees/CBAs organize their idea generation. This can consist of an idea generation workshop or as a continuous capture of ideas in meetings (we recommend using Mural to capture the ideas).
Ideas can be submitted via the online link and should include a short description of the opportunity or problem being addressed, the objectives and expected outcomes. Individuals can also use this form to organize the idea prior to submitting it online: CII_Idea_Submission_Form v2.docx
Submitting ideas: all ideas must be submitted using the online form available here.
Idea Evaluation
CII Forms an ad-hoc task force composed of the chairs and/or vice-chairs of its committees to evaluate ideas.
The group meets 2-3 times to review ideas and vote on the ideas that should be presented to the CII Board of Advisors
The discussion normally is framed as how the ideas perform regarding impact and risk.
Normally the group targets a set of 10-12 ideas to be sent to the BOA.
Idea Development:
Selected ideas are further refined, developed, and fine-tuned to be presented at the fall BOA meeting (1 slide per idea).
Committees/CBAs are asked to review ideas and address comments that may have arisen at the evaluation phase. Note that ideas need to be clearly summarized into one slide.
Prioritization and Ranking: Ideas are evaluated and ranked during the CII Fall BOA meeting workshop.
3. Summary of idea generation (TBD)
BOA Idea Generation Results (Updates on 4/22/2025)
On April 17, the CII Board of Advisors participated in a workshop that marked the beginning of our ideation process. The primary goal of the workshop was to capture an initial set of ideas and identify the overarching themes that the Board envisions for CII’s R&D initiatives for 2026.
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We appreciate the input from our Board of Advisors and would like to offer this to all members as a way to help their efforts to ideate new R&D topics.
4. Summary of ideas selected in the evaluation step (TBD)
5. Prioritized ideas (TBD)
Appendices
Appendix A - Types of R&D Projects Sponsored by CII
Initiative Type | Notes | Example |
Research Team (2 years) | Creates new knowledge addressing an opportunity for area for improvement. Supported by an academic under contract with CII, includes 15-20 industry experts. | Most CII RTs, including those that defined PDRI (RT-113), and AWP (RT-272) |
Research Team (1-year) | Relatively clear and narrow scope with minimal time for wondering about the topic. E.g., update/expansion of an existing tool. Staffed with industry members and academics. | E.g., revamping of the PDCS tool (DCC-06), and the upcoming Project Control for AWP |
Research team (6 months) | Shorter exploratory status. May be extended to investigate a narrowed topic. A good way to explore big opportunities. | AI for safety exploratory study (RT-422), supplier qualification program exploratory study (RT-413) |
Working group | Organizes existing knowledge in a fast-paced initiative. Led and managed by an industry volunteer. CII supports specific deliverables (e.g., video production, white paper editing). | AWP Data Standards JWG AWP-Lean JWG |
Development (CII managed) | Initiatives that address professional development and networking. Developed in collaboration with members and managed by CII staff. | CII Bootcamp NextGen initiative |
Appendix B - Examples of Recent Initiatives
Research Initiatives
Implementation-driven/ Benchmarking | Current CII Best Practices
| Technology-focused
| Safety
| Other |
RT-390, AWP - Execution Planning Guide RT-398 A Fit-for-Purpose Handbook for Effective Implementation of CII BPs RT-410 Evaluating the Implementation and Value of CII Best Practices RT-420 Implementation of CII BPs for Small Projects RT-421 Advanced Planning Guide for Modularization | RT-406, Rethinking Quality Management for Capital Projects RT-413 Guidelines for a Supplier Qualification Program RT-432 Streamlining and improving the efficiency of FEP RT-433 Advanced Project Controls for AWP RT-435 Alignment and Communication of Business Drivers in FEP | RT-403, Digital Transformation of the Capital Project Industry RT-415 A Review of International Data Standards for Project Management Systems RT-430 Model-Based Deliverables Guidelines for Capital Project Delivery | RT-412 A Refresh of CII’s Zero Accident Techniques (ZAT) RT-422 Accelerating AI for Construction Safety RT-431 Best Practices in Safety Communication and Training RT-434 Improving Safety in Crane Operations | [Workforce] RT-414 Developing the Next Generation of Frontline Supervisors [Decarbonization] RT-411 Decarbonization in the Construction of Capital Projects [Workforce] RT-436 From Recruitment to Training: CII Member Pathways to Craft Workforce Success |
Development Initiatives
Education | Working Groups |
CII "NextGen" Initiative Online Education and Badging CII Bootcamp Executive Leadership Best Practices Course | AWP Data Standards AWP-Lean JWG |