Quality Implementation Group 2020/2021 Review – Summary on Standards and Training

The Quality Implementation Group (QIG) was launched at Members’ Forum in 2019 to oversee this work and this report provides an update on the work that has been done so far and our plans for the year ahead.

The purpose of the Quality Implementation Group (QIG) is to ensure that CIOB:

• Is front and centre of the work that needs to be done to inform and implement the recommendations of the ‘Building a Safer Future’ report.
• Can respond to the changing regulatory environment and provide education and support to its members.
• Continues to play a key role in raising standards and promoting best practice in construction quality, providing resources to help further education in the field.

In September 2019, the CIOB published a ‘Code of Quality Management’ based on detailed research and an industry-wide consultation. The Code was made available in digital format and is free to download here. Based on feedback from CIOB members and the wider industry, we agreed to produce a new Guide to Quality Management, focusing on site production and assembly and aimed at site operatives.

The Quality Guide went live in January 2021 and as of 13 September 2021, it has been downloaded 465 times. Of those, 444 downloads are from current CIOB members and 21 are from non-members who have purchased the guide. You can access the Quality Guide here.

FOCUS: Standards and Training outcomes

There has been a long-standing agreement within the CIOB that we need to continue to update and develop both standards and training for those working in construction, especially on quality. This has now extended to building safety and the training that will be needed to meet the requirements of the forthcoming Building Safety Act. Outcomes include:

• A one day ‘Site Management– Quality Fundamentals’ training course, has been developed by the CIOB Academy in collaboration with Martin McCabe MCIOB, who has a background in training health and safety standards in construction, and sits on the CIOB’s Education, Qualification, Standards and Practice Board.
• CIOB developed a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in Quality Management which went live in October 2019 and has attracted almost 3,000 participants. 94% of people said they gained new knowledge or skills by taking the course and 97% of people said the course met or exceeded expectations.
• In February 2021, the CIOB launched a Level 6 Certificate in Fire Safety in Construction and a Level 6 Diploma in Building Safety Management. This recognises the need for training for those undertaking the new duty holder roles under the forthcoming Building Safety Act.

To read about the other developments from the QIG, you can access the full review here.