Cpd 6th Nov - Handout

Academic and Professional Framework of Quantity Surveying H.D.Chandrasena 6th November 2009

Excerpts from the paper read at the 1st C.P.D. Programme organized by the Graduate Association of Department of Building Economics – on 28th January 1995

Maintaining Professional Ethics Being a Graduate Quantity Surveyor

Continuing Professional Development (C.P.D.) is something that many professional bodies have introduced to maintain the high educational standing of their members. I am glad that your association has accepted the challenge of developing extra academic knowledge of its members. It is obligatory on part of the graduate Quantity Surveyor to make use of every possible opportunity to further or his knowledge and undertaking of work to his field as well as that of allied professions.

From these historical examples it is clear that educated people in various walks of life were expected to follow a certain set of rules which ensured;

• Protection to the public • Protection to the profession to which he belongs.

Although, the graduate Quantity Surveyor as he is today is not a professional, the society expects the graduate Quantity Surveyor to maintain certain standards and ethics, in all his dealings. Wickendend, a well-known Electrical Engineer who was the president of the Institution of Electrical Engineers London identifies the ingredience which make the professional body and the education process which gives rise to the professional as;

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A body of knowledge or of Art held as a common possession and to be extended by united effort. An Educational Process based on this body knowledge and art, in ordering which the professional group has a recognized responsibility. A Standard of professional qualifications for admission to the professional group, based on character, training and proved competence. Standard of conduct based on courtesy, honour and ethics which guides the practitioner in his relation with clients, collegues and the public. Recognition of status by one’s collegues or by the state as a basis of good standing. Devotion of the Professional organization to its common advancement and its social duty rather than the maintenance of an economic monopoly.

Professional status is therefore an implied contract, to serve society over and beyond all specific duty to client or employer to consideration of the privileges and protection society extends to the profession.

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Codes of Conduct or Ethics pronounced by disciplines serving the construction industry are similar in character and depth. The principles, governing the various aspects of professional conduct are; Faithful Implementation Honesty and Integrity Proper basis for advancement

Any professional body would wish to ensure that in any course of study which intends to meet educational requirements of that professional body would include certain subjects which it consider essential and desirable. But it should not be the intention of any professional body to disturb or unduly, influence the freedom of academic bodies to design individual courses.

The AIQS guidelines for courses of study leading to professional qualifications conducted by approved tertiary institute broadly categorized the subject areas as core subjects Highly Desirable Subjects and Peripheral Subjects.

Core Subjects • • • • •

Building Construction Quantity Surveying Services and Equipment Construction Economics Professional Practice

Highly Desirable Subjects • • • • • • • •

Surveying and Leveling Building Science Principles of Computer and Computing Civil Engineering Structures Specifications Time and Cost Management Techniques Law of Contract and Arbitration

Peripheral Subject • Business Administration and History of Building • Town Planning • Business Communication • Statistics • Humanities Unit

• The original courses structure of our Honours Degree in B.Sc (Q.S.) was designed to be in keeping with the RICS and AIQS guidelines; • The course contents and the training programme of a Q.S. course leading to professional qualification should necessarily meet the requirement of the local construction industry and the young graduate or the diplomat should posses the academic background to enable them to acquire the knowledge through experience in the industry to become a professional member of the Quantity Surveying discipline. However, I do not think that what a student needs to know is only what is relevant to specific employment or in other words to cater for the existing needs of the industry. I firmly believe that such a course should also cater for the potential needs and developments in construction industry, as well.