Engineering knowledge is no longer a prerequisite to working in construction. Data analysts, information managers and gaming/visualisation specialists are increasingly regular appointments. These new roles work hand in hand with surveyors and the skills of each should complement each other in the digital engineering team.
The Construction Innovation Hub’s Digital Capabilities: A Framework for early career professionals across built environment disciplines1 set out six digital capabilities required in construction:
The current civil engineering surveyor could lay claim to involvement in the first five of those six, with many contributing to all six with their involvement in software development through bespoke systems and early adopter relationships with developers. While project teams do not centre their career on software development, they have to embrace new technology as a digital capability.
The skill-set of the commercial manager in particular is in danger of not developing in line with the systems being used and not fulfilling the potential it has to transform projects.
For the geospatial surveyor, the fast pace of technological development over the last half-century has resulted in an agile profession at remarkable ease with new tools.
However, its chief concern is the lack of entrants to the profession.
The commercial manager and quantity surveyor roles are transforming. Commercial and planning teams are increasingly coming together under the joint banner of project controls. They no longer stand in silo functions, this is about bringing together their expertise to give a full picture of a project’s health and progress.
While measuring cost continues to be a key commercial role, especially in the post-pandemic and post-Brexit UK, this is just a part of one of the capitals that need to be measured under the UK government’s focus on value. The Value Toolkit2 from the Construction Innovation Hub aligns with HM Treasury’s Green Book,3 against which public sector investment decisions are made. Value is measured over four capitals:
The commercial manager is a specialist at measuring produced capital. Transformation will involve acquiring skills in measuring the other three capitals as well.
Clients have to think differently about their long term plans. Balancing affordability and the four capitals will naturally change tender specifications. This shift is a challenge and the Construction Innovation Hub recognises that it “demands considerable rigour in defining the outcomes to be delivered and understanding the client’s approach to project delivery and risk.”4 Again, success will lie in early and regular engagement between the commercial, design and planning specialists.
When looking at skills in civil engineering surveying, one has to consider both the shortage of digital skills in the current surveyor and the shortage of skilled new surveyors. As a professional qualifying body, CICES has a role to play in addressing both issues.
For new entrants, CICES needs to ensure it continues its collaboration with organisations involved in schools engagement, including Construction STEM Ambassadors, Get Kids into Survey and Class of Your Own (the organisation behind the Design Engineer Construct! curriculum). CICES must maintain its involvement with steering groups for the Geospatial Survey Technician, Geospatial Mapping and Science Specialist, Construction Quantity Surveying Technician and Construction Quantity Surveyor apprenticeships; and build on its successful university accreditation programme. Involvement with the Construction Leadership Council Skills Plan is a necessity to avoid a fragmented approach to careers promotion.
The image of the surveyor as ‘data custodian’ needs to be better promoted. Protocols and standards focus on quality process, while surveyors focus on quality data – this and the technology and expertise required to capture and define quality is rarely recognised by the wider project team, and almost never in schools’ careers departments.
Civil engineering surveying is rightly proud of its openness to all as a career. Many industry leaders talk about joining the construction industry straight from school, and progressing to attain company directorships with professional, rather than academic, qualifications. Historically, construction is seen as a male-oriented career, and with CICES female membership sitting at just over 10%, CICES has a duty to build on that socially mobile heritage and ensure that the profession is open to a diverse range of talent.
CICES plays a vital role in linking industry requirements with education and apprentice providers. For this to be effective course accreditation and re-accreditation needs to reflect the digital astuteness necessary for civil engineering surveying. As this area develops and the standards around it grow, regular engagement between professional and academic institutions is crucial.
To upskill its existing membership, CICES has already committed to embedding digitalisation within its membership competencies. However, the award of membership is a point in time. Professional bodies need to look at how they engage existing qualified members to upskill through their continuing professional development requirements. The Construction Innovation Hub calls on professional bodies to develop a common understanding of sector-wide core digital capabilities and to work with members to determine what digital capabilities they need in their work.5 Answering this call rests with both individual institutions and the UK BIM Alliance, whose Affiliates Programme can assist in providing a forum for professional bodies to share experiences and best practice.
Professional bodies should be ‘safe spaces’ for the sharing of lessons learned and mistakes overcome in digital transformation. Members need to be aware of their own professional accountability to upskill and should be encouraged to assess their own digital maturity to gauge where they need further development. CICES, and other professional bodies, need to play a non-judgmental role in signposting to further information and knowledge banks, providing time for discussion at events – rather than rushing Q&A at the end of webinars and seminars – and they must promote support from specialist technical committees and regions.
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2 https://constructioninnovationhub.org.uk/value-toolkit/
4 Page 7, Value Toolkit
5 Page 17, Digital Capabilities: A Framework for early career professionals across built environment disciplines