CIC Cascade

Cascade 14 January 2005

1. CIC ’s response to the tsunami disaster
2. Spatial data management S/NVQ consultation
3. Hampton Review of regulatory inspection and enforcement
4. Second international congress on construction history – call for papers
5. Events

1. CIC ’s response to the tsunami disaster

The CIC ’s thoughts are with all those affected by the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami. Whilst CIC does not have either an international or a disaster-relief remit, we do have a remit for co-ordinating and encouraging collaborative effort from the professional communities within the UK industry.

We would encourage any construction professionals who have expertise that may be of value in helping to provide relief in the disaster-hit areas of the Indian Ocean to contact either RedR or the BCCB, as appropriate to ascertain whether the help is needed and how it might best be delivered.

Some of CIC’s members have issued statements or have set up working parties to identify areas where they can provide help and/or assistance and as a mechanism for co-ordination and knowledge exchange we have established a special web-page on the CIC website to summarise these various activities.

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2. Spatial data management S/NVQ consultation

CIC , as a partner in ConstructionSkills, is consulting industry on revisions to the Level 4 Spatial Data Management (formerly Spatial Data Supervision) and the new Level 3 Spatial Data Management. Individuals are invited to attend regional consultation events and/or complete the questionnaire on the CIC website

These N/SVQ qualifications are for surveyors working in a wide range of job roles. These include those conducting G.I.S., building, engineering, topographical, boundary, hydrographical, geodetic, photogrammetric, underground utilities, tunnelling and mining surveys. The awards have been developed by practising surveyors, supported by the relevant professional institutions, employers’ bodies and the Construction Industry Council. These qualifications have been designed to be used across the UK.

Consultation events

A number of regional consultation events are being held across the country.
26 January – Cardiff (RICS Wales, 7 St Andrews Place, Cardiff)
31 January – Edinburgh (RICS Scotland, 9 Manor Place, Edinburgh)
7 February – Belfast (RICS Northern Ireland, 9-11 Corporation Square, Belfast)
Anyone interested in attending one of these events should please contact

Further details of the NVQ/SVQs, and consultation documents.

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3. Hampton Review of regulatory inspection and enforcement

Consultation on this review into regulatory inspection and enforcement closes on 4 February 2005. In addition a focus group is being held on 20 January and your comments would be welcomed prior to this.   In Budget 2004 the Chancellor asked  Philip Hampton to lead a review into regulatory inspection and enforcement with a view to reducing the administrative cost of regulation to the mimimum consistent with maintaining the UK’s excellent regulatory outcomes. This interim report, Reducing administrative burdens: effective inspection and enforcement, outlines the issues relevant to the administrative cost of regulation, and suggests possible solutions. A list of  questions for consultation form part of the interim report. The consultation period is open until 4 February 2005. A final report with recommendations to Government will be published in spring 2005.   The full interim report is available via the link, which follows: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/
Please send any comments for the Focus Group to
Richard Biggs rbiggs@cic.org.uk

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4. Second International Congress on Construction History – Call for papers
The Second International Congress on Construction History is seeking speakers and papers for the event which will be held at the University of Cambridge in March 2006.

The First International Congress on Construction History (which was held in Madrid in 2003) attracted speakers from all around the world and established itself as the leading outlet for all aspects of the history of building construction. Speakers are now sought for the Second Congress to be held at Queens ' College, University of Cambridge hosted by the Construction History Society.

Abstracts of 300-600 words are sought for papers on any topics relating to any aspect of the history of building construction, including (but not limited to):

• Structural analysis and the development of structural forms
• History of the building trades
• Organisation of construction work
• Wages and the Economics of construction
• The development of Building Regulations
• Trade unions and Guilds
• Development of construction tools, cranes, scaffolding, etc
• Building techniques in response to their environments
• Building materials, their history, production and use
• History of services (heating, lighting etc.) in buildings
• The changing role of the professions in construction
• Building Archaeology
• Computer simulation, experimentation and reconstruction
• Use of construction history for dating of historic fabric
• Recording, Preservation and Conservation
• Construction in architectural writing
• The role of construction history in education
• The bibliography of construction history

All accepted papers (which will be 4-6000 words) will be published and available at the conference. The writers will be asked to give short 15 minute summaries of their papers. All papers and abstracts must be in English, but delegates may present at the conference in English, French, Italian or Spanish.

Papers to be submitted by 30th April 2005 by post to: Malcolm Dunkeld, Chair Organising
Committee, Construction History Society, 147 Leslie Road, London, N2 8BH or by e-mail to: abstracts@chs-cambridge.co.uk.

Fees, registration and details of accommodation are available at the Congress web site:  www.cambridgecongress.cam.org

Queens ' College, University of Cambridge
29th March ­ 2nd April 2006
(www.chs-cambridgecongress.cam.org)

5. Events

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

Events recently added include:

23 February, Mechanical and Electrical Building Services – An Introduction, BISRIA and CIBSE, Bracknell

2 March, Mechanical and Electrical Building Services – An Introduction, BISRIA and CIBSE, London
8 March – 19 May, (various dates and venues) RICS Property and environment roadshow
8-9 April, Briefing – the event for Building Surveying and Building Control, Nottingham
15 – 17 April, The Institute of Clerks of Works Annual Conference 2005 – “Constructing for a Lifetime”, Glasgow