CIC Cascade

23 February 2006

1. Landscape Institute - Bringing in the new for 2006
2. BIFM and HVCA become partners in FM Excellence
3. Record Breaking Lecture
4. ConstructionSkills Inspire Scholarships help boost applications to Construction degrees
5. Report on Public Sector Construction Clients Forum
6. The impact of EU policies on construction competitiveness
7. Events

1. Landscape Institute - Bringing in the new for 2006

On the 30 January the Landscape Institute introduced its new image. The rebrand of the LI comes as the representative body of UK landscape architects seeks to improve benefits to its members and to raise its profile.

The redesigned web site and image are just a part of the changes at the Institute as a new secretariat team sets out to introduce and promote landscape architecture to a wider audience.

Landscape architects are designers of the world around us. The successful London 2012 bid; current work on the Thames Gateway; the regeneration and development of Manchester city centre – landscape architects were crucial to all these projects.

Landscape architects are major players in shaping our quality of life: the public spaces that we use on the way to work, around our homes, on holiday and at play should involve members of the profession in order to ensure best design quality and, therefore, real well-being and shared benefits.

The Landscape Institute has developed a new and more informative web site; continues to develop and improve the education and training available to landscape architects; and is seeking to be the first organisation that springs to mind when projects concerning the landscape are considered, debated or planned.

The new logo and web site are more contemporary and representative of the industry. The circle of the logo is an organic form and indicates a strong, confident organisation. Emanating from a series of independent yet connected circles is a clear name – Landscape Institute- emerging in a definite, positive direction. Landscape leading the way.

Visit www.landscapeinstitute.org to se the new site

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2. BIFM and HVCA become Partners in FM Excellence

The Service and Facilities Group of the Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ Association (HVCA) and the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) have signed a formal agreement entitled Partners in FM Excellence.

The agreement was signed at the HVCA headquarters in West London by BIFM Chairman Mick Dalton and Malcolm Linsley, Chairman of the HVCA Service and Facilities Group.

It follows several months of discussions of ways in which the two organisations can work more closely to deliver enhanced benefits to their members.

The areas in which key collaboration will occur include:

• a joint commitment to work together to develop and promote excellent FM standards;
• member access to technical publications, training and other sources of information;
• collaboration on research, standards development, accreditation and assessment schemes, qualification and continuous professional development.

Welcoming the new partnership, BIFM Chair Mick Dalton said: “The BIFM looks forward to working closely with the HVAC because facilities managers recognise the importance of well designed, commissioned and maintained environmental systems in today’s demanding work environments.

“BIFM has an active Building Services special interest group and this new Partners in FM Excellence agreement can only improve communication between professionals for the good of all.”

On behalf of the HVCA Service and Facilities Group, Malcolm Linsley said that the agreement would enable SFG members to reach out to a worldwide FM marketplace, and would provide a framework for future collaboration between the two organisations on a range of issues of common concern.

Both organisations will retain their independence and will continue to offer individual support to their own members.

For further information contact Richard Byatt, Communications & External Affairs Manager, Richard.byatt@bifm.org.uk

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3. Record Breaking Lecture

On Tuesday 7th February at the Royal College of Physicians, London , Geoff Marsh MBE gave a lecture entitled, “Plumbing – the Public Health Service”. Over 250 people attended, making it the biggest audience The Worshipful Company of Plumbers has attracted to an Annual Lecture. There was an impressive list of distinguished guests, including 17 visiting Masters from City Liveries - a record in itself.

The lecture was a joint venture between The Worshipful Company of Plumbers and the Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering. Both organisations are celebrating special occasions this year - the Institute’s Centenary and the 120th anniversary of the establishment of the Register of Plumbers by the Plumbers’ Company.

Geoff Marsh, who is a Past Master of the Plumbers’ Company and Past President of the Institute and former Chairman of the World Plumbing Council, gave an appraisal of past times, the present situation and future prospects for the plumbing industry. His main point was that, unlike other parts of the world, in the UK qualified, competent plumbers do not receive due recognition from the government or the public, even though they give a service that protects the nation’s health. He felt they should have a protection of title, like other health professionals. Geoff used a quote from a former MP for Hornchurch, to show the main problem of not distinguishing between professional plumbers and cowboys: “We have the most complex regulations governing plumbing in the world, but we let anyone do it.”

At the end of Geoff’s lecture he presented the Master Plumber Certificate to Mario Martin EngTech LCGI MIPHE RP - current winner of ‘ Britain ’s Favourite Plumber’ competition and winner of ‘Tradesperson of the Year’ (National Home Awards 2005). Mario has 31 years experience in the industry and is a self-employed plumber.

For further information please contact Carol Cannavan on 01708 463114 (direct line), fax: 01708 448987, email: carolc@iphe.org.uk

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4. ConstructionSkills Inspire Scholarships help boost applications to Construction degrees.
Building degrees on the up as university applications fall
Construction launches £1 million fund to help budding builders get into the industry

UCAS application data has shown applications to built environment courses are up for 2006.

ConstructionSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the construction industry, has found that applications to combined architecture, building and planning courses are up 50.1%, civil engineering has seen a 2.2% rise, architecture courses 0.7% while building courses are up 0.5%. The increase in those wanting to do construction and built environment course comes as overall applications are 3.4% down year-on-year.

The figures, issued by UCAS, show a general rise in vocational courses: with nursing up 15.4%, social work 7.4% and teaching 0.7%.

Ruth Cass, a ConstructionSkills spokesperson comments: "We believe that these numbers reflect a positive change in young peoples' perceptions of the more 'vocational' degree qualifications generally - and about our industry more specifically.

"With the rise in tuition fees for students going into higher education, we believe that more students are taking their post-degree employability into account in their course choice. 

"Construction is an industry that has a host of opportunities for professional and technically qualified people: we want 23,500 more people in such roles each year between now and 2008.  Our industry has opportunities as 117,500 new positions will be created by planned and new projects."

In order to help those applying for courses in the industry, ConstructionSkills has launched a £1 million grant scheme for undergraduates to ensure that they continue to apply in large numbers. 

The scheme, Inspire Scholarships, offers 120 students up to £9,000 to help fund their studies.  The programme will also provide scholars with on-site experience with top employers, as well as the possibility of a permanent job after graduation.  More information about the scheme is available at www.bconstructive.co.uk/inspire

In addition to funding, the construction employers that have contributed to the scheme - which include Amex Group, Balfour Beatty, Mowlem and Persimmon - have committed to offering 10 week summer placements.  In addition, they may offer placements during students' sandwich years and the possibility of employment post-graduation.

The £9,000 packages have been launched to ensure that the rise in applications to these courses is maintained.  If you are a student applying to study a construction-related degree this October, you'd be mad not to apply for an Inspire Scholarship.

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5. Report on Sector Construction Clients Forum

Affordable homes, better health and education projects and the Olympics infrastructure are just some of the public construction programmes that will benefit from a new, top-level group bringing together the public sector clients of the construction industry which met for the first time on 15 December.

Set up by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), the new Public Sector Construction Clients’ Forum (PSCCF) will focus on leading the drive for further improvements in whole-life value for money in the procurement of built environments in the public sector.

Sir Christopher Kelly, chairing the new group’s first meeting said:
“I am delighted to have been asked by the OGC to chair the Public Sector Construction Clients’ Forum. This new forum will provide the opportunity to address strategic construction procurement issues affecting the whole of the public sector from a client perspective. It is an exciting opportunity for me particularly to see the recommendations from my earlier collaboration with OGC on my 2003 report coming to fruition in the construction sector.”

John Oughton, OGC’s chief executive said:
“It is great news that Sir Christopher Kelly has agreed to chair OGC’s Public Sector Construction Clients’ Forum. It will provide a much-needed arena for strengthening leadership and co-operation across public sector construction.   It builds on the recommendations in Sir Christopher’s 2003 report Increasing Competition and Long Term Capacity Planning and the March 2005 National Audit Office report Improving Public Services through better construction.

“The NAO identified £2.6 billion value for money gains which could be achieved through better construction. By championing the OGC’s Achieving Excellence in Construction best practice principles, the Forum will encourage the public sector to increase the £800 million gains already achieved.”

The Forum includes the chief executives from the MOD Defence Estates, Highways Agency and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), the government design champion, as well as the CEO of Nottingham County Council and the deputy CEO from the Housing Corporation. 

The PSCCF will build on the earlier work done by the Central Government Task Force, chaired by Sir Steve Robson and the Government Construction Clients’ Forum which were dissolved in 2002/3.

The Forum’s terms of reference encompass issues such as:

• Championing and leading change in construction in the public sector.
• Assessing public sector construction procurement demand, capacity, supply and performance. This will include a particular project to examine the construction industry’s capacity to deliver planned national capital construction programmes, including the provision of Olympics infrastructure, in the period 2005–2015.
• Driving more comprehensive and complete adoption of the best practice principles of the Achieving Excellence in Construction initiative by the public sector and in regard to whole-life cost and fitness for purpose.
• Encouraging innovation to improve construction procurement.

The intention is to engage with industry on all the issues the Forum will be addressing and to do that in a variety of ways.

The next meeting of the PSCCF will be held on 23 March.

For further information visit www.ogc.gov.uk

Read a report of what was discussed at the inaugural meeting of the PSCCF on 15 December 2005

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6. The impact of EU policies on construction competitiveness

The University of Manchester is leading a study to analyse and assess the impacts of European Community policies on the competitiveness of the construction sector. This includes bringing forward proposals on whether policy objectives could be achieved through alternative, less burdensome, measures.

Due to the wide remit, an early task is to identify those policies and implementing measures that appear to have the greatest impact. Information is currently being assembled on the range of policies and measures that fall within the scope of the study and on any assessments of impact that have been undertaken in order to rapidly define a short list of policy areas and instruments that will be the focus for the second stage.

Further details on the study are below. Individuals with suggestions for inclusion in the study are asked to contact Roger Courtney at Manchester Business School on 01923 446767 or email roger.courtney@ntlworld.com by Friday 10 March.

A study to analyse and assess elements of certain community policies that impact on the competitiveness of the construction sector (Contract No 30-CE-0043801/00-12)

Summary

DG Enterprise and Industry have commissioned a research consortium led by the University of Manchester to analyse and assess the impacts of European Community policies on the competitiveness of the construction sector. The study will identify the policies and instruments that have the greatest influence on the sector (excluding the Construction Products Directive which is the subject of a separate commission), examine the mechanisms and processes by which they impact upon the sector and assess the scale of their impact. For those policies with negative impacts, the study team are asked to put forward proposals for alternative means of achieving the same goals with less effect on competitiveness.

The study will be based on a combination of economic analysis and direct interactions with stakeholders and social partners. A Monitoring and Steering Group will assist the Commission in its oversight of the work while a virtual Expert Group will provide input to the project consortium. The study commenced on 1 January 2006 ; an interim report will be presented to the Commission in April 2006 and the final report in September 2006.

The research consortium is led by Professor Roger Courtney, Professor Graham Winch and Dr John Rigby of Manchester Business School . Other faculty members of MBS will contribute. The consortium includes four other research organisations, the University of Athens, Greece; Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment (CSTB), Paris, France; Lund Institute of Technology, Sweden and ASM Market Research and Analysis Centre, Kutno, Poland. Each will be responsible for assessing impacts in their own countries and providing data derived from interviews with stakeholders. The partner countries are representative of different types of construction industry within the EU.

The study will be carried out through five tasks:

1. Identification of relevant policies, legislative and other instruments and research reports
2. Preliminary assessment of impacts, leading to a target list of study priorities
3. Development of a structured interview programme with construction industry stakeholders, and an associated Web-based questionnaire
4. Data collection through interviews in partner countries and promotion of the questionnaire to secure inputs from a wider range of countries
5. Analysis of findings and preparation of the final report.

Contacts:

Policy areas relevant to the study:

The following list of policy areas is based on the Website of the Commission. The areas that are thought, on a preliminary assessment, to be most relevant to the competitiveness of construction are in bold.

Competition :
anti-trust, mergers, liberalisation,  State Aids, international

Consumers :
safety of products, health, unfair contract terms

Culture :
heritage

Education :
mobility, e-learning, skills and mobility

Employment and Social Affairs:
health and safety, free movement, Corporate Social Responsibility, employment rights, labour representation, inclusiveness and social inclusion (gender, disability)

Energy:
renewables, energy efficiency

Environment:
climate change, land use, urban environmental strategy, sustainable development, wastes, water  

Enterprise :
e-business, innovation, CSR, SMEs, Single Market, better regulation

Information Society:
e-business

Internal market:
goods, capital, industrial property, data protection, professional qualifications, standardisation, public procurement
Research, development, technology and innovation

Taxation:
VAT

7. Events
The events page of the CIC website is frequently updated visit the events page for details.

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