Mandatory Competencies Flashcards
1
Q
How do you establish good Client relationships
A
- 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
2
Q
Expectations of a chartered surveyor in terms of professional conduct and presentation
A
- Uphold the Rules of Conduct
- Act in a formal and respectful manner
3
Q
How do you understand the Client’s brief and objectives
A
- 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
4
Q
How did you make the Client aware of risks and opportunities through Cost Reporting
A
- 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
5
Q
Why is verbal communication less reliable than written communication
A
- It is not documented anywhere
- Harder to prove the conversation happened if it ended up being part of a dispute
6
Q
How did you negotiate the Final Account on Granary
A
- 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
7
Q
How did you negotiate the Contract Sum on the Granary Building?
A
- 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
8
Q
What is the safe person concept?
A
Each individual assumes individual behavioural responsibility for their own, their colleagues and others health and safety while at work
9
Q
What do individual safety responsibilities include?
A
- Being competent to perform work safely
- Being able to adapt to changing circumstances at all times
- Remaining vigilant at all times
- Awareness
- Teamwork
10
Q
What is a hazard?
A
Something with the potential to cause harm to someone, such as injury or ill health.
11
Q
What is a risk?
A
Likelihood of harm being realised.
12
Q
What is a risk assessment?
A
- 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
13
Q
What are the CDM Regs 2015?
A
- 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.
14
Q
What is the Health and Safety at Work Act
A
- 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
15
Q
What role does the Principal Designer have?
A
- 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
16
Q
What does CSCS stand for?
A
Construction skills certification scheme
17
Q
What does RAMS stand for?
A
Risk assessment method statement
18
Q
What are the roles and responsibilities as a QS under CDM?
A
- 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
19
Q
What are red flags to look out for when assessing Contractors finances?
A
- Low credit rating
- Have a proceeding against them
- Cash payments
- Look at ratios such as liquidity, profitability and gearing ratios.
20
Q
What are balance sheets?
A
Show what the company owns (assets) vs what it owes (liabilities) at a given point in time
21
Q
What are profit and loss statements?
A
Shows the incomes and expenditure of a firm and the resulting profit or loss
22
Q
What are cashflow statements?
A
- Summary of the actual or anticipated ingoings and outgoings of cash in a firm over the accounting period
- Measures short term ability of a firm to pay off its bills
23
Q
What is RBA’s organisational structure?
A
- Chairman and MD
- Board of Directors (4)
- Associate Directors
- Senior QS’s
- QS’s
- Apprentice QS’s
- Admin staff
24
Q
What is RBA’s business plan?
A
- Maintain or grow profit
- Stay a similar size
- Continue reputation
- Strong portfolio of Clients
- Diverse ethos
- Committed, caring, positive, innovative and curious - core values
25
What forecasting techniques do RBA use to assist with project resourcing?
- Use Acti-time which records time spent on different projects to be able to determine whether we are overspending or underspending our fees, which Clients are most valuable etc
- Bi-monthly resource meeting to discuss current and future resource, status of projects, whether people are too busy or not busy enough etc
26
What is the difference between a creditor and debtor?
A creditor is an individual or business who have lent funds to another company and are owed money. A debtor is an individual or company who have borrowed money from another company and owe money.
27
What are the perceived standards of being an RICS accredited firm?
- Must uphold the Rules of Conduct
- Mandatory standards that apply to all firms, such as Conflicts of Interest, Money Laundering, Bribery, Handling Data etc
- RICS promotes and enforces the highest standards of professional service
- Firms must have appropriate PI levels, complaints handling procedure etc
28
What is litigation?
Settling a dispute through the courts, in the absence of any other procedure parties have the right to settle their disputes through the appropriate court.
29
What is arbitration?
- Contract must include agreement to arbitrate
- Formal disputes are determined by a private tribunal chosen by the parties
- Arbitrators award is final and binding and opportunity to challenge it is very limited.
30
What is adjudication?
- Parties have the right to adjudicate under the Adjudication Act
- 28 day process
- Adjudicator named in the Contract
- Adjudicator is appointed within 7 days of serving Notice of Dispute
- Decision binds the parties
31
What is negotiation?
Process whereby the parties work out between themselves how to resolve any issues that have arisen
32
What is mediation?
Neutral third parties assists discussions between the parties with the goal of reaching a settlement, process is led by the mediator but the power to settle remains with the parties
33
Why was the Adjudication Act amended in 2011?
To include fairer and clearer payment terms, introduced due date, final date for payment. Statutory right to take disputes to Adjudication.
34
Why do disputes occur on construction projects?
- Discrepancies in Contract Documents
- Lack of design development
- Poor management
- Poor communication
35
What are the benefits of a quality management system
- Enables a business to protect its reputation, accelerate change and meet customer needs
- Provides Client satisfaction
- Provides consistency
- ISO 9001 is an example which RBA are currently working towards getting accredited
36
What published sources of cost data do you use?
- BCIS
- Spons
37
What computerised central project databases do you use?
- 4P
- Sharepoint
- Useful to manage and share information throughout a project
- All members of a project team usually have access to download and manage information
38
What is RBA's inclusion policy?
- RBA is an Equal Opportunities Employer
- Terms and conditions of employment of staff is equitable and non-discriminatory
- Job applicants, staff and business partners will be treated fairly irrespective of any of the 'Protective characteristics' as defined by the Equality Act 2010
- Protected characteristics include race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, mental health
39
What are examples of accommodating user differences
- Bathroom on every floor that has a bedroom
- Stairs must be a minimum of 850mm to allow future installation of a stair lift
- All external doors must have a level threshold
- Every gateway must have an 850mm clear opening
40
What is M4(2)?
Accessible and adaptable
41
What is M4(3)?
Fully wheelchair adaptable or accessible
42
What is volume 1 of Approved Document M?
Access to and use of buildings in dwellings
43
What is volume 2 of Approved Document M?
Access to and use of non dwelling buildings
44
What is the definition of sustainability?
Ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising future generations to meet their needs
45
What are the main factors of sustainability?
Economic - building strong, responsive and competitive economies
Environmental - contributing towards protection and enhancement of our natural, built and historic environment
Social - building healthy communities
46
What are BREEAM standards?
- Set standards for best practice in sustainable design, construction and operation
- Different versions such as New Build, Refurb, In-Use
- Different ratings from unclassified, pass, good, very good, excellent and outstanding
- Commonly applied to UK projects
47
What are other sustainability standards?
- Nabers
- Leed
- Fitwell
48
What are the different types of carbon assessments?
- Embodied - amount of carbon involved in producing, procuring and installing the materials and components of a structure. This also includes lifetime omissions such as repair, maintenance, demolition and disposal.
- Operational carbon - day to day running of a property
49
Why are carbon assessments important?
- Climate change is one of the major challenges facing the built environment
- Paris Agreement (COP21) agreed to reduce carbon emissions to help tackle global warming
- Built environment has been addressing operational carbon emissions through introduction of new Part L Building Regulations, planning requirements and sustainability assessments such as BREEAM and LEED
- To understand the buildings total carbon impact, it is important to understand both the embodied and operational carbon emissions
50
What is the cradle to grave concept?
Assessing sustainability from inception of a building through to disposal / demolition
51
What are some examples of renewable technologies?
Green roofs - layer of vegetation with a drainage layer and membrane, absorb rainwater, they are more aesthetic, provide insulation
PVs - absorb sunlight and when photons hit the PV panel, they cause movement of electrons which generate electricity
SUDs - natural contours and landscapes which allow run off of surface water without the need for plastic or clay drainage components
