CIC launches DQI online
Posted: 1st August 2003
The Construction Industry Council will launch DQI Online, the web based version of the Design Quality Indicator, early this autumn. The Beta Version of DQI Online is currently being tested by Trailblazers on live projects.
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.
The DQI assessment produces the collective opinion of design quality taking views from all stakeholders in the construction process under the headings of Functionality, Build Quality and Impact. DQI Online will allow assessments to be managed on the web through a fully interactive database tool, which provides respondents with instant feedback on their views of the design and collective DQI output to leaders. 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. DQI Online will be charged on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Since DQI Trailblazing was launched 12 months ago, the DQI has been successfully trialled by 84 organisations consisting of design firms, public and private clients and contractors, including Buro Happold, The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Edward Cullinan Architects, Penoyre and Prasad Architects, Skanska, Hoare Lea and Partners, Bennetts Associates Architects, and 15 local authorities (for a fuller list please see http://www.dqi.org.uk/trailbla.htm).
The DQI has been used on a diverse range of projects; the most popular being private offices (20% of DQI use), social housing (10%) and education (40%). Complementing work by the Audit Commission who use the DQI to compare PFI and non PFI schools, local authorities such as Devon are using the DQI in bundled PFI projects to help individual schools articulate their needs to design teams and assess the tender outputs.
Trailblazer feedback has revealed that the DQI is most useful at briefing for aligning the project teams’ ambitions and through the design process for evaluating progress. Feedback from use has shown that it is recommended that an independent facilitator be used to maximise the value added by the DQI process. Over 700 people have completed a DQI predominately during briefing and design, and encouragingly 34% of these respondents are users and 5% facilities managers – showing that the views of those who will eventually use and manage buildings are important to Trailblazers.
Trailblazers surveyed at a DQI conference last week reaffirmed the DQI’s success as 92% found the DQI to be useful or very useful, and 100% intend to continue using the DQI in the next phase.
In addition to the formal launch in autumn, CIC are committed to holding regional DQI workshops from January 2004.