APC Flashcards
Name some professional statements.
- Conflicts of Interest
- Countering Bribery and Corruption, Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing
- Client Money Handling
- RICS Property Measurement
Name some guidance notes.
- Dilapidations in England and Wales
- Surveying Safely: Health and Safety Principles for Professionals
- Code of Measuring Practice
- Reinstatement Cost Assessment of Buildings
- Technical Due Diligence
What is in the Ethics Decision Tree?
- Do you have sufficient facts?
- Is it legal?
- Is it in line with the Rules of Conduct?
- Have you consulted with the appropriate people to make an informed decision?
- Do you have clear reasoning in reaching your decision?
- Is your decision informed?
- Would you be content for your actions to be made public?
What are the complaints handling procedure requirements?
- Must include a redress system
- Details must be provided to the client alongside terms and conditions when confirming the instruction
- It must be clear, transparent and free of charge
- Names and contact details of the complaints handling officer must be provided
- The complaint must be investigated within 28 days
- All complaints and progress and outcomes must be recorded
- Need to advise PII insurer of a complaint
- Must have 2 stages as a minimum – CHO and independent third party redress system.
What is your firm’s complaints handling procedure?
- Once complaint is received, it is passed directly to our designated Complaints Handling Officer. PII must be informed.
- It is recorded, and acknowledged within the 7 days of receipt. Insurers are also informed.
- The CHO then has 21 days to investigate and seek a resolution.
- If this is not achieved, the complaint is passed to the senior director, who has 14 days to seek a solution.
- If the complainant is still unhappy, this is referred to the surveyor’s arbitration scheme.
What is value engineering?
- Systematic/structured approach to improve projects value by eliminating unwanted costs, while improving function and quality – satisfying the performance requirements at the lowest possible cost.
What are the potential pitfalls of value engineering?
- If not disciplined, VE can reduce costs in the short term, but may fail to deliver value for money over the long term if cheaper, inappropriate materials are used instead of those originally specified. Always important to consider risk.
- Should not be viewed merely as a cost cutting exercise – important to ensure cost reductions and aesthetic improvements are not at the expense of health and safety.
- Imperative that designers are aware of the quality of any proposed change and the risks.
What are the most common forms of asbestos in buildings and when were they banned in the UK?
- Chrysotile (white) - 1999
- Amosite (brown) - 1985
- Crocidolite (blue) – 1985
What is the control limit for asbestos exposure?
- 0.1 fibres per cm3.
- Respirator zones must be used if exceeded
What are licensed and non-licensed asbestos work?
- Determined by reviewing HSE’s A0 guidance document, which has a decision flow chart
- Non-licensed – short exposure to asbestos in good condition
- Licensed – must keep individual’s records of asbestos exposure
What is notifiable non-licensed asbestos work?
- Short exposure to asbestos that might be slightly disturbed by the works.
- Does not require employment of a licensed contractor but is notifiable to HSE
- Provision of health surveillance and records
What is the period of notification prior to any asbestos removal works?
- 14 days (to HSE, LA or Office of Rail Regulations)
What is a conflict of interest?
- Something impeding or perceiving to impede a firm/member’s ability to act impartially and in the best interest of the client – casts doubt on integrity.
What types of conflict of interest area there?
- Party Conflict (duty to act in the interests of a client conflicts with a duty owed to another party in relation to the same or related professional assignment).
- Own Interest Conflict (duty to act in the interests of a client conflicts with your own or the firm’s interests)
- Confidential Information Conflict (duty to provide material information to one client conflicts with he duty to another client to keep that same information confidential)
What is an information barrier?
- A physical/electronic separation of individuals/groups of individuals within the same firm that prevents confidential information passing between them (Chinese Wall)
What action should you take if you identify a potential conflict of interest?
- Be open and transparent
- Declare it to all parties – give parties all the facts
- Offer to stand down from acting (parties consider how to proceed)
- Seek informed consent if both parties are happy for you to proceed
- Make arrangements to manage the conflict and any working arrangements
- Monitor the conflict and keep client updated
How do you identify a conflict of interest?
- Run a series of preliminary checks when taking on a new instruction, checking for any conflicts on the system related to the address, or any of the parties involved.
- Secondary checks are then undertaken by the project lead before the job is turned live on our system.
What are the differences between the MW and IC?
- Sectional completion – IC only
- Partial possession – IC only
- Deferment of possession – IC only
- EoT full list of events in IC only
- EoT for delay beyond control of contractor for MW only.
- Subletting to named subcontractors only under IC.
- Detailed rules for variations only under IC.
- Inspection and testing provided for in IC only
- Testing of other work where non-compliance found under IC only
- Advance payment provided for in IC only
- Advance payment bond provided for in IC only
- Retention held in trust for IC only
- Bond in respect of payment for off-site materials in IC only
- Loss and expense expressly provided for in IC only
- Detailed provision for new buildings insured by employer in IC only
- No third-party rights for either IC or MW
- Collateral warranties provided for in IC only
What are the advantages of using a standard form of contract?
- Standardisation/protection over common issues
- Recognisable and equitable allocation of risk
- Dispute resolution
- Reduced cost over a bespoke contract – need to negotiate details
- But lower level of flexibility
- No risk of missed provisions
What are the main criteria you would consider when selecting a form of contract?
- Value of contract sum
- Complexity of the works
- Likelihood of staged work
- Whether named subcontractors are needed
- Whether collateral warranties are needed
- Whether the contractor is required to design any aspect of the project
- Procurement route followed
- Measure of control required by client
- Certainty of cost
- Likelihood of changes/variations
What are the main forms of contract available from the JCT suite?
- Minor Works
- Intermediate Works
- Major Works
- Design and Build
- Standard Building Contract
- Management Building Contract
- Construction Management Contract
Describe the different contract pricing mechanisms you have experienced and those you have yet to come across.
- Design and Build – the tender documents outlining the employer’s requirements are prepared by consultants in the form of a brief, which is developed into an outline scheme design. A single contractor is then appointed (either in limited competition or negotiated) who will deliver the requirements as outlined.
- Traditional lump sum method – client appoints consultants to prepare a specification or bill of quantities to enable the tendering process to select a contractors who is then appointed to construct the project as designed for a fixed sum within a certain time period.
- Management contracting – management contractor appointed on the basis of a fixed management fee (percentage of prime cost of the project) and rates for staff costs and common user facilities. The management contractor programmes, packages and obtains tenders for the works, which are let on a competitive lump sum basis to the management contractor. The client retains the cost risk, unless there is a default by the management contractor.
- Construction management – Similar to management contracting, but the project is split into packages and the client enters into separate contracts with each works contractor. They appoint a team and a construction manager on a fee basis, who manages the works.
Who owns domestic subcontractors’ materials on site?
- Unless the contract states otherwise, ownership of the materials will transfer to the client, even if they have not been paid for.
If you wanted to get a domestic sub-contractor’s opinion on a matter, how would you go about approaching them?
- Via the main contractor, as the contractual relationship is with them.