CIC Cascade

CIC will be launching the new interactive web version of the Design Quality Indicators - ‘DQI Online’ on 1 October 2003, held at the Treasury, London. Speakers will include Peter Gershon CBE, Chief Executive of the Office of Government Commerce.

The DQI has been successfully trialed by 86 organisations including design firms, public and private clients and contractors in a "The Trailblazing" pilot scheme which has been operational since July 2002. DQI Online will allow assessments to be managed on the web through a database tool and provide respondents with instant feedback on their views of the design and collective DQI output. The interface for users has been designed to be as approachable and user friendly as possible requiring just an 8 digit key to coordinate the responses.

CABE, Rethinking Construction/Constructing Excellence and OGC have all reaffirmed their support to the DQI for this next phase in its development. Use of the DQI is one of the six headline targets of the Strategic Forum for Construction.

For further information please contact dqi@cic.org.uk or ring 020 7399 7424

CIC Futures Group to examine the potential for closer working arrangements for the professional institutions

The Construction Industry Council is to set up a high level Steering Group to look into the future of professional institutions. This “Futures Group” will explore the potential for closer collaborative working between the professional institutions in the built environment and the opportunities for greater relevance, effectiveness and value.

The decision to establish the “Futures Group” was prompted by a meeting of the CIC Chartered College on 10 September, which considered a number of issues relating to the future of professional institutions in the built environment, including the potential for strengthening the role and profile of CIC as the umbrella for professional bodies in the built environment. The Group will also take into account other relevant issues ranging from the movement to create a new “electro-mechanical” institute by the IEE, IMechE and IIE, the associated proposal from the Institution of Civil Engineers to establish a new Institution for the built and natural environment, and recent calls to establish a new Institute for Quantity Surveyors.

The composition, remit and terms of reference for the “Futures Group” are to be agreed, in consultation with relevant CIC members from the Chartered College and the College of Independent Professional Institutes, during the next five weeks and it is anticipated that the Group will meet for the first time before the end of October.

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Planning Directorate – Organisational and Contact Chart

ODPM has issued an organisational and contact chart as part of its commitment to improving the accessibility of the Planning Directorate to its external stakeholders. The chart contains names of Divisional Managers and Team Leaders, their responsibilities and enquiry information for making contacts.

The Planning Directorate at ODPM has responsibility for oversight of the planning system as a whole – the way it operates and the national policies it implements. It prepares national planning policy guidance, comments on regional planning guidance and advises Ministers on significant planning cases.

Copies of the organisation Leaflet can be obtained from Alex Tshulak at tel: 020 79443906 or email: alex.tshulak@odpm.gsi.gov.uk

Alternatives to Pre-Completion Testing

The purpose of the consultation is to explain the RSD scheme and seek views on how effective it is likely to be. Adverse effects on innovation and competition are significantly considered.The consultation includes:

The partial regulatory impact assessment, which describes the options and gives assessment of the benefits and costs. Proposal for an RSD Management Board, to oversee the future development of the scheme.Outline of the complaints procedure, based on the normal Building Regulations procedure.
Drafts of the current RSD specification sheets, that contain the proposed technical guidance.

Copies of the consultation can be obtained from ODPM at Tel: 0870 1226 236, or email: odpm@twoten.press.net.
It can also be found at: www.odpm.gov.uk CIC intends to arrange a common response and is inviting its Members to comment and send individual responses by 3 November 2003 to Jobran Hammoud at:
Construction Industry Council, 26 Store Street, London WC1E 7BT

Inspire The Next Generation – Enthusiastic Professionals Wanted To Go Into Uk Secondary Schools

The recruitment and retention of sufficient professionals within the construction industry is a problem we are all familiar with. But did you know that the industry will have to recruit an estimated 11,000 professionals over the next four years to meet its needs?

The Construction Industry Council Equal Opportunities Panel has commissioned a video that goes some way to addressing this problem. Launched in November 2002, ‘Building Visions – creative careers in the construction professions’, is a construction industry sponsored video targeted at young people, aged 14-18, who are thinking about their career choices.

Construction has the further problem that women and those from minority groups are not choosing to join our industry in sufficient numbers. We can not afford to let this large pool of talent drain away into other professions. The video has therefore been designed to particularly appeal to students from diverse backgrounds.

We now need enthusiastic volunteers to take the video into schools - some 5000 free copies are available: one for every secondary school in the UK. The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has produced teachers’ notes to help presenters answer questions. At 27 minutes in length the video is short enough to fit into a lesson.

Sequences of stunning architecture across the UK make an exciting visual impact. The video demonstrates construction is not all about ‘mud and boots’. As well as giving an overview of the construction industry, the video looks at seven professions in detail: architecture, quantity surveying, planning, civil, structural and building services engineering and project management. Bright young professionals from diverse backgrounds share their experiences and are filmed at work on a variety of interesting projects from bridges to theme parks.

In order to reinforce the message of the video and to project the passion we share for the industry to our target audience, we are seeking construction professionals to take the video nationwide within the coming year. To enable us do this we want to hear from professionals willing to present the video in schools in their local area. Please help by donating a small amount of time and a huge amount of enthusiasm and knowledge!

If you are interested in becoming involved with this scheme please contact Patricia Ryan at pryan@cic.org.uk T: 020 7399 7408, Construction Industry Council, 26 Store Street London
WC1E 7BT


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