TheConstruction Management

discipline in SA – A health check

Bridgette Gaza,

Dries Hauptfleish & Bob Hindle

Are we all on the same page?

• All here today are ‘stakeholders’ in the Construction Management discipline

• The profession that deals with all aspects relating to the delivery of infrastructure and buildings

• A profession that has a B.Sc. Degree stream at 6 universities – Btech @ 7

1970 2000Time Line

Apprenticeship route into CM

Tertiary education

route into CM

Old universities

STAKEHOLDER impact on CM discipline

NDF

BITS

CETA

19901980

CM & QS amalgamations

BIFSA to MBSA

SAIB

CM Educationestablished

CIDB

Bursaries

CIOB Africa

2010

SACPCMP

Leadership &Unity lost -

Most CM

’s recruited

overseas prior to this time

BtechDegree

NDip Bldg

CBE

1000

2000

3000

New universities

Industry – leadership (1)• Events led to a leadership void• No contribution yet from NEW industry

bodies:– CIDB – No leadership - focus on SMMEs &

Government capacity– CETA – Did not deliver when most needed now ‘a

basket case’– SACPCMP & CBE – No developmental impact yet

• Result seen by many as Fragmentation and more ‘Red-tape’

Industry – leadership (2)• No firm hand on the tiller since 1995 as:

– Gov’t ‘democratisation of construction’ required more inclusive representation

– racial based employer associations not happy to work together

• BIFSA to MBSA - reduction in capacity

• Examples: – CETA scope did not include ‘Construction

Management’– Voice of construction dominated by ‘Engineers’

• Only engineering voice heard (acting alone)

The education providers• Government changes led to changes in

curricula & funding – caused:– Partial privatisation of universities – Promotion of ‘trendy’ degrees

• Independent CM Dept’s abandoned in all but one (old) university

• CM neglected • High No of changes – mid degree• Few practitioners to teach a practical subject• Few champions of CM to promote• Discipline neglected

Career Promotion• Industry image very poor• CM not a popular career choice• Traditional stakeholders withdraw or lack

capacity• SAIB numbers eroded – branches few - until

CIOB Africa formed but still needing to grow• SACPCMP new champion of the discipline

but still building capacity• Other BE professions resisting CM & CPM• Career promotion really minimal

Questions (1)

• Where is the VOICE of CM?• Why do we only hear of the shortage of

‘Engineers’ ?• Is the Building fraternity weak? • Is it a issue of FRAGMENTATION (no

co-operation between role-players)• If so how do we get industry

organisations to work together & become developmental again?

Questions (2)

• Does industry still value graduates with degrees in CM?

• The Technical Universities seem to be doing better than the traditional but– Is the graduate equal, better?

• What does industry need?

Questions (3)

• Is the problem more one of ‘fashion’ or a ‘social trend’?

• Is Construction still ‘dirty, dark and dangerous’? - Perhaps more a case of ‘Up n Down, away from home, stress & strain’

• Or is it simply that the promotion machinery has broke-down?

Questions (4)

• Who are the stakeholders who should work together on these issues?

• What is the role of the new ‘developmental’ orgs’ - CIDB, CBE & CETA in this regard?

• Is it a capacity issue at all levels and in all organisations?

Questions (5)

• Where is the trend of change in CM education taking us?

• How do we get more CM champions & practical academics into universities?

• Who are the real champions of CM education and how do we find more?

Questions (6)

•What do you think - Are our concerns real?

•Are these issues we should work on together?