TASK 1: PROCUREMENT, CONTRACT AND RISK

Following the Grenfell Tower fire and the findings of the Edinburgh Schools Inquiry, there is a clear appetite for improving outcomes and boosting the construction industry’s reputation when it comes to quality. 

FICTIONAL SCENARIO

Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review of building regulations and fire safety highlights the need for a ‘golden thread’ of good information that will enable future building owners to better manage their buildings safely. 

As a response, Building in Quality, the high profile initiative sponsored by the RIBA, RICS and CIOB launched its Quality Tracker – a free-to-download digital quality management tool. 

St. Edward Homes are aware of this initiative but understand that it did not become popular. They are very keen to ensure quality on this project and have also heard of another initiative, Get it right 1st time (GIRI). 

For the purposes of this question: 

Phase 6A + 6B has just commenced RIBA Stage 3. Your multi-disciplinary team has been appointed by St. Edward Homes via the lead consultant for services between RIBA Stage 1-4. 

Please assume that you are the lead consultant of your multi-disciplinary team. 

YOUR TASK

You are being asked to consult with your design team and prepare a 10-minute presentation to your company’s directors. They haven’t heard anything about this Quality Tracker or GIRI and are questioning whether they should agree to accommodate such a client request and if an additional fee could be negotiated. They need to understand the roles and responsibilities attached with integrating the requirements of such initiatives including the digital quality management tool, post appointment, into the team’s scope of services. 

Your presentation should consider the following: 

• What are the differences / advantages of each of these initiatives? 
• Why didn’t the Building in Quality “Quality Tracker” become popular? 
• How can the goals / activities and outputs required by these two initiatives be comprehensively captured in the conditions of appointment for each consultant? 
• How are the responsibilities shared between disciplines and what are the resultant implications? 
• What training requirements should be implemented for consultants? 
• Who would have responsibility for ensuring adherence to quality initiatives?
• What would be the potential benefits to the Construction and Operation phases of successfully implementing either (or both) initiatives?
• What would be the potential pitfalls to implementing either (or both) initiatives? Your team should consider resistance from certain staff members, disciplines, connectivity issues for remote devices, and compatibility with subcontractor technology, perception that this will create additional and valueless workload and how this could be mitigated. 
• What measures could assist with handover of the “Quality Tracker” to the next RIBA stage? 
• Should the design team agree to implement either (or both) initiatives and is there a case to negotiate an additional fee? 

DELIVERABLE

Please submit your response as either a series of slides which you would present, for a presentation of 7 minutes, or as a video of you giving the presentation. PDF, MOV or MP4 files are accepted.

HANDY TIPS

Links:  

www.architecture.com/working-with-an-architect/building-in-quality-pilot 

www.getitright.uk.com

SUBMIT TASK 1