THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICAN QUANTITY SURVEYORS' NEWS - AUGUST 2008

Missed a news item, or want to refresh your memory? Here are the news items from August

Please note that news items from previous years are archived in the News section of this website.

 CENTENARY YEAR OF THE ASAQS - SPONSORS WELCOME

We are proud to announce that the ASAQS is celebrating its Centenary Year during 2008 !!

This is a proud milestone in the history of the ASAQS that will be celebrated this year by organising a number of gala events to mark this happy occasion. It also offers vast public relations opportunities for the ASAQS, an opportunity that must be seized and exploited to the maximum benefit of the ASAQS and associated organisations. We are proud of the 100 years of professional service to the Quantity Surveying profession in particular, and the built environment in general. This has all been made possible with the ongoing support and co-operation of business organisations in the built environment over the years.

The planning for the centenary celebrations is well progressed and the following activities are planned for this year :

• The publication of the "A Century of Quantity Surveying in South Africa" desktop booklet – expected to be launched around mid-November 2008
• Centenary Gala Dinner to be held on Saturday 18 October 2008 at the Pelindaba Room, Misty Hills Conference Centre in Muldersdrift, Johannesburg.
• Selected centenary functions to be arranged on a regional basis.

We are looking forward to a very special year for the ASAQS and we will celebrate this major milestone with the due attention that it deserves !!

The highlight of the centenary year will no doubt be the national Centenary Gala Dinner scheduled for Saturday 18 October 2008. This function will provide an ideal opportunity to host members and business colleagues alike whilst celebrating the centenary year of the ASAQS. We are hoping to welcome the Minister of Public Works, Minister Thoko Didiza, as well as numerous important dignitaries to our gala event. The President of the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (Mr John Popplewell) has already confirmed his attendance and we are looking forward to good support from our colleagues from across our northern borders from the Africa Association of Quantity Surveyors (AAQS). So it promises to be a great event and we are looking forward to this historic occasion with great anticipation.

Sponsorship Opportunities

The Centenary Gala Dinner offers a variety of business and networking opportunities to associated companies and organisations to become involved with this main function in terms of sponsorship and general support. We would like to offer business organisations in the built environment the opportunity to become involved and to expand their business exposure and influence with the Quantity Surveying profession and its members. 

In terms of sponsorship opportunities and to assist raising funds for this gala event, we have prepared the attached "Sponsorship Options" document which clearly sets out what sponsors will get in return for the respective levels of sponsorship. There are basically three options open as follows :

• Option 1 - R10 000 sponsorship
• Option 2 - R25 000 sponsorship
• Option 3 - R75 000 sponsorship

To view the "Sponsorship Options" document, please click here.

We would invite business companies/organisations to consider taking up this opportunity to market to this key group of professionals by getting involved and sponsoring one of the above options open to them. We would value their participation with this gala event.

Should they be interested in getting involved and taking up one of these sponsorship options, please feel free to contact the Executive Director, Mr Egon Wortmann, either by e-mail (director@asaqs.co.za) or by telephone (011 315 4140). Should they however have any further special wishes and/or requirements, please feel free to also discuss those and we will consider what is practical and achievable.

In order to finalise arrangements, we would value their response (even if only in principle) by no later than Friday 5 September 2008. We look forward to their response.

 NEW STAFF MEMBER : CECELIA KUMAKWE

We are pleased to announce that we have appointed a new Receptionist and she will be starting her duties at the ASAQS offices on Monday 1 September 2008. She is CECELIA KUMAKWE who is married with two children.

We welcome her to the staff and trust that she will fit in well and we wish her all the success in her new position. She will be taking over from RUBENA DAVIDSON who was in that position earlier, who has unfortunately left the employ of the ASAQS during the course of this last month. We also wish her well in her future endeavours.

 CPD BREAKFAST WORKSHOP 29 AUGUST 2008 - JOHANNESBURG

This event was well attended and Tjaart was there to take some photos.

Please visit the Gauteng webpage for more photographs taken during the workshop.

 AAQS GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING, ACCRA, GHANA

AFRICA ASSOCIATION OF QUANTITY SURVEYORS (AAQS) :
4th TRIENNIAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND 10TH COUNCIL MEETING, ACCRA, GHANA

We are pleased to report that the ASAQS representatives that attended the 4th Triennial General Assembly and 10th Council Meeting of the AAQS had a very fruitful and successful trip to Accra, Ghana. This event was linked in with a one-day conference hosted by the Quantity Surveying Division of the Ghana Institute of Surveyors (GhIS). The programme extended over the period from Monday 18th to Thursday 21st August 2008 and may be summarised as follows:

• AAQS/GhIS Conference (Monday 18 to Thursday 21 August 2008)
  •AAQS 4th Triennial General Assembly and 10th Council Meeting (Wednesday 20 August 2008)
• ICEC Region 3 Meeting (Monday 18 August 2008)

The ASAQS representatives that undertook the trip included the following persons:

• Dr Corne de Leeuw
• Mr Thabo Senyolo
• Mr Egon Wortmann
• Professor Piet Botha (award recipient)

At the 4th Triennial General Assembly and 10th Council Meeting a new committee was elected for the next three–year term of office (2008/2011) for the AAQS, which may be summarised as follows:

• President – Dan Kimoro (Kenya)
• Immediate Past President - Segun Ajanlekoko (Nigeria)
• Vice President (Western Region) – Michael Frimpong (Ghana)
• Vice President (Eastern Region) – Joseph Tango (Tanzania)
• Vice President (Southern Region) - Ian Oosthuysen (Namibia)
• Secretary General - Thabo Senyolo (South Africa)
• Honorary Treasurer – Egon Wortmann (South Africa)

The Chairpersons of the four main sub-committees of the AAQS are as follows:

• Ethics and Conduct - Segun Ajanlekoko
• Services & Model Documentation – Dr Corne' de Leeuw
• Information Technology – Michael Frimpong
• Education and Training – Barry Probert (to be confirmed)

During the conclusion of proceedings, a delegation of the Executive Committee members were granted the opportunity to visit the President of Ghana, Mr John Kufuor, in his presidential quarters at the "Castle" in Accra. This afforded the committee the opportunity to promote the Quantity Surveying profession in general, and the AAQS in particular, to the President of Ghana. A very worthwhile and successful visit.

At the Gala Banquet held on the Tuesday, we were also pleased that the following three persons/organisations were presented with special awards and plaques in acknowledgement for their services rendered to the AAQS since inception:

• Dr Piet (PC) Botha – personal
• Dr CP de Leeuw - personal
• ASAQS - organisational

For a view of the Programme of Events over those days, please click here.

For photographs taken during the visit please click here.

 WE WELCOME OUR LATEST SPONSOR - VALUABLE RESOURCES

Valuable Resources – About Them and Their Team
Australia +Middle East +United Kingdom +South Africa

Valuable Resources specialises in the Global Mobility of Quantity Surveyors and Project Managers to the international consultancy & construction sectors. With offices in Australia, the United Kingdom & South Africa they are in the best position to assist you with your international career. Their Team is a group of career consultants who specialise in international appointments to the Construction sector.

Their clients are a mixture of international PQS and Project Management Consultancies. They also provide Quantity Surveyors and Project Managers to construction companies Australia-wide.

If you intend making an international career move now or in the future contact them for honest and accurate career advice from consultants who have lived and worked in these locations. A tailored approach...a Global Reach.

www.valuableresources.com.au
Take your skills to the world. Go Global.

 REPORT ON UPDATE OF MODEL TRADE PREAMBLES DOCUMENT

Members were previously advised that the update of the Model Trade Preambles (current version dated 1999) was in hand and that it would shortly be made available to members both in hard paper copy and electronic formats.

Unfortunately there have been some delays in finalising this due to reasons beyond our control. In essence, the draft was completed towards the end of June 2008. After some senior QS's were requested to make final comments on the draft before going to print, at the last moment it became apparent that some new SABS/SANS standards had very recently been issued by SABS for the Concrete, Formwork and Reinforcement trades. It was thus decided to have another look at the draft to incorporate these latest new standards into the revised draft. This process will now be completed by latest end July 2008 and will hopefully be made available to members, after printing, around end August 2008.

We apologise for the further delays but we believe it was wise to get the new Model Trade Preambles document as up to date and correct as possible before finalising and issuing same.

 BURSAY PROGRAMME OF THE KWAZULU NATAL DEPARTMENT OF WORKS

The KwaZulu Department of Public Works is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer offering a Bursary Programme to students that have successfully completed at least their first year at a University and learners at high schools that obtain above average results in Mathematics and Physical Science.

The Bursary Programme provides for all expenses related to tuition, registration, and accommodation costs, as well as costs related to prescribed books.

Applications will be considered for the following professional disciplines :

• Architecture
• Quantity Surveying
• Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Civil and Structural)
• Property Valuation
• Construction Project Management

The Department requires that Bursary Holders work in the Department for the same number of years specified in the bursary contract, after obtaining the relevant qualification at the following centres: Head Office (Pietermaritzburg), the Ethekwini Regional Office (Durban), the Southern Regional Office (Pietermaritzburg), the Midlands Regional Office (Ladysmith), and the North Coast Regional Office (Ulundi).

No faxed or emailed applications will be accepted. Address the application (by registered post) to the following address:
The Department of Public Works (Head Office)
Ms T.Xaba
Private Bag X9142
Pietermaritzburg, 3200

Telephone enquiries: (033) 897 6357/6351/6352/6358.
Applications can also be downloaded at www.kznworks.gov.za

For the details of the bursary programme, please click here.

For a copy of the bursary application form, please click here.

Closing date is 30 September 2008

 PROCSA CLIENT / CONSULTANT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT

We are pleased to advise that the long-awaited PROCSA Professional Services Agreement (dated May 2008) is now available for sale to all the constituent organisations that jointly contributed to the development this document. The documents are now available for purchase from the ASAQS offices at the following prices (across the counter prices, VAT inclusive):
•R120,00 (members)
•R130,00 (non-members)

The PROCSA documents are generally marketed and distributed through the JBCC structures in the normal fashion. The document is reference "Code 3101 Edition 1.0" and is dated May 2008. The above costs are for the formally printed document, which incorporates the section A of the document.

The section B part refers to the specific "Scope of Services" of each of the respective professions and has been issued in a preliminary format. Whilst it is currently available for general use, it is acknowledged that further development and refinement in this regard will follow as soon as the six stages of work are finalised and agreed with all professions concerned. The part B portion of the document is also currently freely accessible on the JBCC website at no extra charge.

All QS practices registered with the ASAQS will shortly be furnished with one promotional hard paper copy of the PROCSA document, with the compliments of the ASAQS. Any additional copies may thereafter be purchased from the ASAQS offices at the above rates.

 BUILT ENVIRONMENT PROFESSIONS EXPORT COUNCUL (PEBEC)

We are pleased to announce that the Built Environment Professions Export Council (PEBEC) has now been formally constituted and registered as a Section 21 Company. This joint initiative has been developed with the support and initiative of the following three organisations, together with the Department of Trade and Industries (DTI) :

• CESA (formerly SAACE) (Engineers)
• ASAQS (Quantity Surveyors)
• SAIA (Architects)

The first General Meeting of Directors was held on Monday 4 August 2008, followed by an invitation to a mini-launch of the BEPEC shortly thereafter. The following senior positions on the Board of Directors were elected and ratified at the first meeting:

• Chairman of Directors – Mr Jonathan Horn
• Vice Chairman of Director – Mr Egon Wortmann
• Chief Executive Officer – Mr Roelof van Tonder

A formal Press launch will follow in due course, which will set out in details the goals and planned strategies of the BEPEC going forward. Member practices of all three organisations will be invited to take up membership with the PEBEC, details of which to follow in due course.

 QUANTITY SURVEYING CONFERENCE 2008

QS + 20/20 VISION BEYOND 2010

FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PAPERS

Midrand, South Africa
10 October 2008

Organised for the
SOUTH AFRICAN COUNCIL FOR THE QUANTITY SURVEYING PROFESSION (SACQSP)
by
The Education Standards and Research (ESR) Committee
of the
South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession (SACQSP)

OBJECTIVES
This international conference is intended to bring together postgraduate researchers, academics and industry representatives from Southern Africa and further afield to deliberate issues of common interest with the aim of advancing the quantity surveying profession. It will provide a platform to highlight the vision of the profession in a changing environment. CPD certificates will be issued to delegates.

SCOPE
The scope of the conference is to encourage active debate amongst researchers, post-graduate students and practitioners. Submissions by students, personnel who are working in the quantity surveying discipline and those who are concerned with the challenges that the South African quantity surveying profession faces, are particularly welcome. The conference seeks to explore current advances in research relevant to the present and future state of development of the profession, nationally and globally. Papers should focus on new research themes, practices and topics, innovative strategies or well articulated methodologies applied in the profession's context. Reporting on work recently completed or work in progress is also welcomed. The aim is to address the role and the contribution of all who add value to the profession's performance.

Click on the links below to download:

SACQSP Conference flyer and registration form

SACQSP 2008 Paper guidelines

SACQSP 2008 Guideline for oral presentations

SACQSP 2008 Abstract template (in MsWord format)

 Back to the News Section