Writing this year's end message isn’t easy. As 2020 progressed, I had to stop and recalibrate how I wish people well on their birthdays or other significant milestones. It used to be so easy to say: “Happy birthday! May you have many more happy years”, or to wish colleagues “a prosperous and happy new year”. Today, I’m once again reminded that the next week, month, or year has no guarantees for prosperity, health, and happiness - even if we like to wish it to each other.

I would like to extend my sincere condolences to Members who have lost loved ones due to Covid-19 or any other cause in 2020. While I’m sure we all experienced happy times and blessings throughout the bumpy ride of this year, it’s important to keep those who have experienced loss in our hearts and minds.

As a result of the lockdown in South Africa, 14% of construction companies permanently shut their doors, according to a survey by Statistics South Africa released in May 2020. Over the next four years, the outlook for our industry will be moderate compared to the industry’s performance between 2012 and 2016, but with smart strategies and investment by the Government, there will be a light at the end of the tunnel.

As I look back on the message, I wrote to Members in 2019, many of my pressing concerns have diminished in priority, but the ASAQS Board and Head Office continued to persevere and meet our goals. I am grateful that the ASAQS provided free webinars, didn’t increase membership fees, nor did they apply penalty fees on late payments. I would also like to thank Members for the positive feedback and appreciation they expressed to the Association throughout 2020.

Looking forward, I sincerely hope that everyone will continue to hope for the best (while preparing for the worst). We have already adapted our businesses and work lives in so many ways. Together, we will tackle 2021 with positivity and optimism. We will survive whatever 2021 throws our way because, as South Africans, we are resilient.

Kind Regards

Christelle Bown
ASAQS President

The new publication is available directly from the JBCC offices as well as from JBCC Stockists.

Before looking at the express provisions for completion and the rectification of defective or non-conforming materials and workmanship it is relevant to see what exactly is covered by the definition of practical completion in the JBCC. Practical completion is defined as:

“The stage of completion as certified by the principal agent where the works or a section thereof has been completed and is free of patent defects other than minor defects identified in the list for completion and can be used for the intended purpose"

The date for practical completion is the most important “performance date” after which the employer may occupy the building in accordance with the pre-set timeline.

At the end of a most challenging year, Construction World held its 19th annual Best Projects Awards in Johannesburg on 4 November. Despite challenges brought on, and exacerbated by, the national lockdown and the massive lack of government investment that existed pre-COVID, the awards had 38 entries. This is proof that even in times of difficulty, excellence and innovation triumphs.

We wish to congratulate Des Linder and his team at LWA Quantity Surveyors and LMKV Management Consultants for their achievement in sharing the Special Mention award that was given to architects SVA International in association with Afro Plan Architects for the Tshwane Regional Mall.

Well done, Des and team!

On the 29th of September 2020, Council took a resolution to implement the Retired Category of registration. The Policy, which will cover the terms and conditions of the category, will be published for comment in the government gazette for implementation 1 April 2021.

Agreement with the RICS

Talks have been had; no new agreement has been signed. Once this has been finalized, whichever way it goes, the outcome will be communicated to the profession.

Many might feel aggrieved about the current circumstance, but the Council will not enter into any communication with the Candidates over the Agreement which expired on the 5 September 2019.

When the new agreement is in place the profession will be notified accordingly.

CPD compliance

Our CPD officer recently did an audit on those PrQS whose 5-year cycle is drawing to close.

It is not looking good. Of 111 PrQS's audited only 29% were compliant.

Should you have taken any CPD courses and have not logged them, please could you do so and then notify Rebecca at cpd@sacqsp.co.za so that she can audit you again and update.

YOU ARE INVITED!
The ASAQS Virtual Presidential Tour & Awards Ceremony - 19 November 2020 @ 11:00
Presentations by ASAQS President, Christelle Bown and Executive Director Larry Feinberg.
Awards Ceremony by EduTech Director, Karl Trusler
ASAQS Turner & Townsend Great Outcomes Award
ASAQS Turner & Townsend Future Leader Award,
ASAQS Gold Medal Award

CPD 2 Hrs - Register here:  https://www.asaqs.co.za/events/EventDetails.aspx...

We received the following short query which we believe many QS's would like answered:

"Please provide guidance on the distinction between new works, alteration works, and redecoration works."

Please click here for the answer.

EduTech is there to provide our members with technical support. If you have a query please log in on your profile and visit the EduTech Technical Information/ Technical Query page to send your question to us. Your question is posed to our panel of wise men and an answer is compiled and sent back to you FREE OF CHARGE!

While construction sites were able to reopen as far back as early May for civil projects, ongoing delays in terms of both the public sector being slow to change gears, as well as the requirements of clients for additional regulations around health and safety, have exacerbated challenges for both property development and construction companies.

According to Stefan Bothma, CEO of The Power Group’s development arm, Power Developments, while his company was able to adapt its own business model overnight to enable staff to work remotely, its physical operations and in turn many of its clients’ projects have been severely hamstrung by government departments failing to put similar systems in place.

Adds Steven Levey, the company’s Senior Development Manager: “Government services seemingly went backwards instead of forwards as their own operations came back on stream, from building plan and NHBRC approvals to town planning applications and the Western Cape Deeds Office in terms of transfers. These are the factors having the biggest impact on our industry and not necessarily Covid-19 itself.”

The 37-year-old Power Group, founded by chairman Graham Power, supplies civil, roads, building, turnkey housing and property development services through its two companies, Power Construction and Power Developments. With regard to the latter, the company has for several years specialised in the affordable housing market, particularly in the price range of between R500 000 and R850 000.

Notes Bothma: “With the average household income of South Africans who can afford this price range being around R18 500 per month, new homeowners in the Western Cape who have been waiting to take possession of their properties are being very hard hit by the on-going closure of the Deeds Office.”

This adds huge economic stress onto a segment of the South African workforce where there has already been substantial job losses due to Covid-19. “Families in this income bracket are now either being expected to look for other rental accommodation while they await transfer on their new properties, or are expected to pay occupational interest way beyond what they budgeted for or would be paying on their bonds,” notes Bothma. “And all of this with the added uncertainty as to when the situation will be rectified, despite higher echelons of government trying to intervene.”

Transferring attorneys with whom he has been in discussion have informed Bothma that registration of properties at the Western Cape Deeds Office now takes 37 working days, whereas previously it took between eight to 10 days: “This essentially has stretched the waiting period by an additional two months – an untenable situation for most new property owners, let alone those in the affordable market.”

The group’s construction arm has also been hit with challenges no one could have foreseen with Covid-19.

“As an example,” notes Bothma, “the construction of five large wind farms as part of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) were not seen as public works projects, so it took a number of weeks for the authorities to give the final go-ahead.”

To complicate matters even further the wind farm projects are in three provinces (Western, Eastern and Northern Cape) and the movement of people and other resources across provincial borders delayed the recommencement of theses projects by approximately 3 weeks.

With the projects situated in remote areas, transporting the work teams immediately doubled in cost with South African regulations stipulating vehicles could only carry 50% passenger capacity. The same challenges applied to guest houses and other venues accommodating the teams.

“One has to understand that the base camps from which these teams work are in remote areas and people have to be transported up to 60km”, says Bothma. “Adding to the challenges just in terms of getting supplies and teams on site were the implementation of additional PPE and daily measures such as temperature monitoring and stricter access control, and thus costs have really climbed.”

An additional unforeseen challenge has been the client’s own extended Covid-19 regulations added on top of those of the South African government.

Bothma explains: “Just in terms of transportation, even though South Africa has relaxed passenger capacity, the client is still insisting we run vehicles at only 70% of full capacity. In many ways, this is understandable when one acknowledges the high Covid-19 death rate encountered in Europe.

The overall frustration with government red tape and ineffiencies has resulted in the group being actively involved in lobbying for change in the property development and construction industry for a number of years now, and it was among the first members of the Western Cape Property Development Forum (WCPDF) in 2008.

It was the group’s introduction of the WCPDF then years later to the then Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunites, Alan Winde, that lead to the WCPDF’s chairperson Deon van Zyl proposing the establishment of an Economic War Room; an initiative adopted by Winde’s Cabinet in 2019.

Power Developments will also be a Gold sponsor of the WCPDF’s next “In Conversation” webinar on 17 September, at which National Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure will discuss government’s investment in growth post Covid-19 through infrastructure projects. De Lille will be in discussion with panellists Webster Mfebe (South African Forum of Civil Engineering Contractors), Vuyiswa Mutshekwane (South African Institute of Black Property Professionals) and Deon van Zyl (WCPDF), with the webinar facilitated by Bafikile Simelane (South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions).

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON POWER DEVELOPMENTS, OR TO CONTACT CEO STEFAN BOTHMA:
Email sbothma@powergrp.co.za or call 021 907 1300; website: www.powerdev.co.za

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE WCPDF’s “IN CONVERSATION” SERIES (AND/OR FOR MEDIA TO ATTEND):
Visit https://sbs.co.za/wcpdf-virtual-in-conversation-series/

Click to watch:

ENEWS CHANNEL AFRICA - FIRST TAKE
28 AUG 2020 @ 06H45 - ASAQS
2020-08-28 08:29:10 eNews Channel Africa

NEWZROOM AFRIKA - OFF PEAK
28 AUG 2020 @ 07H30 - ASSOCIATION SOUTH AFRICAN QUANTITY SURVEYORS
2020-08-28 08:18:09 Newzroom Afrika

Now the story...

The list of companies that were awarded contracts by government for the supply of goods and services related to the Covid-19 pandemic include details on personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts. Provincial expenditure disclosure reports, however, indicate that as much as – or even more – has been spent on infrastructure projects but very little detail is provided to compare these costs to industry norms.

From April to July 2020 Gauteng spent R2,112bn on PPE and R2,977bn on infrastructure. As at 27 July 2020, the reported expenditure for KwaZulu Natal amounts to R800mil on PPE and R1,139bn on infrastructure. The Western Cape report provides information on PPE expenditure only and not on infrastructure projects. These projects included upgrades and alterations to health facilities and education facilities as well as the establishment of field hospitals, quarantine and isolation facilities.

The expenditure reports provide detailed information on the unit of measure, the price per unit and quantity required on the procurement of PPE for contracts from as little as R1000. The reports, however, include very little detail on the specifications for the infrastructure projects and how they were procured.

These details are used by those that assign tenders to benchmark quoted costs against prevailing market prices and Treasury norms. This comparison helps to identify inflated prices and related irregularities.

However, on the infrastructure projects, only a single amount together with a very brief description of the work is provided. This lack of detail does not allow for a basis to benchmark these costs against market norms. It is therefore extremely difficult to determine whether government obtained the expected value from the infrastructure expenditure.

Lack of understanding causes lack of outrage

The skewed focus on the reported irregular expenditure on PPE is most likely due to a general lack of understanding of how detailed infrastructure procurement management and project delivery really is. It is for this reason that the Quantity Surveying profession is seeking responses to key questions that will expose any irregularities if applicable.

According to the Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS), a Quantity Surveyor is the member of the professional consultant team responsible for managing all financial aspects on construction projects from start to finish. In the public sector, they are also responsible for preparing procurement documentation on behalf of organs of state.

Quantity Surveyors ensure that tenders are awarded to building contractors at market-related prices which are benchmarked against industry rates. They also verify that the work done by the contractors is based on actual performance before payment is released to the contractor.

Government must caution against writing blank cheques for infrastructure projects

In the Gauteng expenditure report 15 health infrastructure projects are listed without any names of contractors or of the core professional consultant team consisting of quantity surveyors, architects, engineers and project managers. In the KwaZulu-Natal Report, infrastructure expenditure refers to contractors only.

With no indication of the involvement of professionals in the documents available in the public domain, it could easily be assumed that none were appointed. If this is indeed the case, then it is highly possible that the procurement and management of these projects lacked the required independent and professional oversight.

This is especially concerning when expenditure on Covid-19 infrastructure exceeds that of total PPE procurement – without the same amount of public outrage.

It is of utmost importance to the South African economy to ensure that Covid-19 infrastructure projects were awarded and completed in a fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective manner even though emergency procurement was necessary at the time.

Departments responsible for infrastructure projects should ask several questions to establish whether due process was followed in awarding Covid-19 infrastructure tenders.

The answers provided to these questions should be reviewed by competent, registered built-environment professionals in order to determine “fit for purpose” decision-making and to identify any irregularities or non-compliance.

The ASAQS, through its members and provincial chapters, is ready to assist investigative agencies to identify and quantify any fraud and corruption on Covid-19 infrastructure projects.

EDITOR’S NOTE: For the sake of brevity we have excluded from the main body of this media release the list of questions departments responsible for infrastructure projects should ask to establish whether due process was followed in awarding Covid-19 infrastructure tenders.

We include these questions below for your convenience:

1. How was the contractor selected – was it an open or closed tender process?
2. What are the names and qualifications of the appointed professional team (quantity surveyors, architects, engineers, project managers)?
3. Who defined the initial scope of work?
4. Was there a further defined scope of work at tender/award stage – if so, who defined the scope?
5. Was there an indicative estimate/budget of the proposed work at inception?
6. What procurement strategy was used and what informed this decision?
7. What contract type was selected and what informed this choice?
8. Did tenderers/contractors comply with all statutory requirements e.g. CIDB, CSD, Tax clearance, etc?
9. What functionality criteria was used to select contractors?
10. Were all internal procurement processes followed e.g. necessary approvals from all relevant bid committees, etc?
11. What checks and controls were put in place to ensure fair value for money or to benchmark costs even though it may have been emergency procurement?
12. How were variations managed and who approved scope changes and quantified the additional costs?
13. Who was responsible for quality management and compliance?
14. Is there a signed final account by a duly designated professional for the project?

    ---

MEDIA CONTACT: Stephne du Toit, 084 587 9933, stephne@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za

The PAQS are hosting a free webinar on the 27th August 2020 and you are invited to attend.

The event comprises of:

1. A 4 mins (max 2 slides) verbal report from each member country on “Status of Construction Industry in your Country and the effects of Covid-19 Pandemic” Moderator will ‘round up’ status at end of seminar
2. A 30 mins talk on “Covid-19 pandemic – Claims and resolution for Quantity Surveyors”
3. Q&A session

The speaker is Ong Hock Tek (“HT”). He is a Fellow of nine professional institutions, a well-qualified multi-disciplinary and specialist consultant, over 30 years of working experience with architects, quantity surveyors, project managers, civil engineering/building contractors and specialist consultants.

Click here for full details

Click here to register

There has been much in the media recently about government heeding the call to release public infrastructure projects in order to kickstart both the economy on the whole, and in particular to assist the property development and construction community which was in a severe state of decline even before the pandemic struck.
 
For example, another press release issued this week yet again by a local authority announced that “building plans to the value of R5.2 billion” had been approved since the start of the lockdown.
 
There is of course a fair amount of understandable cynicism among industry bodies as to how many of these types of announcements are indeed about “new” projects … or how many of them have just been projects held up for months if not years in the red tape that has strangled the industry for a long, long time now.
 
It would be interesting to interrogate the numbers and we may well find this is something that the financial press eventually steps in to investigate.
 
Nevertheless, on 23 June, President Ramaphosa hosted the inaugural Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa (SIDS-SA) online and we believe in good faith, to discuss the prioritisation of infrastructure development to support structural transformation, growth and job creation.  A detailed outline of the SIDS-SA programme has been released, and recordings of all presentations on the day can be accessed here.
 
The programme is supported by Minister Patricia de Lille, National Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, who on 27 July issued the first of what we have been told will ultimately be a total of more than 270 strategic integrated projects, with a number of these in the Western Cape. To read more about this, click here. And a disclaimer here: to her credit, Minister de Lille stated that not all of these projects are new; rather, they are projects that have stalled and that her department is now determined to reignite across all tiers of government.
 
While we are still in the grips of the lockdown countrywide, Minister de Lille has indeed over the past few months been prepared to engage with our sector, in particular with the Construction Covid-19 Rapid Response Task Team and we believe she has heard our pleas not only to restart the property development and construction sector (which has begun, albeit slowly), but to look towards national solutions to resolve the plethora of red tape at both provincial and local level that was leading to our death by strangulation even before Covid-19 struck.
 
This has led us to believe government – certainly at both a national and Western Cape provincial level – are now in agreement that our sector has a crucial role to play in the critical recovery of our country post pandemic, and to this end we are very pleased to announce the start of our upcoming “In Conversation” series of interactive webinars, with our initial conversations and questioning debates to be held in turn with Premier Alan Winde (Wednesday 19 August) and Minister de Lille (Thursday 17 September).
 
For more about the entire “In Conversation” series, please see our first article on it below. As a registered non-profit, the WCPDF relies heavily on your support to allow it to keep doing what it does for the industry, so we hope to see as many of you as possible registering for the virtual in conversation series. In the meanwhile, we’d also very much like to thank the sponsors that have come forward to date for this series, namely our Gold Sponsors, EFG Engineers, Power Developments and BPAS Architects and our Silver Sponsors, Talani Quantity Surveyors, Africa Collaboration Hub and AL&A.
 
In fact, the WCPDF would like to congratulate EFG Engineers who are celebrating 20 years in the industry this year. The company was one of the founding members of the WCPDF, and directors David Faure and Eric Foster remain highly active on behalf of the industry – the former being a member of our Management Committee leading the Transportation workgroup, and the latter a member of our Conferencing sub committee - the team that have made our “In Conversations” series a reality. In an article which you can see here, they share their experience, together with their colleagues, of how the landscape has changed over the past two decades, as well as their take on the way forward past the pandemic.
 
We would also like to congratulate our Management Committee member Chris Steffen who has been elected to the board of the Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS). Chris, who is a director of Talani Quantity Surveyors represents ASAQS on our own committee and also leads our Procurement workgroup.
 
It is also with great pleasure that we can announce that the WCPDF is now a fully registered NPO. It is with no small measure that we extend our thanks to our Management Committee member Rod MacPhail for his diligence, perseverance and patience in accomplishing this task on our behalf. It is no mean feat.
 
Lastly, a final congratulations also goes to Neale Petersen and his team at REImag for being recognised as the “Best Real Estate Investment News Publication 2020 in South Africa” by International Build Magazine.

“Across the globe, construction projects are impacted by the pandemic in myriad ways including reduced or compromised the availability of materials, slow-downs in production rates, non-availability of specialist resources, site closures where the number of infections is high, and a reduction in the availability of labour due to compromised health workers, among other challenges. Dr Prinsloo’s new book succeeds in simplifying the many complexities associated with the delay claim-assessment process at a time when we need it most,” says Bown.

Localising international best practices for delay claims

Dr Prinsloo, who now resides in San Diego, conducted intensive research on delay claims over many years, and this research produced a groundbreaking New Delay Analysis and formation method. The method, which is covered in the book, has been presented at numerous international conferences and is being used in several countries. The ASAQS, who has worked closely with Dr Prinsloo over the years, is co-publishing a South African version of the book.

“The book gives guidance on how disputes can be minimised, and it is written in such a way that it can be used for an in-depth study into delays or as a quick reference guide for the assessment or formulation of delay claims. Dr Prinsloo was a panellist on a recent ASAQS webinar about the contractual consequences of COVID-19 and attendees – including myself – were impressed by his knowledge on this topic. We are excited to launch the co-published version of his book to the local built environment,” says Bown, who was invited to write a foreword for the book.

Formulating delay claims for JBCC and FIDIC contracts

Professor Tinus Maritz, CEO of the Joint Building Contracts Committee (JBCC), who also wrote a foreword for the book, says the book is particularly helpful in how it gives guidance on how delay claims analysis is formulated using the JBCC and FIDIC standard forms of contract.

“Dr Prinsloo’s book ensures that the delays experienced on construction projects, which in most cases might be excusable delays, are dealt with and analysed fairly and transparently. It provides a better understanding of the administration and good practice in this particular area of contracting, and it will undoubtedly be used by many practitioners, clients, contractors, and subcontractors throughout South Africa and its neighbouring countries,” says Maritz.

An industry-wide invitation is open to all, to attend for free, a webinar presented by Dr Hendrik Prinsloo on Construction Delay Analysis from 2:00-5:00 pm on Wednesday the 12^th August and repeated on Tuesday the 22^nd September 2020. To register for these webinars, please click HERE.

Only a limited edition of the book will be available in hard copy so we suggest that if you wish to have one on your shelf you pre-order it now.

Prices are as follows:

To order your copy, contact Gwen Mlondobozi  at the ASAQS on edutech-admin@asaqs.co.za

There is an officially declared international pandemic. There have been consequences to contractors and subcontractors resulting from this pandemic. These consequences will probably continue and manifest in different ways at different times. In addition to local effects, for subcontractors that import goods or services, the effects of the pandemic on the source countries is not part of the local experience and great care must be taken to raise and give notice of a potential delay when such a possibility becomes known to the subcontractor.

Each specific event or circumstance must be recorded in a notice, rights reserved and thereafter any actual delay claimed in a claim for the revision of the date of interim completion.

By stipulation, these formalities do not apply to any delays that do not affect interim completion and they do not need to be recorded in this manner. Such delays, if they cause the contractor prejudice, must be specifically dealt with by notices from the contractor (see comments on mora and interpellatio hereunder). There is no specific provision in the subcontract for any dates other than the interim completion date/s so there cannot be mora ex re. It is, however, prudent to record them briefly to the contractor with a reservation of rights in the event they are found to affect interim completion. Such records invariably become useful later if there are any disputes as progress inevitably becomes an issue.

Click here to view and download the PDF document from the JBCC website.

Adopting the ICMS for World Bank and IMF funded projects

Initiated at a meeting held in the offices of the International Monetary Fund in Washington in 2015, the International Construction Measurement Standards (ICMS) presents the opportunity to make a meaningful comparative analysis of construction costs between countries on a global scale, not least by international organisations such as the World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund, and various other funding institutions, government and non-government organisations and the United Nations.

Given the interest by international funding intuitions for global consistency in construction cost reporting, as advocated by the ICMS, Karl Trusler, EduTech Director at the Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS), says the government’s planned infrastructure roll-out makes it necessary for Quantity Surveyors to be open to expanding some of their cost reporting methods.

“With President Cyril Ramaphosa receiving a “firm commitment” amounting to billions of rands for the 55 bankable infrastructure projects, it is essential to know what reporting standards the big lenders will accept when reviewing project proposals. South African Quantity Surveyors who want to do work across borders or overseas will also benefit from familiarising themselves with the ICMS, as global consistency in construction cost benchmarking is becoming increasingly sought-after among critical stakeholders in the international built environment,” says Trusler. 

What is the ICMS?

The ICMS is an international standard that aims to provide greater global consistency in classifying, defining, measuring, analysing and presenting construction costs at a project, regional, state, national, or international level. It isn’t a detailed method of measuring construction works. Instead, it is a high-level benchmarking and reporting framework for international cost classification, reporting, and comparison.

“Project developers and financiers want to be able to compare apples with apples when reviewing project costs across the globe. The data bank of crucial information provided by the ICMS enables informed decision-making. Although not mandatory, the ICMS is likely to become an increasingly valuable requirement for South African Quantity Surveyors who are involved on large infrastructure projects that are funded by foreign investors,” Trusler says.

The first ICMS was launched in 2015 and it was a guideline for reporting on the capital investment costs of a project. Last year, the ICMS Coalition – which consists of 45 organisations from around the world and 27 Standards Setting Committee members - published the second edition of the ICMS.

A benchmark for international lifecycle cost reporting

“The new ICMS provides a lifecycle cost reporting guideline so that developers and infrastructure owners know how their investments will perform once they are operational. This type of information is crucial for both private and public-sector role-players who are more motivated than ever before to invest in the development of world-class infrastructure,” says Trusler.

Among the 55 projects that government has earmarked for development is an aviation park near Upington, a smart city in Lanseria, a R3.1-billion Space Infrastructure Hub, a 516-hectare citrus farm in the Eastern Cape, and a water project that includes some 160km of pipe, and pump stations to get water to Eskom’s large power stations, Medupi and Matimba, among other projects.

There is sufficient overlap between the current cost reporting methods that Professional Quantity Surveyors use and the ICMS, so we are working towards delivering a solution that enables the ICMS report to be generated in parallel with the way we currently do cost reporting in South Africa. I look forward to helping members embrace and benefit from this solution,” concludes Trusler.

An industry-wide invitation is open to all, to attend for free, a 1-hour live international panel discussion on the ICMS from 4:00 – 5:00 pm on Tuesday the 1^st September 2020. The panel will comprise of Justin Sullivan (ICMS Coalition Chair) Ken Creighton (ICMS Coalition Past Chair) Gerry O’Sullivan (Standards Setting Committee Vice-Chair) and Julia Dela Cruz (ICMS Coalition Trustee) and will be hosted by the ASAQS. To gain more insight into the ICMS, please register for the webinar by clicking HERE.

MEDIA CONTACT: Stephne du Toit, 084 587 9933, stephne@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za
For more information on ASAQS please visit:
Website: www.asaqs.co.za

“We have been extremely encouraged by the response to the webinars, with an average of more than two hundred persons attending each event. Compared to the 15-25 persons who attended the pre-COVID workshops and webinars, this indicates a dramatic shift in our members’ sentiment towards their continuous professional development. The webinars have become a place where people are informed and engage in highly topical matters, where they can brainstorm with their peers, and become a part of the greater problem-solving community which the built environment needs right now,” says Trusler.

He says that the webinars have created a platform for the members to connect and engage with one another on a national level.

“Members are getting to know each other and are sharing knowledge with each other. By making use of the “Chat” and “Q&A” functions available on the webinar platform, people ask the necessary questions, make constructive comments, engage in insightful conversations, and brainstorm potential solutions.  There is a growing sense of goodwill and camaraderie, and people are raising their hands to be part of the critical discussions taking place online, says Trusler.

The success of the webinars can undoubtedly be attributed to the generosity of the ASAQS Board who made the decision to offer free CPD events to our members for the remainder of 2020 as a gesture of kindness in the face of the COVID-19 crisis.

Giving Quantity Surveyors more, for less

Obtaining CPD points is often associated with high costs. Webinars cost less than live workshops because of the savings on venue hire, catering, travel, accommodation, etc. These costs are recouped through the registration fees paid by attendees. Being able to offer free CPD training while maintaining the content standard, results in a remarkable value proposition to members.

Value innovation takes place where value is increased, and at the same time, costs are reduced. The decision to offer free webinars – which is substantially increased value at no cost - has achieved this overnight.

“Essentially, our members have been offered 83 free CPD hours via webinar, which in monetary terms, is worth approximately nine times the value of their annual membership fees. Live workshops would have at least doubled these statistics. Our team of CPD presenters is the best we have ever had, and they continue to deliver world-class webinars,” says Trusler.

The ASAQS has had the privilege of hosting topical webinars in response to the industry’s needs such as, “The Contractual Consequences of COVID-19” and “The Implications of COVID-19 on Construction Health and Safety”. Both of these topics resulted in follow-up webinars to further discuss and close the robust conversations that the webinars incited. Some of the feedback from the webinars also resulted in the production of practical guidelines. The webinars are so popular that the ASAQS is planning additional webinars to accommodate registrations in excess of the current Zoom limit of 500 persons.

The schedule for upcoming webinars can be found on the ASAQS website where you can register online. The webinar line-up includes topics such as an Overview and Technical Analysis of NEC 4, Professional Client-Consultant Services Agreements published by PROCSA®, Construction Delay Analysis, and Marketing your Consultancy, among others.

MEDIA CONTACT: Stephne du Toit, 084 587 9933, stephne@thatpoint.co.za, www.atthatpoint.co.za
For more information on ASAQS please visit:
Website: www.asaqs.co.za
Facebook: The Association of South African Quantity Surveyors

• JBCC intends to go fully electronic during 2020. Keeping hard copy stock of older editions will therefore become problematic for administration and storage reasons
• The latest JBCC May 2018 Agreements will not undergo any change for at least until the end of 2022 as it was meticulously drafted to ensure an equitable distribution of contractual risk without any errors in the various agreements and its support forms
• During 2020 it is anticipated that national state, provincial state and local municipalities’ sectors will all start to use, if not already using, the latest May 2018 agreements plus its respective contract data documents
• The Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS), in conjunction with JBCC, has updated, based on the latest May 2018 Agreements, the General Preliminaries (free downloadable from www.jbcc.co.za), Bill No. 1 Preliminaries for both the Principal Building Agreement (PBA) and the Minor Works Agreement (MWA) as also distributed by WinQS and QSPlus software programmes, and the project specific preliminaries for lump sum contracts (for both the PBA and MWA)
• It will go a long way towards alleviating the confusion employers, consultants, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and others have when having to deal with editions that contain different conditions from other editions
• Training by the JBCC and other accredited presenters on behalf of the JBCC focuses now only on the latest May 2018 Agreements and Contract Data. Newcomers in procurement divisions of departments that are still using older editions will therefore not fully benefit from attending training seminars

Please assist the JBCC in its efforts of improving procurement and contract administration for all the stakeholders in the South African, Lesotho and other construction industries

The Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission Council has just gazetted several strategic infrastructure projects.

These projects are part of the government's overall Economic Recovery plan and will create employment opportunities within the construction sector.

So, if you are in the construction industry or have some construction experience then this is good news!

The Minister for Public Works and Infrastructure, Patricia De Lille and the head of infrastructure investment in the Presidency, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, released a media statement after the projects were gazetted saying that: "Infrastructure-led economic growth is the most effective and significant way as part of our Economic Growth Strategy to grow our economy while at the same time respond to the Socio-Economic needs of our people."

De Lille went on to say: "Our Country like many others across the globe is facing a recession of enormous proportions and the COVID-19 pandemic has placed South Africa in an even worse position, where the construction sector has been hit the hardest.

The severe economic recession, together with the COVID-19 pandemic, has now placed an added urgency on us to navigate a New Normal.

In this new normal, there is an even greater need to partner in the investment and implementation of infrastructure that will facilitate social and economic growth in a workable and purposeful way."

She went on to explain the new SIDS approach and why she felt confident that it will be successful: "What will also be different is that there will now be a single point of entry for all infrastructure projects across the country through Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) which is in the process of being established."The new methodology has become known as the Sustainable Infrastructure Development System (SIDS) Methodology."

Click here to read the media statement

Click here to download the gazette.

EduTech is presenting some excellent webinars over the coming months. These CPD opportunities are offered for free to ASAQS members but are very reasonably priced to enable contractors and other professionals to also participate.

So let us jump into the EduTech goody-bag and take a peek at what they have in store for us:

On Tuesday, 28- and Wednesday  29 July 2020
Overview and Technical Analysis of NEC 4
NEC is designed and administered on a different basis to other construction contract documents.
This 6 hour long webinar will give an introduction to the formulation of the NEC4 contract document, its technical analysis and its implementation, particularly in the areas of payments, claims, project management, subcontractors and dispute resolution.
The webinar is presented by the well-known Quintin de Klerk who holds a Master’s Degree in Construction Law, Arbitration and Adjudication.
Priced at only R1,440.00 (Excl VAT) this is a webinar that should not be missed by contractors, project managers, architects, etc. who have been appointed to run projects using this contract.

Another opportunity which should appeal to everyone is coming up early in August:

On Wednesday 12 August 2020
Construction Delays Analysis
Almost all construction projects experience delays. Delays on construction projects have significant time and cost implications. The assessment and management of construction delay claims can have far-reaching consequences. Unexpected events, like the COVID-19 pandemic, complicates the assessment of delays and disruptions on the construction process. This practical course will equip you with the tools to simplify the process of delay claim analysis to confidently handle delay claims.
Priced at only R720.00 (Excl VAT) this webinar is presented by Dr HF Prinsloo who holds a PhD on the subject matter of the course. He is the author of Delay Analysis Simplified – A Step-by-Step Guide for the Analysis and Formulation of Delay Claims, a popular book on delay claims. He has extensive experience as a practicing project manager, academic lecturer, delay claim consultant, and expert witness. He is a qualified construction adjudicator and international speaker on delay claim analysis.

Dr Prinsloo currently resides in the USA and his book, available in 13 countries, will soon be available in South Africa. EduTech is working with him to adapt the book with special reference to the JBCC and publish the book through the EduTech Centre, later this year.

Please click here if you wish to browse through the other webinars EduTech is offering.

In line with the objects contained in section 4 (f) of the cidb Act 38 of 2000, which are to promote, establish or endorse

(i) uniform standards; and (ii) ethical standards, that regulate the actions, practices and procedures of parties engaged in construction contracts and in line with the powers, functions and duties of the board contained in section 5 of the Act, the Joint Building Contracts Committee (JBCC) is hereby informed that the cidb approves and endorses the JBCC Principal Building Agreement contract, version 6.2, into the Standard for Uniformity in Engineering and Construction Works Contracts 2019, and for use by the public sector clients and contractors.

The cidb looks forward in working with the Joint Building Contracts Committee (JBCC) to; implement the effective use of the said contracts, cultivate the culture of active development and effective regulation of the Construction Industry.

Click here to view the PDF document.

ASAQS/EDUTECH TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS

• Our technical documents are now available in both hardcopy and softcopy format.
• Our hardcopy documents will remain at 2019 prices for the remainder of 2020.

Softcopy documents can be purchased directly from our website at the softcopy prices listed below.

Softcopy documents are generally about a third cheaper than their hard-copy equivalents and are watermarked for personal use.

Click here to buy

Here are links to download the latest gazetted notices:

Gazette 11128 (4 June 2020) (Alert level 3)
Consolidated COVID-19 Direction on Health and Safety in the Workplace

Gazette 43364 (28 May 2020)
Disaster Management Act (57/2002): Determination of Alert Levels and Hotspots

Gazette 43257 (29 April 2020)
Disaster Management Act (57/2002): Covid-19 Occupational Health and Safety Measures in Workplaces Covid-19 (C19 OHS), 2020.

Gazette 43258 (29 April 2020) (Alert level 4)
Disaster Management Act (57/2002): Regulations issued in Terms of Section 27 (2) of the Act.

Both revised regulations were published on 29 April 2020

Employers Revival Guide to Alert Level 3 Regulations

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr has just published a very handy employer's guidebook.

South Africa will move to Alert Level 3 on 1 June 2020, in terms of which all businesses and other entities may commence operations, barring a few exceptions. The government has recommended that all employees continue to work from home where it remains possible. Where persons over the age of 60 and persons with co-morbidities return to work, employers must take special measures to ensure their safety

Employment Revival Guide: Alert Level 4 Regulations

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr has just published a very handy employer's guidebook.

Alert Level 4 of the lockdown is geared toward the revival of economic activities and to allow employees involved in permitted services to resume work under certain conditions. The focus on the workplace is clear from the 29 April 2020 Regulations as they specifically exclude the workplace in the definition of gathering and allow persons who were not at their place of work before the lockdown to return. This revival guide is aimed at assisting employers in the resumption of operations in accordance with the Alert Level 4.

It answers questions such as:
What are the employers’ duties?
Can an employer place a worker who presents symptoms of COVID-19 on sick leave?
What essential and permitted Services are allowed under level 4?
Who does the C19 OHS apply to?
Etc.

Click here to download the guide

Sources of information worth sharing

What am I allowed to do in the area where I live?

Lockdown Bozza
https://www.lockdownbozza.co.za/home

This website is best viewed on a mobile device and gives a quick graphic overview of what is allowed in your district under each stage of lockdown.

For instance if you want to know the rules for exercising during level 4, select the area you reside in and click on the Exercise button:
Rules for level 4:
Cycling, running and walking is allowed within 5km radius of your neighbourhood between 6am to 9am
x Organised activities not allowed
x Recreational facilities remain closed
x Gyms are not allowed to open
x Hiking is not allowed (unless within 5km of your home)

What are the COVID-stats in my area?

A REPO AND DASHBOARD FOR COVID-19 IN SOUTH AFRICA
https://bitly.com/covid19za-dash

Dr. Vukosi Marivate - Dept. Computer Science at the University of Pretoria with a few volunteers started a repo to consolidate the numbers that are released by the South African Department of Health [DoH]. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases [NICD] is the source of their COVID-19 [Corona virus] case data. Here you will find the latest data collated per district and province.

What is happening in the rest of the world?
and how does the deaths by COVID-19 compare to other diseases?

Worldometer
https://www.worldometers.info/

Answers questions like: "How does the spread of COVID-19 in South Africa compare to the rest of the world?"

Looking at the numbers one realises how inexplicable the spread of this virus is. Thailand is reporting few cases, a low death rate and many days without any new positives, yet Thailand had nearly 7,000 visitors from Wuhan arriving through one of it's airports between 3 and 24 January this year!

Worldometer gathers stats from the WHO and other sources and presents them in a concise manner on their website so that you can, at a glance, see how other numbers stack up on a global scale.

The Worldometer also helps to put things in perspective:

Challenges in the construction sector will continue to prevail if construction sites remain closed, owing to South Africa’s national lockdown, says Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS) president Christelle Bown.

The sector’s procurement regulations, which need to be revised and implemented not only more effectively but also more timeously, are some of the issues the sector faced before the lockdown.

CHRISTELLE BOWN: It isimportant to address the difficulties caused by the onerous conditions prescribed when tendering for professional services

The regulatory issues include aspects such as the evaluation and approval processes – which have to improve significantly – within national departments and local government councils, says Bown.

“I do not refer only to tender evaluation and approval, but the whole process – from project inception, which includes aspects such as feasibility, processing the approval of building plans to rezoning applications,” she adds.

Meanwhile, the issue of non- and/or late payment by the public sector also needs to be addressed urgently. Bown notes that it is equally important to address the difficulties caused by the onerous conditions prescribed when tendering for professional services.

Professional service providers face a multitude of difficulties in this regard, she says. This can be attributed, besides other factors, to providers being appointed on a discounted fixed fee basis, which is calculated according to tender requirements that consist of a lacking project brief or scope of work.

“Added to this is the lack of provision on how fees may be adjusted when the projected construction period is extensively adjusted, owing to delays outside of the control of the consultants,” Bown tells Engineering News.

“Quite often, this is without any input about the contractor that is appointed for projects that either run late and/or where the contract is terminated. This is often the case where incompetent contractors have been appointed, and this has become the rule rather than the exception.”

Further, she emphasises that such unresolved issues are driving skilled construction professionals to seek greener pastures outside of South Africa or to simply close their practices.

This also leads to the financial death of the “very private-sector that government often turns to in trying to save the economy and other failing State-owned entities”.

Following the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa last month of the R500-billion social and economic relief support package, Bown warns that it is important to take cognisance of the source of this relief.

She predicts that the 2020 Budget will be revisited and the distribution of funds consequently reallocated.

“In the 2020 Budget, at least R200-billion was to be committed for infrastructure development over the next three years. So, will there be any left for infrastructure development after the reallocations in the Budget?”

Nevertheless, the ASAQS supports and agrees with the statement made by Ramaphosa that with the strength and resilience of ordinary South Africans, the country will overcome the effects of the pandemic.

“My sincere hope, however, is that in the rebuilding and recovery of the construction and related sectors, the powers that be will learn from past mistakes, which brought the industry to its knees in the first place,” she comments.

Bown urges the State to use the private sector’s expertise to advise on sound, achievable and practical regulations and protocols for not only a speedy but also a sustainable recovery.

((c) www.engineeringnews.co.za)

There is much relief around President Cyril Ramaphosa’s latest announcement that Level 3 will see the return of the construction industry back to business. While it will be some time before we will see “business as usual” and while there is much now to be put in place as additional measures in terms of health and safety, the announcement is the lifeline a number of industry bodies have been lobbying hard to achieve.
 
The largest of these industry bodies has been the Construction Covid-19 Rapid Response Task Team (CC19RRTT), initiated by the Master Builders Association KwaZulu Natal, chaired by John Matthews (President of Master Builders South Africa), and of which the WCPDF was one of the handful of founding members.
 
At the last count, the CC19RRTT now proudly represents 34 organisations from across the broadest spectrum of the property development and construction sector in South Africa. It was under this representation and others, that we collectively – and, quite obviously, successfully – lobbied government in the short term to reopen all our construction sites across the board, public and private.
 
As the CC19RRTT, we also presented the office of Minister Patricia de Lille (National Public Works and Infrastructure) with a Medium-Term Plan for the Activation of the Industry Post the Covid-19 Lockdown. This document was largely a collaboration between the WCPDF and members of the CC19RRTT. A specific mention needs to be made of Luyanda Mphalwa (of DesignSpace Africa) in his role as president representing the South African Institute of Architects on the task team, and my personal thanks go to him for assisting with this extensive and comprehensive body of work. Please note the plan references, as Annexure 1, the Property Development Process Model done in collaboration between the Urban Real Estate Research Unit at the University of Cape Town and the WCPDF. It also references, as Annexure 2, work undertaken by Claire Deacon & Associates Health and Safety Specialists in terms of Health and Safety Certification.
 
One of the key features of this plan is something which the WCPDF has called for across a number of years: self-certification. In other words, the need for municipalities to establish planning and directorate approval which co-opts registered and accredited private professionals to assist with approvals and unlock the blockages municipalities face. One of the WCPDF’s own management committee members, Simmy Peerutin of Peerutin Architects and who represents the Cape Institute for Architecture on the WCPDF, has penned an excellent opinion editorial on the subject which can be read here.
 
Covid-19 is here to stay with us for a while yet, and the result is a long road along which we now have to travel. But at least progress is being made to return people to work and, in particular, put food back on the table of many of the most vulnerable members of our Western Cape communities: our construction teams.
 
However, the work does not end here. There were many issues and challenges to our industry even before the pandemic raised its head and, as the WCPDF, we will continue to focus on these while we strengthen our efforts through these times and beyond. And we thank each and every one of you who travels this road with us.

CANCELLATION OF WCPDF 2020 CONFERENCE

Having postponed the original dates of the conference from May to August, it is with regret that we must cancel this year’s annual WCPDF conference – at least, in its physical form for now. This became a necessity when the Western Cape Government announced the Cape Town International Convention Centre would be temporarily converted into an 800-bed Covid-19 hospital. In addition, we have the ongoing prohibition of all public gatherings for the foreseeable future.
 
Nevertheless, the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on our industry has been and continues to be severe and, ironically, the need for the conference is now greater than ever. There will have to be serious deliberation on the actions required to resurrect the property development and construction sector. Since this cannot take the form of a physical conference, we are currently investigating alternative online conference and/or webinar platforms that will allow for effective and engaging information sharing and networking opportunities.
 
We are also very sensitive to the financial implications of the lockdown and, to this end, we have made contact with all delegates who have already paid for their registration in order to refund them. Likewise, we have offered our sponsors the same. However, as we will be investigating online options, we are heartened by the number of sponsors who have voted to stay on board for now in terms of whatever new options are put on the table, and we thank them enormously for their support. To date, they are Africa Collaboration Hub, AL&A, BPAS Architects, Power Development Projects and Talani Quantity Surveyors.
 
Information on the way forward online will be shared in the coming weeks, and there will – as always – be significant discounts for members and early bird bookings

CITY OF CAPE TOWN ENTERPRISE & DEVELOPMENT COMPILES LIST OF PROCEDURES FOR BUSINESSES TO SAFELY GET BACK TO WORK DURING COVID-19

The City of Cape Town has produced a list of guidelines for businesses to implement, as a minimum, in order to get back to work safely. A press release issued this week by Alderman James Vos, MayCo Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, outlines these, together with details to access the following:

• The Western Cape Government Department of Health guidelines to manage and prevent Covid-19 infections in the workplace, as well as communication materials that can be put on display
• In collaboration between the City of Cape Town, Western Cape Government, Wesgro and FNB/RMB, a dedicated online PPE marketplace to provide a single place for small and large PPE manufacturers to promote their product ranges to businesses looking to secure these. 

The City’s Economic Task Team has also formulated the City’s Economic Action Plan identifying three stages of intervention in response to the crisis: respond, adapt and recover, and stabilise. This plan can be found on the Invest Cape Town website.
 
Businesses are also welcome to make contact with the City of Cape Town’s Business Hub at business.support@capetown.co.za to answer any questions they may have on workplace safety during Covid-19.