CIC Cascade

15 June 2007

1. Design Quality Indicator Wins Tools of the Trade Award 2007
2. CIC host visit with Chinese delegates
3. East of England Construction Training  Awards 2007
4. Building Schools to Keep Construction Buoyant In Future
5. CIOB Response to HIP Farce
6. Major UK Organisation Involved in Construction Health & Safety Heralds new Accredited Training Provider
7. Take part in BIFM sustainability survey
8. The IHT Society of Road Safety Auditors (SoRSA) Launch
9. Events

1. Design Quality Indicator (DQI) was announced a Tools of the Trade Awards Winner 2007.

The Awards, launched in 2006 by The British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA) and South East Excellence, showcase the best toolkits available for practitioners working to create sustainable communities in the South East.

DQI was rated as one of the best toolkits in terms of content, accessibility and practicality.

Used on over 800 projects, DQI is a pioneering toolkit used throughout the construction process for evaluating design quality of projects.

Upon hearing of the award Giles Oliver Chairman of the DQI Management Board said: “We are delighted at this recognition for the terrific value that the DQI brings to client, design team and users. In both public and private sectors the DQI is helping set a new level of understanding and commitment to quality at all stages of projects.  From the Welsh Assembly to the smallest primary school, the DQI is proving its worth for the hundreds of projects who have pioneered its use in practice. This is a vote of confidence in the champions, facilitators and stakeholders who have committed themselves to raising design quality across all procurement routes”

For further details on DQI visit www.dqi.org.uk or contact William Hawkins on 020 7399 7414 email whawkins@cic.org.uk

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2. CIC host visit with Chinese delegates

At very short notice, CIC agreed to host a 14 strong delegation from Jiangsu Province in China, on 31st May 2007. The party comprised a government official, Mr Yang Er Yi, and members of a housing organisation and a number of their wives.  The intention had been to make a presentation about CIC and its work and then to adjourn to ‘China Town’ for dinner laid on by the delegation.  In the event, they arrived too late and Richard Biggs aided by William Hawkins and Andrew Thompson of BCIS painted an impromptu pre-dinner picture of CIC followed by a question and answer session.  Interest focused on housing prices in UK, energy use in housing and on professional’s salaries!

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3. East of England Construction Training Awards 2007

Nominations are invited for the East of England Construction Skills Forum's annual awards.  These Awards showcase personal and corporate training achievements, highlighting innovation and best practice and celebrating the hard work and commitment of those involved in the construction sector.  They also represent an opportunity to publicise accomplishments. 

Nominees in the past have come from a variety of companies and professional backgrounds. This has provided clear evidence of the amount of work that is required to support the industry and ensure that it remains a success. The profile of the Awards has been enhanced since their inception and this has ensured that the attainments of the winners have been well publicised within the East of England region.

The Awards ceremony will take place at the SAS Radisson Hotel, Stansted Airport on Friday 19 October 2007. Details of the nomination process can be found in the accompanying entry form.

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4. Building Schools to Keep Construction Buoyant In Future

The Construction Skills Network report 2007 published by ConstructionSkills reveals that Government spending on education and, specifically, Building Schools for the Future, will provide the single largest boost to construction employment outside London.  The national picture shows that this eclipses even the resource demands of the 2012 Olympic build in the next five years. 

The Construction Skills Network provides the most detailed analysis of workflow and project type available for the construction industry and forecasts the occupational skills requirement, by region, nation and sector.  It reveals that 87,600 recruits will be needed each year between 2007-2011 in order to meet demand and to take account of those leaving the industry – a slight increase on 2006 estimates. 

For more information about a career in the construction industry go to www.bconstructive.co.uk.  A full copy of the ConstructionSkills Network report can be downloaded at www.constructionskills.net

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5. CIOB Response to HIP Farce

The Government's decision to delay the implementation date of the Home Information Pack (HIP) by two months, and that it should apply initially to four bedroom properties and above, is destroying credibility in the HIP which is close to becoming a farce. 

John Hughes Chairman of the CIOB's Faculty of Architecture and Surveying Board said, "We are particularly disappointed that the Government appears to have gone for a quick fix solution and has not taken a long term view that would have provided the property buying public with the transparent system that it has been promised and that is long overdue.  

"The release of the Governments own figures of the number of candidates in training: 2,500 training, a further 3,200 have already passed their home inspector or domestic energy assessor exams.  Of those, 1,500 have been accredited or have applied for accreditation but only 520 of these have been fully accredited confirm that the problem is not a lack of candidates coming forward for the new role but an unrealistic time frame for those candidates to complete the assessment or training process.”

"It should also be noted that many of those who initially committed to the Diploma in Home Inspection are not interested in working as Energy Assessors and that has also compounded the problem of candidates who are not completing the process.”

"The cost to the individual should not be overlooked, the number of candidates in training equates to a considerable personal investment by the individuals concerned, both in time, money and stress, and how many of us could afford not to work for several months without any prior notice?”

"The CIOB would once again urge government to introduce the HIP on a voluntary basis for a twelve month period, re-introduce the Home Condition Report as a mandatory element, and work with all stakeholders including CIC, Professional Bodies and Assessment Centres, not just the chosen few, if they wish to achieve a successful strategy for the introduction of the Home Information Pack."

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6. Major UK Organisation Involved in Construction Health & Safety Heralds new Accredited Training Provider

The Association for Project Safety is delighted to announce that the National House-Building Council (NHBC) has become accredited to provide the Association’s training course in “The Management of CDM Co-ordination”.

Accreditation is the APS quality mark for courses provided by training providers; it endorses training providers who offer first rate courses in the management of CDM co-ordination.  It goes beyond the strict requirements of the Construction (Design and Management) “CDM” Regulations and promotes best practice so that the validated and accredited course reflects the role required by Clients when appointing CDM Co-ordinators.

To become accredited, NHBC had to provide a range of information including:

• Papers and related documentation on course content;
• Methods of delivery;
• Examination and test papers;
• Information on course tutors;

and demonstrate its understanding of:

• Legal, political and policy framework and influences on the enforcement of health and safety law and CDM Regulations including current HSE implementation and interventionist strategies;
• Procurement issues;
• Ability to carry out CDM co-ordination duties during the Construction Phase;
• Ability to work with Designers to ensure that adequate regard is given and design contributions made to health and safety in construction design and risk management, to enable Designers to co-operate and communicate effectively and so ensure that information is made available for Health and Safety Plans and Files.

Course materials include the APS Guide to the Management of CDM Co-ordination and the APS Form of Appointment.

Further details on dates and venues for The Management of CDM Co-ordination courses being run by NHBC is available from the APS website at www.aps.org.uk under Training Providers, or by contacting Hazel Scrutton at NHBC on 01908 747032 or email hscrutton@nhbc.co.uk

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7. Take part in BIFM sustainability survey

BIFM has launched a survey to find out what tools and information facilities managers need to ensure their organisations become more sustainable and raise employee awareness.

It is recognised by those at the forefront of FM research and practice, that although the FM profession has been presented with an opportunity to make a real and measurable difference by driving the sustainability agenda forward, it does not currently have easy access to the specialist knowledge, tools and case study material necessary to make this a reality.

BIFM is working with the University of Reading on a two-year Sustainable FM Knowledge Transfer Partnership project, supported by headline sponsors Kinnarps and part-funded by the DTI.

The aim of the project is to develop tools and information on sustainable facilities management to help the Industry to respond to the global challenges of climate change and environmental damage. The project will show how sustainable development can be applied to every day decision-making.

The results of the survey will set a benchmark and will inform the development of the project. The survey is running until Tuesday 19th June 2007 and can be completed by non-members as well as BIFM members, to submit your views please visit the survey section of the BIFM website - www.bifm.org.uk/bifm/survey

8. The IHT Society of Road Safety Auditors (SoRSA) Launch

IHT successfully launched the Society of Road Safety Auditors (SoRSA) on Wednesday 17th May 2007, with the attendance of over 50 Road Safety Auditors and transportation professionals.

SoRSA was officially launched by IHT’s President Alistair Haydock and the evening’s proceedings were overseen by the incoming Chairperson, Libby Sands, whose expertise includes working with the IHT’s Road Safety Panel, knowledge of governance within a charity and working with the East Midlands branch as secretary as well as vast auditing experience.

SoRSA has been created to fill the professional gap in organisational and specialised support for Road Safety Auditors. The work of the committee will ensure the fulfilment of the society’s vision, providing a network of expertise, training, access to research and recognition within the transportation profession.

SoRSA Chairperson Libby Sands:

‘I welcome this unique opportunity to enhance the role of Road Safety Auditors within the transport industry. I believe that SoRSA will have long-term and far-reaching influence, which will benefit all within the profession.’

For more information visit http://www.iht.org/

9. Events

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

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