a. promote multi-disciplinary undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and greater commonality in professional education with particular emphasis on design, technology and basic management skills
There is clearly a greater desire amongst professional bodies to encourage the recognition of multi-disciplinary degrees and greater commonality. There has been a significant movement towards the broadening of educational formation in certain disciplines. As specific examples, it is worth citing the new educational framework of the CIOB which is founded on a common core and the final year design project for building services engineers which generally involves active collaboration with architecture students.
b. liaise with HEIs (perhaps via CIC) to rationalise the duplication, overlap and repetition in entrance and examination requirements, and to reduce the semantic confusion in descriptions of the subjects taught - bearing in mind the value of diversity
The professional institutions will have their own established relationships with HEIs and we have no doubt that the issue of entrance requirements is a matter that is discussed on an ongoing basis. However, CIC is not aware of any particular initiative that has been developed as a result of this recommendation.
c. give increasing support to the work of the CPD in Construction Group in the development of multi-disciplinary programmes, the maintenance of high quality material, the production of career development guidelines, the encouragement of joint regional initiatives, and reciprocal access to CPD activity
Following its amalgamation with CIC on 1 January 1994 the active participation of professional institutions in the work of the CPD in Construction Group has increased from 12 to 18. In addition, 8 other members of CIC - research bodies, consulting and trade associations - are also now fully involved in the Group's work. Particular emphasis is being given by the Group to the production and maintenance of good CPD information and career development guidance, the encouragement of joint regional. initiatives and reciprocal access to CPD.
d. promote obligatory Continuing Professional Development by adopting a bye-law or regulation in their Codes of Conduct which requires the maintenance of professional competence
Substantial progress has been made in the promotion of obligatory CPD in the professional institutions by a variety of means. 14 of the 18 institutions in membership now have an obligatory status for CPD. In the CIOB, ICE and RTPI this is governed by the Rules/Code of Professional Conduct and in the RIBA and RICS it is governed by a Byelaw under the Royal Charter.
e. identify and co-ordinate opportunities for appropriate cross-disciplinary industrial experience for undergraduate and postgraduate students
Following discussions with members, CIC is about to launch (in June 1994) a pilot project which will report to the meeting of Council in September 1994. The aim is to seek to identify the viability of a cross-disciplinary training ''brokerage" to be operated from CIC from September 1995 onwards. The objective of the initiative is anticipated to be the co-ordination of training placements/industrial experience periods for undergraduate and postgraduate students across the construction disciplines.
f. agree common criteria for accreditation possibly leading to a single body to oversee the accreditation of all professional courses in the built environment
There is some evidence of greater co-operation between professional institutions in the accreditation of courses of mutual interest but there is no evidence of any consideration of a single body to oversee the accreditation of all professional courses in the built environment.
g. promote improvements in the measurement of skill and ability levels in the output of first degree courses prior to the award of Chartered Status with corresponding promotion and co-ordination of cross-skill industrial training opportunities
With the current "free-market" in education the work of institutions in the accreditation process is increasingly focusing upon standards as opposed to content. In this context, we find that all professional institutions have given much deliberation to the measurement of ability in their own assessment processes prior to the award of Corporate membership, whether of Chartered or Non-chartered status.
h. encourage the extension of reciprocal membership arrangements and open access to institutional facilities such as bars, restaurants, libraries and learned society activities
To a certain extent, and at a limited level, reciprocal arrangements have been encouraged through CIC itself as the product of itinerant meetings around the various institutions' headquarters. However, little is known about multi-lateral, general arrangements between members of different institutions.