CICES reinforces its ties with ACostE
The institution has re-signed its memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Association of Cost Engineers. The MoU provides the basis for further consultations between the two organisations in order to identify ways that ACostE and CICES may co-operate on matters in the prediction, planning and control of resources and cost for activities that involve engineering, manufacturing and construction and to civil engineering surveying.
Built Intelligence user group conference 2024 CICES training partner
Built Intelligence is hosting its annual user group conference on 21 March. The event will be live-streamed for free and has become the must-attend event for experienced NEC professionals and clients with a passion for smarter contract management. With a diverse range of speakers focusing on legislation, procurement, practical advice and product roadmaps, attendees can expect to gain valuable insights and build meaningful connections with like-minded individuals. To reserve your place, scan the QR code on the left.
Webinars roundup
Thanks to David McNeice, DWF and Mark McKeown FK Lowry for their presentations.
CICES sponsors U15s football team
The institution has become a sponsor of the Whitchurch U15 girls football team. The sponsorship is aimed at raising awareness of the civil engineering surveying profession with young people, specifically young females. The sponsorship is already causing a stir with league rivals. The profession is looking to attract diverse young talent into the industry and it is hoped that through this sponsorship more young people and their parents will be made aware of civil engineering surveying.
The institution partners with Metroun
Expanding its portfolio of training providers, CICES has partnered with online learning company Metroun. Metroun was established by a trio of surveying professionals with the aim of enhancing the field of quantity surveying education. The online platform offers more than 30 hours of formal CPD through short and engaging courses a QS dictionary, industry-ready templates, Metroun AI tools and cost calculators.
Metroun’s popular YouTube channel currently has several hundred bite sized educational videos and almost 20,000 subscribers. Metroun’s resources are concise, easy-to-understand but still full of the relevant information that any busy surveyor will find valuable. New courses are updated each month.
CICES members can access Metroun Learning at a 10% discounted rate, visit www.cices.org/training/metroun-learning/.
CIC releases guidance on NEC...
The Construction Industry Council (CIC), through its Liability Panel has written a new risk management briefing, ‘Consulting in an NEC environment’.
NEC contracts cater for the client/contactor and client/consultant relationship. The risk management briefings are a series of free guidance documents produced by the CIC Liability Panel.
This briefing refers specifically to NEC4, Professional Services Contract. Nasir Khan, chair of the Liability Panel said: “The government announced in 2021 that it has chosen the NEC4 contracts as one of the three options to deliver its £650bn spend over the next 10 years. The briefing provides consultants some key points to watch out for. The NEC contracts are known for their collaborative and flexible approach to project management. However, the consultants need to be mindful of the scope, Z clauses, programme, and their obligations to mitigate potential liability risks”.
A full suite of the briefings can be downloaded for free from the CIC website....
...And a toolkit to support professional institutions in embedding sustainability and climate literacy
CIC’s Climate Change Committee has released a new toolkit to support professional institutions in stimulating thinking and activities in relation to sustainability and climate literacy considering education and professional qualification.
This work has arisen from CIC’s ‘Carbon Zero: The professional institutions’ climate action plan’, which was released in June 2021, through workstream one: education and qualification.
The toolkit was developed in collaboration with professional institutions, with a focus on sustainability and climate literacy, and who operate professional registers, and/or recognise education and training pathways to those registers, with consideration of the ongoing CPD of registered professionals.
Aled Williams, executive director, innovation and partnerships UCEM who leads workstream one said of the toolkit release: “Professional institutions are striving to provide members with better knowledge, skills, understanding and behaviours to tackle climate change. There is the opportunity to progress in partnership improving the sharing of knowledge through collaboration, co-ordination and commitment.” Stephen Hodder, chair of CIC’s Climate Change Committee welcomed the toolkit publication saying, “congratulations to those involved in the production of this invaluable resource it demonstrates a significant step towards a sustainable future for the construction industry, guiding the way towards a responsive low carbon sector.”
The toolkit is available as interactive webpages on CIC’s website where a full version is also available as a download, visit www.cic.org.uk.
Inaugural chair CICES Australia and New Zealand
Russell Welsh FCInstCES has been appointed the inaugural chair of CICES Australia & New Zealand. Russell replaces Steven Evans who has acted as the CICES country representative for Australia for a number of years.
The institution would like to thank Steven, who was a member of the ‘Group of Five’ members which took the initiative in 2023 to lobby CICES to formalise its presence in the region, for his tireless efforts during this time. He has stepped down from the ‘Group of Five’, which is now the inaugural committee for CICES ANZ, due to other commitments but has committed to offering support where possible.
The committee is tasked with the objective of growing membership, knowledge, skills and awareness of the roles of CICES.
The aim is to build a community of like-minded CICES members throughout the region. With significant civil engineering projects underway or scheduled within the region this presents an ideal opportunity for the institution to make its presence felt.
CICES ANZ held its first CPD event last December, in collaboration with the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (AIQS). The event was a great success and CICES looks forward to collaborating with AIQS and other local professional bodies in 2024 and beyond.
Russell specialises in dispute resolution and is a chartered quantity surveyor and chartered project management surveyor with more than 50 years’ experience in the UK, Saudi Arabia and, for the last 34 years, in Australia. He is also an elected member of the institution’s Council of Management; a former RICS governing council member, RICS Oceania world region board member and RICS Queensland local association committee member.
CICES supports UKCW
The institution has partnered with one of the UK’s largest events for the built environment – UK Construction Week (UKCW). The event is split over two locations; 7-9 May at Excel, London and 1-3 October at NEC, Birmingham.
Free to attend, a host of features that include interactive demos, skills and training hub, careers and recruitment zone, international pavilions from across the globe and a charity Gumball Rally across the country have all been announced.
Sam Patel, UKCW event director, commented: “Construction is a fast-paced and evolving industry, and so our show needs to reflect that – hence the new areas which focus on skills, training and recruitment to address the skills gap which we all know has been affecting the sector for a number of years.”
Registration is now open via www.ukconstructionweek.com.
NUAR expands into new regions
The National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) has expanded its coverage to include the south east, south east, north west, Yorkshire and the Humber and east of England. NUAR includes data from all of the major energy and water providers, such as Welsh Water, Cadent Gas and UK Power Networks, several major telecommunications companies, including CityFibre and Virgin Media O2, as well as smaller providers of these services, transport organisations and local authorities.
It is estimated to deliver £490m per year (circa £5bn over a decade) of economic growth through increased efficiencies in construction and development, less accidental damage to pipes and cables, and reduced disruption to the public and businesses (from extended road closures and congestion), as well as improved workers’ safety.
L-RL-R: Holly Browne and Jayne Danby.
New faces at HQ
The institution has welcomed two new members of staff at its Sale HQ.
Jayne Danby has joined as membership schemes development officer replacing Philly Oakes who is leaving to take up a post with the Institution of Civil Engineers in Manchester. With a strong base in membership, administration and education, Jayne previously worked at the British Association for Shooting and Conservation in training and communications and more recently, as a classroom assistant and working with families in children’s services. Outside of work, she likes to keep active with running, hillwalking and travel. A fan of quizzes, cryptic crosswords and music – mainly classical concerts – she is learning to play the cello and piano.
Holly Browne joins CICES as the new committees coordinator. Holly has an extensive background in office administration and customer relationship management. An accomplished communicator and record keeper with a great attention to detail, she will be a great asset in taking control of the overall management and administration of the committees of the institution. Away from the workplace, she likes to spend her spare time with family and friends.
