Challenges

Please note new address for challenge submissions - futureleaders@emap.com

Stage 2 of the 2008 Constructions Future Leaders competition involves a series of challenges. These are based on the business/industry challenges that CEOs from within QS face over the coming year.

Sustainability and the Skills Shortage are two issues that currently pervade the industry as a whole and therefore these themes make up the two challenges that must be answered by all entrants.These obligatory challenges are detailed below.

In addition to the obligatory challenges, a series of four weekly challenges will be emailed to entrants. Of these four, entrants must choose two to answer. These challenges will also feature on this page as they are announced. In total each entrant should answer four challenges during the month period, (two obligatory challenges and two chosen weekly challenges).

All answers to all challenges should be no more than 200 words. Once completed, please email your submissions complete with your username to futureleaders@emap.com for collation.

Graduate attraction & retention

In the last few years the construction industry has enjoyed a period of continued growth. The investment from both the public and private sectors has made the construction sector form 8.1% of UK GDP.

At face value, the future outlook appears bright for the built environment with high profile and prestigious projects on the horizon such as, the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, the redevelopment of major cities, Crossrail, huge housing plans and almost every football and rugby club in the land seemingly requiring a new home. It would appear an industry in full bloom. Delivering these projects requires a continuing and ever increasing stream of talented young professionals.

Why then does the industry struggle to capture and retain talented graduates? Maybe it's a question of wages although many pan-industry reports would argue otherwise. Maybe it's a question of perception - the construction industry is not one that graduates deem glamorous especially with the bright lights and allure of "city jobs" catching their collective eye. Maybe it's a lack of marketing - graduates are not aware of the lucrative and fulfilling careers on offer in the industry. You decide.

Future leaders will need a future workforce so here's the challenge:

As the leader of your company how would you address the issue of attracting and retaining graduates in your business? What can the industry collectively do to improve its reach and appeal to graduates?

The Sustainability of Sustainability

The term sustainability is used with ever-increasing regularity. Yet it can mean different things to different people.

The general theory is that sustainability refers to the maintenance and protection of our environment as a whole and the impact our current practices have on its wellbeing. If we don't change the way we work we will not be able to sustain our environment. So it is clearly something that construction is duty bound to take a lead in through its design and building practices. We build for the future.

Construction clients, both public and private sectors, are increasingly putting sustainability high on their agendas. They require companies to be sustainable in all areas - from the way they design and build to the way they source and select products. Sustainability even encompasses the way organisations behave. It is a commercial reality - without following these steps businesses are in danger of losing work.

However, creating a organisation that is fully sustainable may entail reviewing & overhauling working practices, installing new IT systems, employing new staff, retraining existing staff, engaging new suppliers. It is clear that the changes required come at considerable cost both culturally and financially. This begs the question - is sustainability in design and construction a necessity for all businesses to adhere to at any cost?

As the leader of your organisation how do you balance the need to be fully sustainable throughout your business against the commercial realities of making a profit and maintaining competitive advantage? How would you communicate this message externally and internally?

QS Weekly Challenge 1

QS practices changing shape

Traditionally, the perception of Quantity Surveying practices from within the construction industry has been fairly one-dimensional. Quantity Surveyors have been seen as "bean-counters", those that merely factor cost and count bricks. However, that greatly underestimates the role of the modern QS within the construction supply chain.

The role of the QS is more varied than ever and in an increasingly competitive world, so is their remit and function. There are good reasons why many Quantity Surveyors are no longer just termed QS. The marketplace is hugely competitive and the need for specialist services has never been higher.

The QS practices are changing shape and keeping abreast of the market but wider perceptions of the job function have not moved with the times.

As the leader of a QS practice, what new services would you look to include into your portfolio to maintain competitive advantage and why? What can you do to address the imbalance in perception on the role the modern QS plays in the construction industry?

QS Weekly Challenge 2

This week saw the most severe stock market falls since the attacks of 9/11. The value of blue chip shares plummeted £70 billion in just one day. This has sent business leaders, government and economic forecasters into a tail spin. While a US recession seems inevitable should we, in the UK, also be preparing for the tidal wave from across the pond?

Outline, with reasons, whether you think there is cause for concern, and what steps, if any, you would take to protect your business?

QS Weekly Challenge 3

Credit Crunch

"High staff costs is the biggest challenge for QS firms over the next 12 months keeping margins below average, an RICS survey has revealed.

Most respondents to the RICS' latest construction market survey confirmed the slowdown affecting most parts of the country, with the notable exception of Scotland, which continued its two-year long growth spurt.

However surveyors reported that the nation-wide shortage of QSs had led to increased head-hunting activity which, according to Turner & Townsend's Bruce McAra, was "pushing up costs"."

Challenge: Argue for or against this statement giving reasons to support your argument -

"The recent credit crunch and downturn in world markets will benefit surveying practices in the long term. A recession will increase the number of people out of work and able to retrain at university whilst also encouraging a downturn in the number of QSs needed at practices. This will lead to less demand for QSs and an increased number of QSs entering the market from university thereby solving the long standing problem of a nation-wide shortage of QSs."

QS Weekly Challenge 4

Role of Retentions

Retentions are a bone of high contention between the PQS, contractors and their subconstractors. Please outline if you support the witholding of retentions with reasons and outline whether whether you consider the alternatives, such as project bank accounts, to be realistic, viable and practical options.