Mandatory Competencies Flashcards
How do you establish good Client relationships
- Ensure you fully understand the brief and Client’s objectives
- Regular communication/ contact
- Regular update on cost
- Being honest throughout
- Providing a good quality service
- Establish exclusions and clear scope of services
Expectations of a chartered surveyor in terms of professional conduct and presentation
- Uphold the Rules of Conduct
- Act in a formal and respectful manner
How do you understand the Client’s brief and objectives
- Arrange a meeting with them to discuss these
- Establish their key objectives and red lines
- Establish their preferred communication
- Review after the meeting whether I can meet their expectations and fulfil the role/ scope of services sufficiently
- Getting it right from the first appointment is key to maintaining future relationships with the Client
How did you make the Client aware of risks and opportunities through Cost Reporting
- Cost reports show Provisional Sums and any anticipated variations which could be risks to cost and programme
- Opportunities can present themselves in terms of Prov Sums as you could make savings on these
Why is verbal communication less reliable than written communication
- It is not documented anywhere
- Harder to prove the conversation happened if it ended up being part of a dispute
How did you negotiate the Final Account on Granary
- Had a meeting with the Client to understand the highest figure they were willing to pay and their red lines
- The Contractor submitted their proposed Final Account
- I assessed this and arranged a meeting with the Contractor, asking for further substantiation if required
- I contacted the Client after this meeting on my position, who agreed with my position
- I drafted the Final Account statement and got both parties to sign it
How did you negotiate the Contract Sum on the Granary Building?
- Held meetings with the Contractor to agree the VE
- Created a VE pricing document, which became a Contract Document alongside the CSA
- Made sure the Design Team and Client were involved in any VE meetings and were happy with the final figure
What is the safe person concept?
Each individual assumes individual behavioural responsibility for their own, their colleagues and others health and safety while at work
What do individual safety responsibilities include?
- Being competent to perform work safely
- Being able to adapt to changing circumstances at all times
- Remaining vigilant at all times
- Awareness
- Teamwork
What is a hazard?
Something with the potential to cause harm to someone, such as injury or ill health.
What is a risk?
Likelihood of harm being realised.
What is a risk assessment?
- Assessing likelihood and impact of potential risks
- Evaluating risks and deciding on appropriate controls
- Recording risks i.e, risk register
- Reviewing and updating the risk assessment
What are the CDM Regs 2015?
- Apply to all building and construction work and includes new build, demolition, refurbishment, extension, conversions, repair and maintenance
- Main set of regulations for managing health, safety and welfare of construction projects
- Define roles and responsibilities such as Commercial clients, domestic clients, Principal Contractor, Principal Designer, Designers.
What is the Health and Safety at Work Act
- Primary legislation covering occupational Health and Safety in Great Britain
- Sets out general duties of employers to employees, employees to themselves and each other and self-employed have to themselves and others
What role does the Principal Designer have?
- Plan, manage, monitor and coordinate health and safety in the pre-construction phase
- Take account of relevant information such as the existing health and safety file
- Carry out site inspections during construction phase and help compile the H&S / O&M file
- Usually provide a letter of compliance at the end of the project
What does CSCS stand for?
Construction skills certification scheme
What does RAMS stand for?
Risk assessment method statement
What are the roles and responsibilities as a QS under CDM?
- Classed as a designer
- A designer is an organisation whose business involves preparing or modifying designs for construction projects including drawings, specifications, bills of quantities and design calculations.
- Designers must make sure the Client is aware of their duties
- Provide design info to the PD and Client / Principal Contractor
- Communicate, cooperate and coordinate with other designers and all Contractors
What are red flags to look out for when assessing Contractors finances?
- Low credit rating
- Have a proceeding against them
- Cash payments
- Look at ratios such as liquidity, profitability and gearing ratios.
What are balance sheets?
Show what the company owns (assets) vs what it owes (liabilities) at a given point in time
