The Construction Economist

Transcription

t h e j o u r n a l o f t h e c a n a d i a n i n s t i t u t e o f q u a n t i t y s u r v e yo r s
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SU M M ER 2 011
June 12-14, 2011 – Negril, Jamaica
PM 40065075
CIQS mourns the loss of
one of its founding fathers
52AGM Report
CIQS
nd
June 12-14, 2011 • Negril, Jamaica
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The mission of CIQS is
to promote and advance
professional quantity surveying
and construction estimating; to
establish and maintain national
standards; to recruit, educate
and support our members.
the journal of the canadian institute of quantity surveyors
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SU M M ER 2 0 1 1
Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors
90 Nolan Court, Unit 19, Markham, Ontario L3R 4L9
Telephone: (905) 477-0008 Fax: (905) 477-6774
Toll Free 1-866-345-1168
Email: [email protected] Web Site: www.ciqs.org
Executive Director:
Lois Metcalfe
Email: [email protected]
10
Editor:
Joshua Mutize, PQS
The outlook of the quantity
surveying profession in Canada
14
CIQS 52nd Annual General Meeting report
Translation:
André Bernard
19
CIQS mourns the loss of
one of its founding fathers – Gordon Pattison
23
In memoriam of Frederick O. Tozer, PQS
24
Case study: East Timor
[Timor-Leste] construction industry
27
Quantity surveying in St. Lucia
Send Change of Address to:
Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors
90 Nolan Court, Unit 19, Markham, Ontario L3R 4L9
CIQS Council
President & NLAQS Rep:
Roy Lewis, PQS(F)
1st Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer & QSBC Rep
Mark Russell, PQS(F)
2nd Vice President & NSAQS Rep
Mark Gardin, PQS(F)
Registrar & OIQS Rep
Jeff Logan, PQS
AQSA Rep
Dave Burns, PQS
AEQSQ Rep
Bertin Bois, CEC
14
Past President
Hervé Couture, ECA
Education Administrator
David Lai, PQS(F)
Statements of fact and opinion expressed are those of
the authors and CIQS assumes no responsibility for the
content, nor do they represent official policy of CIQS.
Published four times a year on behalf of the
Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors by
Third Floor - 2020 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3J 0K4
Tel: 866-985-9780
Fax: 866-985-9799
www.kelman.ca
Managing Editor: Chris Kelman
Art Production: Stacia Harrison
Sales Manager: Kris Fillion
[email protected] 866-985-9798
Advertising Coordinator: Lauren Campbell
Publication Mails Agreement #40065075
Send undeliverable addresses to: [email protected]
19
CIQS would like to thank the following outgoing
Council Members for their dedication and
contribution to CIQS 2010/2011 Initiatives –
Chris Reinert, PQS and
Ian Duncan, PQS(F)/Past President
4
President’s message
5Congratulations
6Executive Director’s message
7Editor’s message
8Education updates
22 Welcome new members
30CPD Corner
President’s Message
CIQS and its professionals
are ‘best in class’
Royston P. Lewis, PQS(F)
Thanks to the mandate you prot is both an honour and
a pleasure to deliver this
vided at the AGM in Jamaica, the Institute is about to enter into the next
first message of my Presistage of its development bolstered by
dency to you the members
a new and vibrant image. Combined
of our venerable institution. Sadly we
with this new image is a strategy to
bid farewell to Gordon Pattison who
has served so long as our guide and
energize the services which we deliver
– our mandate is to add real value to
mentor. His passing leaves a big gap
the construction process – from proin our living heritage and we intend to
ject conception and final delivery on to
establish a memorial to continue his
the continuing use of the facility. Our
legacy. We bid adieu to Chris Reinert
standards will not change - indeed
and thank him for his vision and drive
they are more likely to be enhanced to
with the Marketing Initiative and welensure continuity of quality and subcome Dave Burns as the latest memstance across our great country. We
ber of Council. The AGM in Beaches,
live in exciting times – our certified
Sandy Bay, Jamaica was a great sucprofessionals are recognized as the
cess and, as with all other AGMs, the
source of real quality in quantity suropportunity to bond with new friends
veying and estimating services across
and consolidate old friendships was
Canada and through our partnerships
ever present. We were the recipients
in the international arena we are recof two excellent presentations by Naognized as ‘best in class professionals’
talie Alexander and Edward Traore
in most other countries of the world.
and hopefully this trend of seminar
This is a wonderful compliment to
delivery by our own members will
you7/25/11
the membership
continue –Construction
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Summer 2011.pdf
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4 | Construction Economist | www.ciqs.org | Summer 2011
development standards. We can and
should be proud of our achievements.
However, with this recognition comes
the responsibility of continuing best
in class delivery of service and it will
be up to us all as members of the
Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors to work diligently to ensure
the quality and depth of our service is
maintained.
Council will be working closely with
all the Affiliates to develop a national
strategy for the Institute. This will
not mean that the status of the Affiliates will in any way be diminished - to
the contrary, the continued existence
and full cooperation of each Affiliate
will be of vital importance to ensure
delivery and exposure of our national
identity at the regional level.
As we progress this strategy, you
will all be included in the process.
Council involvement is becoming
more and more demanding and
communication by electronic media
facilitates Council activity and
decision making. We are establishing
initiatives to enhance the profile of
the Institute – both internally and
externally. The website and server
will be upgraded and modernized;
new membership application
assessment and processing will be
consolidated to ensure continuity and
equity in entry standards; all levels
of government and industry will be
given the opportunity to understand
the services that we deliver, and
we will be reaching out to similar
associations to explore synergies in
membership and service delivery.
Finally, on behalf of Council, I
confirm our commitment to represent you the members in all that we
undertake. Our goals are common
and simple and are reflected in our
mandate to provide the very best of
professional quantity surveying and
estimating services to the public and
private sectors and industry.
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Message du Président
’est à la fois un honneur
et un plaisir de produire
ce premier message de ma
présidence à vous les membres de notre vénérable institution.
C’est à regret que nous disons adieu
à Gordon Pattison qui nous a servis si
longtemps de guide et de mentor. Son
décès laissera un profond vide dans
notre patrimoine vivant et nous avons
l’intention de mettre sur pied un Mémorial pour perpétuer son héritage.
Nous disons au revoir à Chris Reinert
et le remercions pour sa vision et son
dynamisme à l’Initiative de Marketing
et nous accueillons Dave Burns à titre
de nouveau membre du Conseil. L’AGA
de Beaches, Sandy Bay, Jamaïque,
fut un grand succès et, comme pour
toutes les autres AGA, l’opportunité
de se lier à de nouveaux amis et de
consolider des amitiés antérieures fut
de tout instant. Nous avons bénéficié
de deux excellentes présentations par
Natalie Alexander et Edward Traore
et nous espérons que cette tendance
de production de séminaires par nos
membres fera école – nous possédons
un vaste réservoir de connaissances et
d’expériences à partager.
Grâce au mandat que vous avez accordé à l’AGA de Jamaïque, l’Institut
s’apprête à entrer dans la prochaine
phase de son développement, propulsé
par une nouvelle et vibrante image.
Jumelée à cette nouvelle image se
trouve une stratégie pour dynamiser
les services que nous procurons –
notre mandat étant d’ajouter de la
valeur réelle au processus de construction – depuis la conception du projet
à la livraison de l’ouvrage ensuite
durant la vie utile de l’édifice. Nos
standards ne changeront pas – en effet
ils devraient même être rehaussés afin
d’assurer une continuité de qualité et
de contenu à travers notre grand pays.
Nous vivons une période palpitante
– avec nos professionnels certifiés qui
sont reconnus comme la source de
qualité réelle en économie de la construction et services d’estimation à
travers le Canada et via nos partenariats sur la scène internationale, nos
sommes reconnus comme les « meilleurs professionnels » de cette classe
dans la plupart des pays au monde.
C’est un merveilleux compliment qui
vous est fait, à vous nos membres,
ainsi qu’à nos standards de formation et de développement professionnel continu. Nous pouvons être fiers
de nos accomplissements. Toutefois,
avec cette reconnaissance, vient la
responsabilité de continuer à livrer
des services de grande classe et ce sera
à nous les membres de l’Institut canadien des Économistes en construction
de travailler avec diligence pour assurer que la portée et la qualité de nos
services soient maintenues.
Le Conseil travaillera étroitement
avec les Associations affiliées afin de
développer une stratégie nationale
pour l’Institut. Ceci ne signifiera pas
que le statut des Affiliés sera diminué
de quelque façon que ce soit – au contraire, la continuité d’existence et la
pleine coopération de chaque Affilié
sera d’une importance vitale pour
assurer la livraison et la visibilité de
notre identité nationale au niveau
régional.
Vous participerez tous au processus
à mesure que nous progresserons dans
cette stratégie. L’implication du Conseil devient de plus en plus exigeant et
la communication par média électronique facilite les activités et la prise
de décision au sein du Conseil. Nous
sommes à démarrer des initiatives
pour améliorer le profil de l’Institut –
tant à l’interne qu’à l’externe.
Le site internet et le serveur seront
mis à niveau et modernisés. Le processus d’évaluation et de traitement des
demandes d’admission des nouveaux
membres sera consolidé pour assurer
la continuité et l’équité des standards
d’admission; nous nous offrirons à
tous les niveaux de gouvernement
et de l’industrie l’opportunité de
comprendre les services que nous
procurons et nous prendrons contact
avec des associations similaires pour
explorer les synergies dans le membership et la livraison de services.
Enfin, au nom du Conseil, je
confirme notre engagement à vous
représenter, vous les membres, dans
tout ce que nous entreprenons. Nous
avons des buts simples et communs
qui se reflètent dans notre mandat
à procurer le meilleur des services
professionnels d’économie de la
construction et d’estimation aux
secteurs public et privé ainsi
qu’à l’industrie.
Congratulations
to the following members who
have qualified as
a PQS or CEC:
OIQS
Sarfraz Gahothi, CEC
Elias Nicholas Haddad, CEC
Eric Huang, CEC
Nicole Leyenhorst, PQS
Michael Mohan, CEC
Andy Oh, CEC
Kiritkumar Patel, CEC
Shameem Rahman, CEC
Sayanthan Ramachandran, PQS
Leonilda Satuki, PQS
Joseph Scatliffe, PQS
QSBC
Howie Chuang, CEC
Alice Kung, CEC
Masako Shimokawa, CEC
NLAQS
Jody Dodge, CEC
CIQS Members at Large
Olushola Agunbiade, PQS
Steven Demerling, CEC
Mathew Law, CEC
Saoud Manuoullah, CEC
Summer 2011 | Construction Economist | www.ciqs.org | 5
Executive Director’s
Message
Remembering our
colleague, mentor and friend
Lois Metcalfe,
CIQS Executive Director
IQS mourns the loss of
one of its founding fathers,
Gordon D. Pattison,
PQS(F) on June 28, 2011.
I had the privilege of meeting
Gordon when I joined the Institute in
1978. My training for the position at
the time consisted of one week with
the former Executive Director. Not
a lot of time to learn all the ‘ins and
outs’ of the Institute and the position.
I was fortunate, however, to receive
assistance from a small group of
members, but Gordon was certainly
my primary mentor.
Gordon was not only a founding
father of the CIQS but he also served
as Executive Secretary for the first 10
years from the Institute’s inception
in 1959. He knew all the answers.
He called regularly to see if I needed
help with anything. I also felt very
comfortable to call him if I had a
question. He was approachable,
knowledgeable and always had the
best interests of the Institute at
heart. It was in those early days that
Gordon became not only a mentor but
a good friend.
Gordon was dedicated and had an
impeccable record of attendance at
our AGMs. He helped organize many
of these meetings and I remember
how he made the 25th anniversary
of the CIQS so memorable. We were
very fortunate that he was able
to attend the 50th anniversary in
2009. Gordon presented numerous
recipients of the CIQS Award of
Merit at AGMs until his health was
compromised and he was no longer
able to attend.
Many members will recall Gordon’s
keen sense of humour and style.
He was described as ‘the Energizer
bunny that just kept going.’ I
received many emails from members
upon learning of Gordon’s passing.
From Past President, George
Evans of BC: “Gordon has been
an inspiration to me for my entire
career. He will be missed by everyone
that ever met him.”
From Past President, Guy Smith
of Alberta: “Gordon was an amazing
character and the Institute will be
the lesser for his loss. I will certainly
miss him, although his presence will,
like that of Frank Helyar, continue to
be felt at AGMs of the Institute for
many years to come.”
Joe Landry, CIQS Past President
from Nova Scotia wrote, “I was
saddened to hear about Gordon and
that he had been in failing health. I
was fortunate to serve on Council
during the period when Gordon was
always there providing input and
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guidance. He was one of the constants
that we relied on. To borrow from
the obituary; Gordon was semiworking or semi-retired...and always
effective.”
Ontario President, Jeff Logan,
wrote “Gordon was a great
ambassador for the institute and a
better friend to those that knew him.
We all have many fond memories of
him to cherish.”
From Past President, Hervé
Couture of Quebec: “A Nassau en
2006, Gordon nous a bien fait rire
en gagnant grâce a son imitation
de Michael Jackson, le concours de
l’Hôtel Riu. Bien qu’il soit vénéré
de ses collègues, il n’eu pas peur du
ridicule. La simplicité de l’homme
n’est nullement l’antonyme de
grandeur d’âme. Un homme
remarquable. Un ami.” - “In Nassau
in 2006, we had a good laugh with
Gordon’s imitation of Michael
Jackson at the Hotel Riu. Although
revered by his colleagues, he had
no fear of ridicule. The simplicity
of the man is not the antonym of
magnanimity. A remarkable man. A
friend.”
And from our current President,
Roy Lewis from Newfoundland:
“The Canadian Institute of Quantity
Surveyors owes its very existence to
the aspirations and hopes of Gordon
and his colleagues of more than 50
years ago. Like each President since
those early days, I have been inspired
by Gordon’s example and I pledge
to continue to forward the mandate
which he left for us. May he rest in
peace - although deep down I think
heaven will be a little more lively now
that Gordon is there.”
And my favourite is from current
CIQS Vice President, Mark Russell on
the day Gordon passed away: “Terry
Fox died 30 years ago on the same
day. I guess that’s the day when the
‘big man’ takes all the good ones.”
Editor’s Message
Building permits report
from across Canada
Joshua Mutize, PQS
Construction Economist Editor
he value of building permits
rose 20.9% to $6.4 billion in
May, following a 21.5% decline in April. Higher construction intentions, particularly for
commercial buildings in Quebec and
Alberta and multi-family dwellings in
Ontario, were behind the advance.
Following two consecutive monthly
declines, permits in the non-residential
sector rose 50.9% to $2.7 billion. This
gain came mainly from higher construction intentions in the commercial
component in Quebec, Alberta and
Ontario.
The value of permits in the residential sector increased 5.3% to $3.7 billion
in May, following a 12.1% decline in
April. The increase occurred largely
as a result of advances in the value of
multi-family dwellings in Quebec and
Ontario.
The total value of building permits
increased in every province except
Nova Scotia.
Non-residential sector:
Gains in all three components
Building construction intentions increased in every component of the nonresidential sector in May.
The value of commercial building
permits increased 81.0% to $1.9 billion,
the highest level since May 2008.
The industrial component increased
22.5% to $343 million, following two
consecutive monthly declines. Alberta
and Ontario registered the largest
gains with higher construction intentions in manufacturing plants. The
largest decreases occurred in Quebec
for utility buildings, where intentions
had recorded large gains in April.
The value of institutional building
permits rose 3.0% to $506 million,
following a 61.9% decline in April.
The advance was largely attributable
to construction intentions for
educational institutions in six
provinces, led by Ontario.
Note to readers
Unless otherwise stated, this release presents seasonally adjusted data, which
facilitates comparisons by removing the effects of seasonal variations. The
Building Permits Survey covers 2,400 municipalities representing 95% of the
population. It provides an early indication of building activity. The communities
representing the other 5% of the population are very small, and their levels of
building activity have little impact on the total. The value of planned construction activities shown in this release excludes engineering projects (for example,
waterworks, sewers or culverts) and land. For the purpose of this release, the
census metropolitan area of Ottawa–Gatineau (Ontario/Quebec) is divided into
two areas: Gatineau part and Ottawa part.
Residential sector: Intentions
up for multi-family permits
Intentions for multi-family dwellings
increased 23.1% to $1.6 billion, following a 31.0% decrease in April. Gains
were posted in six provinces, led by
Ontario and Quebec. In contrast, British Columbia recorded the largest decrease in May.
The value of building permits for single-family dwellings decreased 4.9% to
$2.1 billion, following two consecutive
monthly gains. In May, seven provinces
reported declines, led by Ontario and
Alberta. The three provinces posting
increases were Quebec, Newfoundland
and Labrador and Manitoba.
Municipalities across Canada approved 17,022 new dwellings, up 10.8%
from April. The gain was the result of
a 24.9% increase in multi-family dwellings to 10,393 units. The number of
single-family dwellings declined 5.8%
to 6,629 units.
Highest gains in Quebec,
Ontario and Alberta
The total value of building permits increased in nine provinces in May, led by
Quebec; up 45.8% to a record high $1.7
billion, following a decline in April. The
increase was attributable largely to
higher intentions for commercial buildings and multi-family dwellings.
Ontario and Alberta also recorded
significant gains. Ontario’s advance
was the result of higher intentions for
multi-family dwellings and commercial
buildings. Alberta’s gain was attributable to commercial and industrial buildings, which more than offset declines in
the residential sector.
Nova Scotia posted declines as a result of lower intentions for multi-family
dwellings and commercial buildings,
which more than offset gains in the institutional and industrial components.
Permits up in over half of
the census metropolitan areas
The total value of permits rose in 19 of
the 34 census metropolitan areas.
Montréal posted by far the biggest
gains due to commercial buildings and
multi-family dwellings, followed by Toronto and Edmonton. In Toronto, the
advance was largely the result of higher
construction intentions for multi-family
dwellings, commercial and industrial
buildings. In Edmonton, the increase
was the result of higher intentions for
office buildings.
The largest declines occurred in Vancouver and Calgary. They originated
from lower intentions, particularly for
the residential sector and commercial
buildings. Source: Statistics Canada, May 2011 issue of
Building Permits (64-001-X,). To order data,
contact Jasmine Gaudreault (toll-free 1-800579-8533; 613-951-6321; bdp_information@
statcan.gc.ca). For more information, contact
Mariane Bien-Aimé (613-951-7520), Investment
and Capital Stock Division.
Education Updates
2010/2011 CIQS/PAQS
educational accomplishments
t has been relatively quiet on the educational
front over the past year with most of our efforts
channeled towards maintaining the system we
currently have in place rather than pursuing
new initiatives. This was due to the recently announced ReBranding/Marketing Plan as many of the new education initiatives would be part of or dependent on this plan. Here are
some of the activities that took place over the past year:
1.The Career Information Booklet and the condensed Student version were printed and distributed to all Affiliates.
These documents are being used in our seminars nationwide and are currently being translated into French by
AEQSQ.
2. 2010 was the first year in the history of CIQS where all
subjects were offered in both examination sessions (May
and November). The response from our membership has
been very positive. In total we had 69 members sitting 153
examinations comprising of 148 Architectural examinations, one Mechanical exam and four Electrical exams. This
translates into an increase of 61% in the number of members
taking the examinations, an increase of 68% in the number
of examinations applied for and 47% increase in the number
of subjects applied for. The average pass rate remains fairly
consistent at 75%.
3. Based on the final results of the examinations, the 2010 winners of the two (2) CIQS awards are:
- Jeanne Sharpe of NSAQS – The Frank Helyar Memorial
Award for Highest Mark in subject #A302 Measurement of
Construction Work Practical Exam, and
- Maqsood Tajbhai of OIQS – The Buster Vermeulen Memorial Award for Highest Mark in subject #C308 Cost Planning.
Education Updates
4. The review of our syllabi has slowed down since this
will become part of the new Re-Branding/Marketing Plan. However, the syllabus for subject #A306
Measurement & Pricing of Civil Works was updated
by Doug Eastwell, PQS(F). The Electrical syllabus is
currently under review and we have several members
developing the new Heavy Civils syllabus. A draft outline was presented at the last Council meeting and we
are hoping that a more detailed outline will be completed by the next Council meeting.
5. Just over two years ago on March 6, 2009 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by CIQS, QSBC,
the Vancouver Regional Construction Association
(VRCA) and British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) for the development of a Construction
Management degree program with specialization in
Quantity Surveying. In the CIQS Council meeting on
March 19, 2011 this program was granted full accreditation and we were informed on May 11, 2011 that the
program was accepted by BCIT. This means that the
first program that specializes in Quantity Surveying
is set to begin in September 2011. The CIQS Council
congratulates the members of the various organizations that are involved in this venture especially Andrew Collins, PQS(F) of QSBC.
6. Negotiations are continuing with the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) in trying to re-establish
an agreement with regards to recognition of their
Gold Seal Certified (GSC) members and our CEC &
PQS qualified members. Our negotiating team is making sure that any agreement we sign will not have any
negative impact on other reciprocity agreements or
special recognition we currently have with other local,
national and international professional organizations.
7. A TPE Guidance Notes for Candidates and Supervisors was completed in December 2010. This Guidance
Notes is given to members (and their supervisors)
when the member applies to start their TPE. This
“This means that the first program
that specializes in Quantity Surveying
is set to begin in September 2011”
year there was a reduction of 29% in the number of
members applying for their final practice problem (Part
C) of their TPE.
8. The PAQS Congress was held in Singapore in July
2010 and we continue to be an active participant. The
first ever PAQS College/University Accreditation (for
UNITEC in New Zealand) was done in May 2010 and
Andrew Collins, PQS(F) was nominated the chair of the
accreditation committee. Andrew made his presentation at the PAQS Education & Accreditation Committee
meeting on July 24, 2010. It was well received and all 11
member associations present voted in favour of recognizing the accreditation of UNITEC.
9. The upcoming PAQS Conference will be held in July
2011 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. At this conference, the accreditation for three other colleges/university will be
presented to the committee. These colleges/universities
include two from Malaysia and one from Sri Lanka.
As usual, I would like to thank Lois, Ishrat and all of
our examiners for their tremendous work they did over
the past year.
David Lai, PQS (F)
CIQS Education Administrator
Continuing Education at George Brown College
We’re known for the variety, quality and convenience of our courses
and programs. Our industry-professional instructors, innovative courses
and up-to-date distance-education delivery methods keep our students
coming back for more. Our series of OIQS/CIQS accredited courses
provide the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the construction
estimating/project management field.
Register now at coned.georgebrown.ca
For more information, call 416-415-5000, ext. 4861 (long distance
1-800-265-2002, ext. 4861) or e-mail [email protected].
The outlook of the
quantity
surveying
profession in Canada
The demographics and politics of Canada very much influence the construction industry and the QS profession
as a growing part of the industry. The
Country is 10 million km² in area,
6,000 km wide from the Pacific Ocean
to the Atlantic Ocean and 4,000 km
from the USA border at the southern
end to the Arctic Ocean at the north.
We have five and a half time zones
and climatic zones ranging from arctic
to desert. The population is approximately 31 million mostly living along
the border with the USA and with the
vast majority resident in the central
provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
The major industry nationwide
seems to be government. As a federal
system, we have a central government
and ten provincial and three territorial governments. Major cities become
the next level and they generally
cause the creation of regional districts
which administer transportation and
major utilities and every small town
has a mayor and council. Other major
administrations are school districts,
health regions and of course countless
crown corporations. All these authorities are potential employers of inhouse QS staff and clients for private
practice QS’s.
We are an exporting nation with the
USA being our major trading partner
and we theirs with the resulting influences on economics, systems and
manufactured goods.
The main industries driving the
economy from east to west are quite
diverse and are changing. Newfoundland, in the east, had an economy
based on fishing and federal government transfer payments. This has
rapidly changed to offshore oil and
gas as well as significant mining.
Nova Scotia has a mixed economy
with tourism probably now the major
industry since fishing has died out,
however the federal government
provides a large part of economic support. New Brunswick is the home of
the telemarketing industry. Quebec is
a major manufacturing province including a fairly large lumber industry.
Ontario is the largest province in all
aspects except size with manufacturing, finance and government being
the major economic drivers. The
prairie provinces still rely mainly on
agriculture plus potash mining in
Saskatchewan. Alberta is still a major
agriculture producer but the oil and
This is a paper entitled The outlook of the
quantity surveying profession in Canada that
was presented by CIQS Past President, Clive Evans,
PQS(F) at the QSIC Conference ‘Beyond Frontiers’
Quantity Surveying International Convention
in Malaysia in October 2010.
gas industry has rapidly expanded
and has made the province the richest
in the country. British Columbia has
historically been driven by the lumber
industry and mining but oil and gas
is now a major factor with tourism
becoming a significant contributor to
the economy. On the other hand, fishing appears to be dying. As you can
see, there are a wide range of opportunities from coast to coast where QS
services can be utilized.
The gross national product is close
to $1.3 trillion and the construction
industry’s gross output is approximately $170 billion with 40% being
civil engineering works and building
construction being split 50/50 between residential and non-residential.
Employment in construction is approximately one million persons and
rising about 1% per annum. There
are a diminishing number of people
entering the industry and, as in many
countries of the world, there is an
ever increasing proportion of workers
at the retiring end of the spectrum
with the deficit being made up by
immigrant workers. Unemployment
runs at 7% nationally and fluctuates
from province to province.
As a profession, quantity surveying
in Canada lags behind all of the Commonwealth countries and most of the
Pacific Association of Quantity Surveyors member countries in providing
the traditional scope of QS services.
Bills of Quantities were used long ago
and still are in civil engineering but
since the railway was pushed across
the country 100 odd years ago, they
have not been part of the building industry. We have moved to the US system of bidding where each contractor
and many subcontractors and suppliers are required to prepare their own
take-offs using their own methods of
measurement.
This of course requires drawings
and specifications to be detailed and
complete and also leads to the inevitable mistake that could result in the
low bid. Current discussion within the
industry suggests that this method
of bidding is not likely to change any
time soon.
What then does the quantity surveyor do in Canada? The profession
got its start from a group of ex patriot QS’s from Britain who at the
time were working as estimators for
construction companies in Toronto,
Ontario. This group formed the basis
of the Canadian Institute of Quantity
Surveyors (CIQS) in 1959.
The Institute is now 2,000 strong
and is an association of provincial associations with six provincial bodies
forming the national council. Our influence as a profession varies greatly
across the country with Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario probably
enjoying the most recognition from
governments and the construction
industry.
We do have many members serving
on boards of construction associations
and similar related organizations as
well as lecturers at colleges and universities. The Institute has its own 25
subject examination syllabus which is
operated by member volunteers but,
increasingly, the education system is
being supplemented by various university and college programmes that
offer courses as part of their BSc. degrees that will meet the CIQS requirements.
The CIQS is the producer of a
number of recognized publications
including The Method of Measurement
of Building Works, Elemental Cost
Analysis, Schedule of Recommended
Services and Charges, our quarterly
magazine Construction Economist,
Canadian Building Law and Construction Budgeting. All of these
publications have been authored and
updated by volunteer members. Quantity Surveyors are employed in the
most part by general contractors, sub
trades, government departments, developers and private practice QS firms
as well as construction and project
management firms.
Contractors and sub trades rely on
their own QS’s to measure, organize
and coordinate bids, prepare progress
draws for interim payment, track and
negotiate change orders, settle final
accounts, help in risk analysis and
project scheduling. Many construction companies have QS’s in senior
management and executive positions
including company directors and owners. Federal, provincial, territorial,
municipal and other major government departments employ QS’s both
in-house and as consultants to look
after their interests in design and
construction administration.
The consulting quantity surveyor
provides cost planning services in
the main but all forms of cost and
management advice are required
by clients. Cost planning can
include advice from the functional
programme stage through all phases
of the design process to the review of
the contractor’s payment schedule
and contract award.
Ad hoc cost advice is often called for
by authorities and designers for feasibility studies and cost comparisons
and contractors are known to require
the services of a QS as an independ-
ent cost advisor in areas of dispute.
Post contract administration services
are growing where the owners, architects and engineers are realizing that
the contractors are becoming more
sophisticated and find it is prudent to
employ someone with the knowledge
and experience in costing as well as
contract interpretation.
Most financial institutions now
require a QS to review developers
budgets and monitor requests for
money advances and recommend
payments etc. on construction loans.
The demand for these services has
become popular enough that some
practices tend to only specialize in
this field. A small number of QS’s are
qualified as Chartered Arbitrators,
Mediators and more recently Value
Analysis Facilitators and tend to
specialize in these fields. Expert
Witness services and insurance loss
evaluations are also provided by a
few QS’s. Others have successfully
developed practices in Construction
Management, Project Management
and Specification Writing.
With the advent of private/public
partnerships (P3’s) QS’s have been
called upon by both sides of the fence
to lend their talents to advise on
the various aspects of this system of
construction procurement.
Quantity surveying has come a very
long way in Canada since the CIQS
was formed 52 years ago. With our
many public authorities needing to
ensure fiscal prudency, our services
will continue to be in ever greater
demand. Our exposure to the nontraditional industries of oil and
gas recovery offers opportunity to
businesses that lack the structure
quantity surveying techniques offer. P3 procurement has become a
popular, politically chosen method
which will require more and more QS
services. The increasing demand for
sustainable buildings provides new
opportunities in life cycle costing and
the acceptance of value management
again calls for the QS’s training and
structured approach.
The RICS Americas has been
formed fairly recently and with its
considerable world wide experience,
financial support and influence, it
will have an increasing effect on land
economics and management on the
continent. Whilst bills of quantities
may not be on the horizon of the contractors, I can see them being introduced with the influence of the RICS
into the USA system and eventually
becoming part of Canada’s system.
The CIQS and RICS recognizes each
others qualifications and the benefits
to the Canadian scene in promotion
and prestige are tremendous.
Our Institute is well founded, continues to benefit from good leadership
and has a growing number of good,
young members coming to the fore
auguring well for continued growth
and increasing influence.
I believe quantity surveying has
a vibrant and very exciting future
in Canada.
Submitted by Clive E J Evans,
PQS(F). Clive is a retired,
founding partner of LEC Quantity
Surveying Inc. of Vancouver, BC,
Canada and is a past president of
the QSBC and of the CIQS.
QUANTITY SURVEYORS
A leading Cost Consulting and Project Management
firm requires the following candidates for its
Montreal and Ottawa offices:
Junior, intermediate and senior level Q.S.’s capable of providing cost
planning and cost control services for commercial and institutional projects.
We offer competitive salaries, benefits, training and potential for growth.
Please send resume in strictest confidence to: LCO - Construction and Management Consultants Inc.
Fax: 514-846-8913 | Phone: 514-846-8914 | E-Mail: [email protected]
Construction Budgeting
3rd Edition, 2011
By Frank W. Helyar, PQS(F), FRICS
Edited by Clive E.J. Evans, PQS(F), FRICS, C. Arb
3rd edition, 2011, ISBN-978-1-896606-10-9, 197 pages
$45.00 members • $75.00 non-members
plus $7.50 shipping (Canada) and applicable GST/HST
You may order all publications online at our
Publications/Online Store at www.ciqs.org
Or contact us for ordering information.
Tel: (905) 477-0008 • Toll free: 1-866-345-1168
Email [email protected]
CALIBRA
TE Y
DRAWIN OUR PDF
PERFORM G AND
TA
ELECTRO KEOFFS
NICALLY
2011 AGM
Report on the
CIQS 52
nd
Annual General Meeting
By Lois Metcalfe
The 52nd CIQS Annual
General Meeting was held
at the Beaches Sandy Bay
Resort in Negril, Jamaica on
June 12-14, 2011.
he event was kicked off for Council on Sunday, June 12 with a
Council meeting to review reports for
the AGM to be held the next day and
tidy up outstanding matters for the
2010/11 year. At this meeting, Mark
Gardin from Nova Scotia was elected
as CIQS 2nd Vice President. Congratulations Mark!
A Welcome Reception was held on
Sunday evening which gave everyone
an opportunity to renew acquaintances and make new friends.
The 52nd CIQS Annual General
Meeting was held on Monday, June 13
and attended by 23 members (to view
the minutes please visit the member’s
T
only section of our web site). Clark
Campbell and Andrew Collins from
BC were presented with the prestigious CIQS Award of Merit by Past
President, Clive Evans. Clark was
present to receive his award in person
and Andrew’s award was accepted by
Mark Russell on his behalf. Incoming
President Roy Lewis presented Herve
Couture with a plaque of appreciation
for serving as CIQS President. It was
announced that the 2012 AGM will
be held in St. John’s and hosted by
the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Quantity Surveyors. The
highlight of the AGM was the presentation of the CIQS marketing strategy
by Chris Reinert, Chair of the PR
and Marketing Committee which was
passed unanimously by the members.
Two foursomes (Clive Evans, Mark
Russell, Chris Reinert, Mark Ravelle,
Pat Cantin, Wayne Quanson, Bertin
Bois and Ian Duncan) participated in
the Clive Evans Living Golf Tourna-
ment at Negril Hills Golf Course after
the AGM. These eight gents are to be
congratulated for golfing in such hot
and humid conditions but they seemed
to keep amply hydrated so they were
fine (see article on page 18).
The technical sessions were held on
Tuesday, June 14. Our keynote speakers were June Anderson, local Jamaican project developer, and Maura
Watson, Jamaican real estate agent,
who offered insights on the Paradiso,
a new subdivision of Whitehouse,
Westmoreland in Jamaica. Natalie
Alexander, PQS, from Ontario, did a
presentation on Quantity Surveying
in St. Lucia and Hurricane Tomas
and was followed by a presentation by
Edward Traore, PQS, from Alberta,
on Entry Strategy for International
Construction.
The first meeting of the 2011/12
Council was held following the technical sessions chaired by new President,
Roy Lewis. Welcome to new Councillor
2011 AGM
from Alberta, Dave Burns. Returning
members of Council include Herve
Couture, Mark Russell, Mark Gardin,
Jeff Logan and Bertin Bois. David
Lai will continue as CIQS Education
Administrator, Joshua Mutize as Editor of the Construction Economist
and I will continue as Executive Director. Ian Duncan, Past President,
wrapped up five years on CIQS Council, however, he has been co-opted
to serve on various committees for
CIQS as well as our representative to
PAQS. We also said goodbye to Chris
Reinert who finished up his term on
Council as Alberta representative.
Chris worked tirelessly on the CIQS
Sponsor
marketing plan and volunteered to
assist the new marketing Chair, Dave
Burns with this initiative.
On Tuesday evening, the President’s dinner was held in the Carribbean restaurant at the resort.
On Wednesday morning, we bid
farewell to the delegates who stayed
for four nights. Others stayed on for
the remainder of the week.
On behalf of the CIQS, I would like
to thank the delegates for attending, our sponsor, SmartBidNet, for
their financial support, our technical
session speakers for their time and
insight and the Organizing Committee (Roy Lewis, David Lai and Ian
Duncan) for their hard work. Without
all of you, the event would not have
been such a success.
Clark Campbell
Clark is a Fellow of the Institute and
has served both as President of the
Provincial and National Associations.
Prior to holding these positions, Clark
spent countless hours of extracurricular work in his position as QSBC
Education Director as well as CIQS
Education Administrator.
Although Clark is no longer actively
involved on the QSBC Board, he is a
strong advocate for the Society both in
his professional capacity, where Clark
is on the executive board of a long and
well established contracting firm, and
in his position as Director of the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA).
Clark attends all QSBC and CIQS
events. Clark’s recent participation in
various committees enabled the successful formulation and crucial first
steps towards the Memorandum of
Understanding between four organizations (CIQS/QSBC/BCIT/VRCA).
It should also be noted that Clark is
a champion of the Society when mixing with the students and faculty at
BCIT.
CIQS Award of Merit
Clark Campbell, PQS(F) and
Andrew Collins, PQS(F) from
the Quantity Surveyors of
British Columbia (QSBC)
received the prestigious
CIQS Award of Merit at the
CIQS AGM in Jamaica this
June. Clive Evans, CIQS Past
President presented the
awards. Congratulations to
both recipients.
About the Award of Merit
• The CIQS Award of Merit is
for outstanding service to
the CIQS in making it the
fine organization it is today
• Nominations for the award
are made annually by the
affiliated associations
• There are no restrictions
in respect to geography
• No more than two per year
may receive the award
• The decision is by ballot
by previous recipients
• The recipient must be a
member in good standing
with the CIQS
Clark Campbell receiving his Award of
Merit from Clive Evans
Andrew Collins
Andrew is also a Fellow of the
Institute and has served on both
Provincial and National Associations.
As Director of QSBC, Andrew has
dedicated countless hours towards
the successful establishment of a
Quantity Surveying degree program
at BCIT. Andrew is a member of the
BCIT Advisory Committee for the
Construction Management degree
program. His participation over the
years involves liaison with facilities
and students and QS representative
on multiple boards, to mention only a
few of his many achievements.
Furthermore, Andrew is the current PAQS Accreditation Committee
Chairman. He is the appointed CIQS
accreditation representative for PAQS
and attended the PAQS 2010 AGM in
Singapore. Participation in this global
forum requires an enormous amount
of travel and commitment in ensuring
that CIQS is well represented.
Andrew will be completing his second term of six consecutive years of
directorship on the QSBC board.
Andrew attends all QSBC and
CIQS events and promotes the Institute and Society to students and faculty at BCIT.
2011 AGM
1
3
2
4
5
6
7
8
9
2011 AGM
10
11
SENIOR
ESTIMATOR
SENIOR
ESTIMATOR
12
1. Joanne Stregger from BC, Adriana
Mema from Ontario and Doreen
Campbell from BC
2. A
rchie and Mary Thibault
from Nova Scotia
3. Jeff Logan and Judi Cullis from
Ontario and Mark and Tracey Russell
from BC
4. Mark and Nadia Gardin
from Nova Scotia
5. D
ave and Crystal Burns from Alberta
6. M
ark and Heather Ravelle from
Ontario and Fred and Ruth
Schiebe from BC
7. Speakers Edward Traore and Natalie
Alexander with President Roy Lewis
8. Clive Evans from BC and Chris
Reinert from Alberta
9. S
peaker Natalie Alexander
from Ontario
10.A
lison Hughes and Kirsten
McIntosh from Ontario
11. H
erve Couture, Monique Bouffard
and Bert Bois from Quebec, Mary
Thibault from Nova Scotia and
Adriana Mema from Ontario
12. W
ayne and Denise Quanson
from Alberta and Fred
Schiebe from BC
Clark Clark
Builders,
a leading
Canadian
construction
company
Builders,
a leading
Canadian
construction
companywith
withover
over37
37years
years of
of
experience,
is seeking
a Senior
Estimator
for for
thethe
Calgary
office.
experience,
is seeking
a Senior
Estimator
Calgary
office.Clark
ClarkBuilders
Builders is
is
a conscientious,
profitable,
andand
financially
a conscientious,
profitable,
financiallysecure
secureand
and growth
growth oriented
oriented
organization.
organization.
in Calgary,
the successful
applicant
part
opportunitydriven
driven
BasedBased
in Calgary,
the successful
applicant
willwill
bebe
part
of ofananopportunity
and entrepreneurial
team.
and entrepreneurial
team.
Duties/Responsibilities
Duties/Responsibilities
Yoube
willrequired
be required
to conduct
investigations,
quantity/material takeoff’s,
takeoff’s,
You will
to conduct
sitesite
investigations,
quantity/material
prepare project estimates & budgets, checking estimates for extensions,
prepare project estimates & budgets, checking estimates for extensions,
accuracy and errors, contacting sub-trades and suppliers for quotes, evaluating
accuracy
and errors, contacting sub-trades and suppliers for quotes, evaluating
quotations, as well as recommending sub-trades. Also, the successful candidate
quotations,
well as recommending
sub-trades.
Also, the successful
candidate
will be as
responsible
to oversee estimators
in the department
for tender finalization,
will bepre-construction
responsible to services
oversee and
estimators
indesign
the department
attending
meetings. for tender finalization,
pre-construction services and attending design meetings.
Skills and Qualifications (Minimum Requirements)
SkillsDiploma
and Qualifications
Requirements)
or Degree (Minimum
in Construction
Engineering Technology, Construction
Diploma
or Degree
in Construction
Engineering
Technology,
Construction
Management,
or equivalent
combinations
of technical
training and/or
experience.
A minimum
of 6-9 years
estimating, controls
and/or
engineering
in
Management,
or equivalent
combinations
of technical
training
and/orexperience
experience.
construction.
knowledgecontrols
of assigned
discipline,
estimating
techniques,
A minimum
of 6-9Advanced
years estimating,
and/or
engineering
experience
in
cost control,
conceptual
budgeting
and the ability
to interpret
computerized
cost
construction.
Advanced
knowledge
of assigned
discipline,
estimating
techniques,
data/systems,
is essential.
cost control,
conceptual
budgeting and the ability to interpret computerized cost
data/systems, is essential.
This challenging opportunity includes a competitive compensation package,
along with an opportunity to grow in a vibrant and competitive industry. If you are
This challenging opportunity includes a competitive compensation package,
a team player who prefers to work in a rewarding, entrepreneurial environment,
along we
withwould
an opportunity
to grow in a vibrant and competitive industry. If you are
like to meet you!
a team player who prefers to work in a rewarding, entrepreneurial environment,
we would
likesend
to meet
Please
your you!
resume stating salary expectations in confidence to:
Please send your resume
stating salary expectations in confidence to:
Clark Builders
7535 Flint Road SE
ClarkCalgary,
BuildersAB T2H 1R3
Human Resources
7535Attention:
Flint RoadManager,
SE
Fax: AB
(403)
255-2523
Calgary,
T2H
1R3
Email: Manager,
[email protected]
Attention:
Human Resources
Fax: www.clarkbuilders.com
(403) 255-2523
www.clarkbuilders.com
Score 86 took home the golf trophy
he 2011 Clive Evans Living
Golf Tournament took place
on Monday, June 13, 2011 at the
Negril Hills Golf Club in Jamaica.
The two foursomes braving the very
hot weather to participate in the
tournament consisted of Clive Evans,
Mark Russell, Ian Duncan, Pat Cantin,
Mark Ravelle, Wayne Quanson, Bertin
Bois and Chris Reinert.
T
Last year’s winner Doug Moller was
not in Jamaica to defend his title and
the honour went this year to Clive
Evans, who took home the trophy
with a score of 86 (we think he had
an edge arriving from St. Andrew’s in
Scotland directly to Jamaica). Clive
was closely followed by Mark Ravelle
and Wayne Quanson with scores of 89
and 92 respectively.
Golf - eight participants
It is quite fitting that Clive’s name
now takes the last spot remaining on
his plaque, so it looks like he will have
to buy a new one for the tournament
next year!
Mark Russell and Clive Evans
2012 CIQS
Annual General
We are looking
forward to seeing
you at the 2012
AGM on The Rock.
We look forward to next year’s
tournament in St. John’s, NL. It
should prove to be great fun.
Meeting
CIQS is pleased to announce that the 2012 CIQS AGM will be held in St John’s, Newfoundland
hosted by the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Quantity Surveyors. Details are currently being finalized and will be confirmed shortly. Tentatively, the date is June 8-10, 2012.
The AGM and technical seminars are being planned and will take place during the time noted
above. The itinerary will include the AGM, technical seminars, golf tournament, the president’s
dinner and farewell breakfast.
For information on Newfoundland and Labrador visit www.newfoundlandlabrador.com.
Gordon Derek Pattison
August 31, 1928 - June 28, 2011
Gordon Pattison, PQS(F) – a founding father
Gordon Derek Pattison,
PQS(F)
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of one of the CIQS founding fathers, Gordon Pattison on June 28, 2011. Gordon was born in London,
England in 1928. He was educated in London at the Clacton County High
School and Regent Polytechnic. In 1955, he and his wife Joyce immigrated to
Canada and settled into Toronto where he first found work at Pigott Construction Company. Gordon, after a few years, decided to go into private practice
where he continued in the field of Cost Consulting/Quantity Surveying until his
retirement. Although never fully retiring, he was either semi-working or semiretiring depending on who you talked to. Gordon fully retired in 2007.
Gordon leaves behind his wife of 56 years Joyce. He was father to
son Guy Pattison and his wife Leanne Gormaly, daughter Kathleen
(Kay) Pattison and her friend Robert Coyle, daughter Julie Holland
and brother to Harry and Sheila Pattison.
Gordon was a founding father of the Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors and one of the 13 ‘baker’s dozen’ who originally formed the organization
back in 1959 where he served for decades in various lead, support and mentoring roles. Gordon was presented with one of the first prestigious CIQS Awards
of Merit and Fellowship. In 2008, CIQS Council bestowed upon Gordon
the title of Honorary CIQS President for his 50-plus years of
service, leadership, guidance and support. Gordon was
also elected as the first President of the Ontario Institute
of Quantity Surveyors in 1974.
The publisher of the Construction Economist conducted an
interview with Gordon in 2005 which we feel is appropriate
to reprint at this time.
W
hen Gordon began working
as a quantity surveyor (QS), the
first computer was just being built
and World War II was coming to a
close. At the same time, Polaroid cameras were undergoing R&D in the hope
that they could be marketed in a year
or two, and the families of Canadian
songsters Anne Murray, Neil Young
and Bruce Cockburn were celebrating
their births. The year was 1945 and
Gordon was entering his second year
of being articled to an architect in his
homeland of Great Britain. His father
had found him the position after Gordon had dropped out of high school. A
year later, he joined the British army
where he served a two-year stint.
In 1948, upon his return to London
as a civilian, Gordon found work with
a general contractor. He soon began
working as a quantity surveyor. In
1953, after having gained considerable
experience, Gordon was sent to the
Middle East to help build a campus for
the new University of Kuwait, an adventure that still generates many tales.
In 1955, Gordon came to Canada
and found a position with Pigott
Construction, at the time, one of the
biggest construction companies of its
kind in the country. It did not take
long before Gordon discovered that
the position of quantity surveyor was
in its infancy in his new homeland.
Within five years, an influx of quantity surveyors emigrated from Britain
to Canada and found work in contractors’ offices. According to Gordon,
“The world underwent many changes
after the war. There was a post-war
construction boom around the world
and, all of a sudden, thanks to these
trained quantity surveyors from Great
Britain, the construction industry
was seeing accurate tenders and those
that were paying for the projects were
impressed.”
Prior to the QS professionals arriving on the scene, tenders had been
almost fictional creations because no
Gordon presenting
Lois Metcalfe with
the award of merit
for 25 years of
service in 2003
Gordon and Frank Helyar
at the AGM in Halifax 1985
Gordon at the
2006 AGM
in the Bahamas
The answer, according to Gordon,
is that the industry simply could not
ignore the profession any longer.
one took the time to study the building construction market and its frequent fluctuations. Here was a niche
waiting to be filled by a trained, professional individual (the professional
quantity surveyor or PQS). The PQS
was well informed about all aspects of
the construction industry, including
current market conditions affecting
the cost of construction, new technology, contractual laws and regulations,
material specifications, scheduling,
labour supply, and the latest construction methods permeating the industry.
Gordon left Pigott Construction
in 1957 to go into private practice.
What a blessing this was for the quantity surveying profession in Canada.
Within two years (February 1959), he
was one of a handful of quantity surveyors that met regularly in Toronto
to form the Canadian Institute of
Quantity Surveyors, or CIQS. At those
meetings, these insightful professionals created the Institute’s objectives,
rules and regulations – the foundation
of this professional organization and
applied for (and were granted) a federal charter.
Gordon helped create the Institute’s
first newsletter. He quickly became
secretary of CIQS and, eventually, he
was named the organization’s Executive Secretary (earning the princely
sum of $500 a year for 10 years). From
1974 to 1976, Gordon served as the
first President of the Ontario Institute
of Quantity Surveyors, the provincial
branch of CIQS.
While project owners welcomed
quantity surveyors with open arms
(because they were finally receiving
accurate budgets and tenders), the industry, as a whole, was slow to accept
this new position into the process.
After all, construction had gone on for
decades without quantity surveyors.
Why rock the boat?
The answer, according to Gordon,
is that the industry simply could not
ignore the profession any longer.
“We gave them numbers they could
live by. We gave them direction,” he
says. “More precisely, we gave them
financial directions on which they
could hang their hats. Armed with our
figures, owners, architects, planners
and contractors could create more accurate and more succinct plans.”
That is not to say the life of a professional quantity surveyor is an
easy one. Gordon says a PQS is often
“caught between an architects dream
and an owners budget.” He says, “Architects are committed to this creation
they have in their mind – and rightfully so. Owners, on the other hand,
have a finite budget for the project in
question. After we come in with our
numbers, either the architect’s dream
or the owner’s budget, or both, are
adjusted.”
He adds, “We should not be ‘butting heads’ with the architect because
we are both there for the owners, doing the best job that we possibly can
within the budget.”
Asked what the most important
role is for a PQS in a construction
project, Gordon answers, “I feel that
the most important role for a professional quantity surveyor is to ensure
that the project stays on budget. That
is not to say that a budget cannot be
adjusted. It certainly can change, as
Guy Smith receiving the Award
of Merit from Gordon in 2002
Gordon and Linn Marron-Marshall in 2009
Stan Seymour,
Colin RandallSmith at the CIQS
50th Anniversary
in 2009
Gordon presenting
Joe Rekab with
his Award of Merit
in 2001
Arthur Hooker lending a hand
to Gordon at the 50th anniversary
Gordon is justifiably proud
of his profession and the career
he had within it.
long as all the parties are aware of
the reason for the change and are in
agreement.”
He adds, “On the other hand, the
PQS employed in a general contracting office must ensure that his/her
figures are accurate and he/she has
looked at the most economical ways to
complete the project whilst complying
with the specifications.”
The CIQS saw a momentous event
occur on January 13, 1988. On that
day, the qualified members of the
Institute obtained their official designation – ‘PQS’ for English-speaking
quantity surveyors and ‘ECA’ for
those whose mother tongue was
French. This development legitimized
quantity surveying as a profession. According to Gordon, at the heart of that
legitimacy was continuing education.
“A profession continually strives to
be the best that it can be. The most
obvious way to do this is through continuing education.”
He continues, “Architectural and
construction systems have changed
so much in the last 50 years – even
in the last five years – and quantity
surveyors have to stay on top of these
changes. Over the years, we have
done a good job of developing critical
professional courses that increase our
members’ construction expertise. A
professional designation informs the
outside world that the individual is
a serious, educated, informed professional who will provide his/her client
with a feeling of confidence. The CIQS
has come a long way and is now recognized throughout the country. I am
a firm believer in education and, even
though I am retired, continue to be
involved in the OIQS Test of Professional Experience, serving as an exam
marker on the committee.”
Gordon is justifiably proud of his
profession and the career he had
within it. He says the sense of satisfaction one gets from “coming in spot
on in a budget” is repeated later on
at the project’s opening. “It is a feeling unmatched in most professions,”
he states. Some of the more notable
multi-million dollar projects Gordon
recalls being involved with include:
•CN Tower
• Toronto City Hall
• Hamilton’s McMaster
Health Centre
• Humber Sewage
Treatment Plant in Toronto
• Montreal’s Lambert Lock
• Canadian Embassy in Saudi Arabia
In the future, Gordon would like to
see the increased development of professional teams in the construction
industry. He tells us, “It is being done
more and more these days. A team
consisting of architect(s), engineer(s),
quantity surveyor(s) and project
manager(s) find they work well
together and are successful. They
proceed to keep the team together for
multiple projects. It is a very efficient
way of doing things.”
Gordon should know an efficient
way when he sees it. After all, a father of quantity surveying in Canada
has experience on his side.
New Members
The CIQS would like to welcome the following new members (Including Reinstatements):
A
Bishwa Acharya, Clarion Hotel & Suites
Selby, Toronto, ON
Dennis Afful-Nyarko, London,
United Kingdom
Kyric Aitken, Altus Group, Toronto, ON
Amir Al-Dabagh, Gatineau, QC
Sylvain Aressy, Macogep Inc., Montreal, QC
Salvatore Argento, Sept Freres Construction,
Montreal, QC
Inderpal Aujla, Edmonton, AB
B
Shujah Babar, Peshawar, Pakistan
Jeff Babich, BTY Group, Calgary, AB
Pierre Beaucage, Praztek Construction,
Timmins, ON
Andrew Bin, Guelph, ON
Sylvain Bittner-Lamy, St-Rédempteur, QC
Eric Brading, Aecon Utilities, Toronto, ON
Normand Brunelle, CCNB Bathurst Campus,
Bathurst, NB
C
Edgar Castro, Institut Grasset, Montréal, QC
Liebin Chen, Montreal, QC
Lillian Ching, Ledcor Construction Ltd.,
Vancouver, BC
Scott Clarke, Sudbury, ON
Theodore Cooper, London, ON
Ariel Cordova, GPD Investments LLC, Dubai,
United Arab Emirates
Marc-André Croteau, RCAA Planifika inc., Québec, QC
Scott Crowe, Vancouver, BC
Matthew Cummins, London, ON
H
Mohamed Henache, Conex Construction
Routière, Montréal, QC
Sean Hines, BC Projects Ltd., Abbotsford, BC
Dan Houghton, BC Hydro, Prince George, BC
Junkai (Eric) Huang, Empire Communities,
Vaughan, ON
I
Jesulowo Iyanuoluwa, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
J
Alex Jamieson, Prince Albert, ON
Xuming Jiang, Altapex, Saint-Laurent, QC
S
T
L
N
Ronald Gabay, Quantity Surverying
Consultants Ltd., Kingston, Jamaica
Nathan Gerbrecht, Altus Group, Calgary, AB
Sharmista Ghosh, Altus Group,
Vancouver, BC
Sante Giordano, Hydro One Networks Inc.,
Toronto, ON
Gimhan Godawatte, Kuliyapitiya, Sri Lanka
Jared Gushuliak, Winnipeg, MB
Gregory Gwynne, Fort Erie, ON
Paul Gyozo, Welland, ON
Sofija (Sophia) Radic, Carillion Canada
(former Vanbots), Concord, ON
Guillaume Robitaille, Les Entreprises Daniel
Bergeron Ltee., Montreal, QC
Claude Roy, Roy et Tremblay inc.,
Longueuil, QC
M
Thanushan Kailayapillai, Trincomalee, ON
Yasaman Khayeri, Right At Home Realty Inc.,
Brokerage, Toronto, ON
Yasser Khedr, IPMS, Scarborough, ON
F
G
R
William Lam, Accutec Quantity Surveying
Inc., West Vancouver, BC
Chad Long, Calgary, AB
K
Michel Deslauriers, Laval, QC
Andre Doiron, Stantec, Fredericton, NB
Man Dong, Toronto, ON
Eric Durie, Thorold, ON
Fitzroi Fabre, Montréal, QC
Gerardo Faraon, Vancouver, BC
Jason Festing, Stuart Olson Dominion
Construction Ltd., Richmond, BC
Achille Filippo, Maple, ON
Quinton Friesen, SPECS, Edmonton, AB
Dipakkumar Pandya, Thompson, MB
Nitesh Patel, Thompson, MB
Ashley Schaeffer, Maple Reinders
Constructors Ltd., Mississauga, ON
Ulyana Shlyonchik, Calgary, AB
Mohamed Sirajudeen, Pottuvil, Sri Lanka
Jeremy Smith, PCL Constructors Canada
Inc., Mississauga, ON
Benjamin Smith, Medicine Hat, AB
Mike Snow, Sudbury, ON
Kyle Stewart, Kelowna, BC
Noel Suban, Sudbury, ON
Anuradha Sugathadasa, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Wassim Sultani, Macogep Inc., Montreal, QC
David MacDonald, Canadian Forces,
Oromocto, NB
Shameer Mahroof, Pottuvil, Sri Lanka
Irene Malang, Hanscomb Limited,
Winnipeg, MB
Patrick Mallon, Quorum Construction Ltd.,
Aldergrove , BC
Muthukumar Mariappan, Doha, Qatar
Renu Mathew, Ville de Montréal,
Montréal, QC
Nayana Modi, Scarborough, ON
Asharf Mohamed, Hatton, Sri Lanka
Zack Moro, Etobicoke, ON
Mpumelelo Mzimelam, Parktown,
South Africa
D
P
Niropalini Nagarajah, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Liliane Nawfal, Laval, QC
Dana Newton, Hanscomb Limited,
Ottawa, ON
Joseph Nowlan, Sunny Corner Enterprises
Inc., Miramichi, NB
O
Emeka Ogbugo, Gosiame Development
Consultants (Pty) Ltd., Pretoria,
South Africa
Jegede Oladele, Lejedx Global Ltd.,
Abuja, FCT, Nigeria
Mahyar Tavassoli, Bird Construction
Company, Toronto, ON
Ashwin Thakkar, Toronto, ON
Austin Thompson, Cape Town, South Africa
Gabriel Treacey, Matheson Constructors,
Concord, ON
U
Muhammad Usman, Islamabad, Pakistan
V
Simon Vallée, Equiluqs Ingénierie, Laval, QC
Emilio Villalta, SNC Lavalin, Montreal, QC
W
Michael Webster, Ledcor Construction
Limited, Calgary, AB
Nicholas Withoos, PreCon Builders Ltd.,
Winnipeg, MB
Ray Wong, RDH Building Engineering Ltd.,
Vancouver, BC
Y
Young Yoon, Port Moody, BC
Z
Ellen Zhang, Richmond, BC
In memoriam
Frederick O. Tozer, PQS
The OIQS is saddened by the passing of Frederick
(Fred) Tozer on April 13, 2011 in his 69th year.
Fred joined the Institute in 1982 and was awarded
certificate #1361 in 1984. He worked in New
Brunswick until 1980 when he moved to Ontario and
accepted a position with Lummus Canada in Toronto
as Senior Project Engineer. He then worked for
Lavalin Inc. (Fenco) and Ontario Hydro
before he went into private practice as Tozer Technical
Services. Fred returned to his beloved New Brunswick
in 2005 where he continued to work as a consultant
until his passing. Fred encouraged many young
quantity surveyors to join the Institute and helped
them through their mechanical examinations. He was
proud to be a member of the CIQS. Fred will be sadly
missed by his wife of 46 years Pat Mullin; sons Jonathan
(Pascale) Tozer of Riverview and Charles Tozer of Victoria,
BC; adoring grand daughter Emily Emmanuelle
Tozer; three brothers Herb (Jenny), Gerald
(Rhonda), and Wayne (Anne).
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24-MM8475-11_TDI.EN•ciqs (7x4.625).indd 1
11-02-15 9:21 AM
By Edward Traore, PQS
Case study
East
Timor
[Timor-Leste]
construction industry
This is a brief synopsis of the presentation Edward gave at the 2011 AGM.
Please contact Lois Metcalfe at [email protected] for the full presentation
Country analysis
(background information)
Political, economic
and social overview
East Timor (also, Timor-Leste) is an
island in the Indonesian archipelago,
located about 400 miles northwest of
Australia. It is a small country with a
population of just over a million people
(US Census Bureau, 2008 est.) and a
land area of 14,610 square kilometres.
Formerly a Portuguese colony and
later annexed by Indonesia in 1975,
East Timor was internationally recognized as an independent democratic
nation on May 20, 2002. Independence
came as a result of a referendum in
1999 when a majority of East Timorese (78.5%) choose sovereignty from
Indonesia rule. However, this was attended by repressive violence and unrest, ending only by the intervention
of the United Nations peacekeeping
forces and the subsequent establishment of a transitional administration
– UNTAET.
•2010 UN Human Development Report
rank East Timor as one of the poorest
countries in the Asia-Pacific region
(ranked 120 out of 169 countries).
•Post-referendum conflict in 1999 and
civil unrest in 2006, destroyed almost
80% of East Timor’s economic infrastructure.
•As a post-conflict country, achieving
stability, security, law and order remain key challenges.
•The international community role
has been critical to the maintenance
of security and a smooth transition to
political self-rule in East Timor.
•East Timor’s economy relies largely
on international community assistance and revenues from oil and gas
production.
•Optimistic expectations encouraged
massive external assistance during
transition to independence and
recent period of reconstruction.
•World Bank, International Monetary
Fund (IMF) and Asian Development
Bank (ADB) provide financial, technical assistance and training, for developing reconstruction program, basic
macroeconomic, institutional and
legal frameworks.
Economic and
development fact sheet
Recent reports suggest that East
Timor has made significant progress
since the restoration of independence
in 2002 (ADB, 2010). However, East
Timor is still dealing with many
challenges common to post-conflict
states, including high levels of poverty,
some fragility, weak public and private
sector capacity, poor infrastructure,
new institutions and limited economic
opportunities.
The economy grew at 13% in 2008
and 5% in 2009, largely driven by public
expenditure in infrastructure and service delivery and improved agricultural
production.
Government expenditure is funded
primarily through offshore petroleum
revenues, which were valued at almost
$5.5 billion by end-November 2009;
Timor-Leste, however, remains primarily an agricultural, subsistence economy.
The government has identified three
priority areas for development focus:
Rural development, Infrastructure, and
Human resource development.
The ADB, IMF and World Bank support these priorities through assistance
in infrastructure development, public
sector capacity building and private sector development.
Investment and
commercial opportunity
•As a post-conflict nation, East Timor
provides various challenges and opportunities.
•Close to 80% of East Timor’s economic infrastructure was destroyed
in 1999 and 2006 (Asian Development
Bank, 2005).
•Re-construction of East Timor’s economic infrastructure provide substantial construction opportunities and
attraction for international construction and engineering firms.
•Large influx of bilateral and multilateral financial aid.
Main obstacles and risks
According to Bray(2005), post-conflict
and developing nations such as East
Timor are weak states and are therefore
associated with significant political and
Table 1. Timor-Leste: Development Indicators
Non-MDG
Population in millions
1.11 (2009)
Annual population
3.1 (2007-2009)
growth rate (%)
Adult literacy rate (%)
–
Percent of population
27.3 (2008)
in urban areas
MDG
Percent of population
37.2 (2007)
living on less than $1.25/day
Percent of population living below 49.9 (2007)
the national poverty line
Under-5 mortality rate
93 (2008)
per 1,000 live births
Percent of population using an
62 (2006)
improved drinking water source
– = Data not available.
MDG = Millennium Development Goal.
Sources: ADB 2010. Basic Statistics 2010.
Manila. World Bank. 2010.
World Development Indicators Online.
security risks.
The economic prospect in East Timor
has been reported to rest on a sustainable internal political/social stability
and continued expansion of public
expenditures (World Bank, 1996 and
ADB, 2005).
The following identifies and reviews
the main obstacles as well as the concomitant risks to construction operations in East Timor:
•Business Environment
•Competition
(Local and International)
•Security Risks
•Political and Regulatory
(Legal & Fiscal) Risks
Financial and payment risks
•The main financial risks
depend largely on:
- Duration of the proposed
project/contract
- Who is paying
- Local currency (vagaries of currency
fluctuations and
profit repatriation).
Cultural impediments (nuances)
• Culturally, East Timor’s population is
heterogeneous with diverse cultural
and linguistic orientations within a
relatively small territory.
Possible entry strategy
In recognizing the construction market
opportunities in East Timor, it is desirable to take advantage of what can be
described as emerging opportunities for
sustainable long-term growth. As a first
Table 2. Timor-Leste: Economic Indicators. 2005-2009
Economic Indicator
2005
2006
2007
Per capita GNI,
Atlast Method ($)
740
960
1,520 2,460 -
2008 2009
GDP growth
(% change per year)
6.2
-5.8
8.0
13.0
5.0
CPI (% change per year)
1.8
4.0
8.7
7.5
0.1
Unemployment rate (%)
-
-
-
-
-
Fiscal balance (% of GDP)
38.0
130.9 254.4 449.3 145.3
Export growth
(% change per year)
-
12.5
-22.2 100.0 -28.6
Import growth
(% change per year)
-8.2
-9.8
85.0
Current account balance
(% of GDP)
83.1
179.0
345.3 516.2 297.0
External debt (% of GNI)
-
-
-
43.7
-
9.9
-
- = Data not available. CPI = consumer price index.
GDP = gross domestic product. GNI = gross national income.
Sources: ADB 2010. Asian Development Outlook 2010. Manila.
World Bank. 2010. World Development Indicators Online.
Reprinted courtesy of Asian Development Bank Institute © 2011 Asian Development Bank www.adb.org, All rights reserved.
step, operations in the region may
possibly commence by way of specific
project opportunities.
This approach may require establishing a local presence for a better
competitive advantage, given that a
strategic alliance with other enterprises has become a way to enter the
international market. In essence, case
studies indicate that firms favour a
joint venture with local companies
rather than a ‘going-it-alone’ strategy
for their international investments
(Worzala & Newell, 1997; Mawhinney,
2001; Lin, 2007).
Thus, as part of a strategy to localize and establish a market presence,
a construction firm may need to set
up a regional office in East Timor
through a Joint Venture partnership
with an indigenous company. As such,
the firm is poised to find the opportunity to learn from local (foreign) partners and clients.
Clearly, this should lead to developing a reputation as a competitive
customer-focused company in a market of local and international contractors. Other value-adding features may
include the integration of local and
global knowledge; delivering superior
quality product in a timely and cost
efficient manner; and the ability to
build winning alliances (Male & Langford, 2001).
Indeed, it must be clearly understood that there are major challenges
that arise in the planning, negotiation, and management of international joint ventures. However, such
challenges are known to be overshadowed by the strategic and competitive advantages derived from a successful joint venture agreement and
an effective collaboration (Ohmae,
1985; Mawhinney, 2001).
As a principal benefit, it is envisaged that the internationalization
of construction services in an international marketplace such as East
Timor should result in stabilization
of workload/profits and diversification of risk. Additionally, this can
further lead to competitive advantage in its domestic construction
market.
In summary, the key elements
of the recommended market entry
approach will include the following
basic strategies:
•Proactively look for opportunities,
specifically those that could be
achieved by the formation of joint
Conclusion and implications
Source: Map No. 4286 Rev 6. United Nations, Department of Field Support,
Cartographic Section. 2009.
ventures including large and relatively complex projects.
•Enter the market on ‘soft dollar’
(low risk/low return) contracts
that allow necessary knowledge
and expertise to be acquired and
then progress to ‘hard dollar’ (high
risk/high return) contracts.
•Localize the business by assimilating to local culture, people and organisational identity. Combine this
with significant company autonomy to target opportunities unique
to each market. This may also
include working smarter, anticipating clients’ needs and adding value
to the project it undertakes.
•Ensure that the operations are adequately resourced and capitalised.
This includes reinvesting profits
from East Timor operations back
into the business to support the
establishment of new markets. Additionally, the scheme of reinvesting funds would embody a strategy
to mitigate the currency risk associated with an international investment (Worzala and Newell, 1997).
•Ensure ongoing communication,
liaison and reporting controls are
maintained between head office and
East Timor regional office, including frequent travel for senior managers between operations.
Capital
Dili
Religion
96.5% Catholic, 1% Muslim, 1% Protestant
Official Language
Tetum (91%) and Portuguese (13%)
Working Languages
Indonesian (43%), English (6%) and other indigenous languages
Literacy
43%
Unemployment
Over 20%
Poverty
42% are below the poverty line
Life expectancy at birth
47.9 years male, 51.8 years female
Infant mortality rate
83 per 1,000 birth
Exports
Coffee, oil and natural gas
Markets
Australia, Europe, Japan, United States
The US dollar was adopted as the official currency in January 2000
(Sources: CIA World Factbook; US Department of State; Australian Government,
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; World Bank, World Development Indicators)
By international standards, East
Timor’s economy is considered small
and with poor infrastructure, high
cost, low labour skills, incomplete
legal and institutional frameworks
and thus, uncompetitive. In the medium- to long-term, however, experts
forecast that East Timor is expected
to benefit from the commercial exploitation of oil/gas resources in the
Timor Sea which has been projected
to increase government revenues
significantly. Therefore, it can be
argued that East Timor presents
some great economic prospects and
opportunities.
However, the fragility of this postconflict country remains latent pending the future consolidation of the
social cohesion and the long-term development of a sustainable economy.
Currently, under the auspices of the
Australian-led UN security forces,
relative normalcy is reported to have
returned to the country. Thus, the
involvement of the international
community remains critical to sustain the current outlook. This is especially true on the economic sphere,
in which the World Bank, IMF and
ADB all have particular roles and
responsibilities.
Essentially, the main features that
underscore East Timor’s economic
and political outlook include: (1) the
sustainability of oil and gas revenues
from the Trust Fund of East Timor,
and continued donor assistance
from the international community
(bilateral and multilateral agencies)
to support government development
programs; (2) the Government is
expected to make reasonable progress to improve its Capital budget
execution and; (3) that an improvement of law and order will entrench
stability of the business environment
and enable a sustainable growth in
the economy.
Implicitly, on the expectation that
these conditions are feasible, it is
desirable to take advantage of what
can be described as emerging opportunities for sustainable long-term
growth. Specifically, there are opportunities arising from the reconstruction activities and, the possibility for
stabilization of workload/profits and
diversification of risks by international construction contractors and
Engineering firms.
By Natalie Alexander, PQS
Quantity Surveying in
St. Lucia
The aftermath of HurricanE Tomas
This is a brief synopsis of the presentation Natalie gave at the 2011 AGM.
Please contact Lois Metcalfe at [email protected] if you would like to see the full presentation.
Understanding the country
•A 238 m Caribbean island nestled
within the Antillean Windward Islands
•Located between the Caribbean
Seas and North Atlantic Ocean
•Population: 172,092 (World Bank
Data; World Development Indicator,
April 26, 2011)
•Adult literacy of 94.8%
•It is a country of parliamentary
democracy with no political
uprisings within the nation
•Gained its independence from
Queen Elizabeth II in 1979
•Economy relies on revenue from
agricultural, tourism, foreign
investments, industrial
•2010 Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) US $1 Billion (est.)
•With a Real GDP Growth of
1.1% in 2010 (est.)
•Forecasted GDP Growth of
2.3% in 2011 (est.)
2
Hurricane Tomas –
what actually occurred?
•According to data collected from St.
Lucia’s National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO):
- Hurricane Tomas occurred
on October 30 – 31, 2010
- Category 2 Hurricane hovered
over island for nearly 24 hours
- Winds of 90 - 95 mph
(145 - 153 km/hr)
- Recorded rainfall of 26.3”
of rain in 24 hour period
•October 31, 2010 PM declared
a state of disaster
Understanding original
government budget
country’s GDP, to be expended over
a period of approximately five years
(IMF report #11/6 dated January 12,
2011)
•Where are funds to be expended?
- Re-establishment of rivers,
bridges and roads
- Dewatering, de-silting and
sedimentation control
- Road works and landslides
- Underground utilities and above
ground (poles, wiring, etc.)
- Water lines restoration, water supply infrastructure and watersheds
- Fisheries industry
- Agricultural industry
(including farmlands)
Understanding the 12 month schedule
•Original budget on November 6, 2010
was estimated at US $500 million
•The current estimate, but still a
preliminary estimate, is US $336
million, or approximately 34% of the
•To return island to some degree of
normalcy. For example:
-E
nsure road networks are usable
-R
eestablishment of rivers and
bridges
Why is project monitoring
the leading role?
It is because effective project management cannot exist without monitoring.
Understanding and examining how project monitoring actually integrated into
most areas of redevelopment.
- Waterlines reconnected; especially to
highly affected areas
- Replanting of agricultural crops,
more specifically Banana Industry
-D
e-silting water bodies to alleviate
water shortage, more specifically the
John Compton Dam
See more in the full report.
Quantity surveying roles
•Understanding the
description of specialism
-Q
uantity Surveyors are the cost
managers of construction design economics and cost planning
- Assess the capital and revenue expenditure at various phases of building construction
- Understanding contract practices
-U
ndertaking of procurement
and tendering
- Project monitoring
-P
roject financial control
and reporting
- Quantification and cost of construction work
-R
isk management
- Dispute resolution
What is the integral role
in the redevelopment?
Of the many spectrums of duties of
quantity surveying which is the integral
role; the leading area that is of uttermost importance in the redevelopment
after a natural disaster?
Project monitoring:
What is Project Monitoring?
•Project monitoring is the ability and
skill of gaining enough information
about a project/development to know
when deviations to the project plan
become large enough to warrant corrective actions.
•It also entails obtaining information
about project/development, team performances, and recognizing potential
risks. All of which is typically accomplished through project status reports
and regular project status reviews.
Island wide re-establishment
•Understanding the disaster plan,
because it gives a Quantity Surveyor
the ability to identify the areas of cost
implication on the immediate recovery work.
•This allows a more strategic manner
in creating objectives and creating
plans to efficiently execute the project
from start to finish. All of which encompasses project monitoring.
•For example - major sections of primary and secondary networks due to
a combination of factors including:
Land slippages, clearing of debris,
clearing of mud slides, clearing uprooted vegetation, plus more (see full
report)
Cost estimation and contracts
Advising and setting budgets for example:
•Housing/residential property
•Physical development (retail,
commercial, industrial)
•Urban renewal
•Roads/highways
•Waterways
•Airport and seaports
•Power generation and utilities
•Telecommunication services
•Sedimentation control of John Compton water dam
•Water pumps/dewatering
Cost estimates for primary roads,
secondary roads and tertiary roads can
be seen in the full report.
Cost estimates and
contracts: tourism sector
St. Lucia is highly dependent on tourism industry with 80% of its revenue
attributed to this. It is therefore imperative to allocate a budget for the
restoration of natural sites, airports
and seaports.
Cost estimates, contract
and project monitoring
•Starting a budget off with a solid
cost estimate and a healthy budget
does not automatically guarantee efficient cash flow.
•Quantity Surveys therefore monitor
materials, execution of the work and
the development’s CTD. Therefore,
constant monitoring is able to control
disbursement of funds and enables a
continuation of project implementation.
•Understanding cost estimation in
project monitoring is also of uttermost
importance, because quantity surveying identifies lagging areas that will
require timely attention and action,
adequately track the project schedule
against the budgets, contracts and
project schedules are cohesively met.
Insurance
Assessments of the damages caused as a
result of the hurricane. Understanding
the insurance policy (standard or comprehensive) coverage, premiums and
deductibles.
•Residential
•Retail
•Commercial
•Negotiating claims on behalf of clients
•Reinstating of buildings
Understanding of a contract of insurance will also be important in dispute of
value of Work when paying out claims.
Strategic financial planning
How is this role integrated into project
monitoring during the country’s redevelopment?
•Understand the source of funds to be
expended:
- For example: International Monetary
Fund (IMF) – which is catered specifically to supporting recovery from
natural disasters and armed conflicts
- Understanding interest rates, conditions of payback period and or subsidized interest rates
- Emergency assistance loans from the
IMF are subject to the basic rate of
charge Loans, and must be repaid
with 3 ¼ - 5 years.
- Understand currency exchange ...
Comparing the EC$ at buying rate
of US at $2.6882
On January 12, 2011 the Executive
Board of the IMF approved US $8.19
million in emergency assistance for St.
Lucia to cope with the economic consequences of Hurricane Tomas (IMF
Press Release #11/6). However, local
estimates (by either general contrac-
tors or sub-contractors), will be submitted in EC$.
World Bank – Department of the
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has
listed 3 bridges in rural communities
as priority work.
•Government of St. Lucia listed a
budgeted for one of these bridges/
crossing (corrugated culvert crossing) at EC $2.575 million = US
$959,178.
•Cost-To-Date EC $1.378 million
= US $513,300
•Therefore, understanding the progress of work in EC dollar but progress Draws and interest rates will
be calculated in US dollars
Other source of funds in a natural
disaster would include:
•International efforts in the aftermath of the disaster such as donations, funds support and other
sources (labour, materials)
•For example: According to Canadian International Development
Agency:
-C
anadian Government Donations
tallied CAD $50,000
- Canada Pledge Fund CAD
$130,000
- Caribbean Catastrophe Risk
Insurance Facility (CCRIF) –
US $3.2 million
- Conversion rate of CAD dollar
2.703 (as of April 25, 2011)
Imports and local production
Why is the knowledge of imports
and local production important in
project monitoring? Learn more in
the full report.
•Infrastructural - 85% locally produced: stone, sand, aggregate and
asphalt.
• Structural - traditional portland
cement, timber/wood, ggalvanize,
finished products: windows, doors,
washroom fixtures, tiles, plumbing
fixtures and paint. 10% of these
products are imported regionally
(mainly Barbados & Trinidad) while
90% of these products are imported
internationally (Puerto Rico, USA,
Honduras).
Project Scheduling
Project monitoring provides constructive suggestions such as:
- Rescheduling the project task, if
the project runs behind schedule
- Revisiting the budget and making necessary adjustments during the progress of work; for
example – funding and avoiding expenses under unnecessary headings.
- Make recommendations for
corrective measures. For
example, increase trades
persons as necessary, especially
in general contracting to ensure
the project stays on schedule.
- I dentifying critical paths
and milestones.
Conclusion
Quantity Surveying has undoubtedly
been an integral role in the
redevelopment of St. Lucia. In the
case of Hurricane Tomas, project
monitoring has shown to be the area
of quantity surveying that is of utmost
importance when understanding
the implications of design decisions
in order to ensure good value is
obtained for the forecasted US $336
million to be expended in St. Lucia
over the period of five years. Project
monitoring will ensure efficiency and
effectiveness.
CB ROSS
COST CONSULTING
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
- Project Monitor
- Junior/Intermediate Cost Planner
C.B. Ross Cost Consulting is a consulting firm located in
Toronto, Ontario offering consulting services to a wide spectrum
of clients from project inception through to completion.
We have job opportunities in our
Project Monitoring and Cost Planning/Estimating departments.
Candidates must have:- relevant experience in the construction industry
- strong communication skills
- time management skills
- be working towards (or have interest in)
RICS and CIQS membership.
In return, we offer an extensive employee package
commensurate with expertise, qualifications and skills.
If you are interested, please submit your resumé
by email: [email protected]
or
by fax: (416) 487-3017
Only select candidates whose resumés best
match our requirements will be contacted.
CPD Corner
Mentoring –
the greatest CPD points
ecently, a senior, long standing member of our fine
Institute approached me with grave concern that
he was short on CPD points and would not likely
meet the minimum requirements of our CPD program. He indicated that he was nearing retirement and was
not interested in signing up for courses. And why would he
want to, when he was counting down the months till he put
his pencil down for good. He regretfully said that he was prepared to let his membership lapse to forego any formal training that would only be relevant for such a short period.
I certainly understood his situation. I even thought if I
were in his position, the last thing I would want is to sit in a
classroom staring at my watch thinking about the non-billable hours adding up. Not knowing what to say, I thought I
would change the subject and asked if the firm had a replacement for him. He said he had been training the new person
for a few months and that is when the proverbial light bulb
clicked on. Whether he knew it or not, he was mentoring the
next generation of professional quantity surveyor. He was
passing along his knowledge base and collecting CPD points
all the while.
I asked him how many young QS’s had he trained over his
career and he paused then and chuckled, “a few.” There really is not a magical book that can teach you everything about
quantity surveying. Sure theory comes from a book but we
were all taught by at least one person who was in the trenches. For me, I had many great teachers of this fine art and
they were all truly fine craftsman of construction economics.
Some were professional quantity surveyors and some had a
grade four education. It is no coincidence that CIQS has a
CPD category for Knowledge Base. And what greater way to
earn points than to mentor young professionals and passing
on your own knowledge base.
Did you know CIQS has a pool of senior members who
volunteer to be a mentor for new members of our Institute?
Whether it is helping with a thesis or with diaries, they are
encouraging and guiding our new members to reach the
pinnacle of this profession and everything it can offer. So
whether you are looking for a mentor or ever thought about
spending a few hours a month assisting as a mentor, both options are available.
In closing, I would encourage all members to reflect on
their own teachers or mentors and seek ways to encourage
new members and share some knowledge transfer. Finally,
I would be amiss if I did not mention and personally thank
Archie Thibault who was one of my greatest teachers, not
only in quantity surveying, but of life itself.
Mark Gardin, PQS
CPD Lead
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provided to clients across Canada and the USA.
We are seeking highly motivated individuals at senior
and intermediate levels to effectively manage our
growing client base.
• Director, associate director and senior cost
managers
• Senior and intermediate project managers
• Senior and intermediate loan monitors
• Senior and intermediate planners/schedulers
and cost engineers (energy sector)
Candidates interested in the above positions must
have excellent communication skills, both verbal and
written. Applicants must also have relevant academic
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MAPM, PMP professional qualifications and/or any
other relevant qualifications. LEED® AP is an asset.
For senior positions, applicants must have 7+ years’
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We expect candidates for the senior management
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If you are interested in the positions, please send
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416 925 1424
416 925 2329
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The Construction Economist

Transcription

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