The seven factors to consider when researching, interviewing and selecting a building practitioners are (read more)...

1. Financial Guarantee.

Practitioners involved in large or commercial developments need to have some financial substance (provided by insurance), or the assets of the company/partnership involved need to be accessible by registration of at least one director/partner, in the event of litigation. All practitioners must have some financial substance (by insurance) provided as a basis to settle claims for damages assessed by proportionate liability.

2. Health and Safety.

Construction is the worst performing industry in terms of industrial accidents, due to low levels of OHS system development and implementation. A registration system provides the potential for practitioners with continuing poor performance in construction safety to be suspended. A related recent development is the introduction by Government of additional requirements in relation to public construction to ensure only firms with safety systems in place are engaged on public construction projects above $100,000.

3. Competency.

Public benefit is served by ensuring practitioners are competent. Industry has moved over the last decade to increasingly specify competencies of practitioners in various categories to assist the public in determining the skills available/ required for building work. The need for practitioners’ skills and knowledge to be kept current will be driven by the Continuous Practitioner Development (CPD) initiative.

4. Quality of Products and Components Used.

Defects in new building work may be reduced by ceasing to register those practitioners with a poor record for workmanship or providing acceptable materials on building projects.

5. Service Quality and Deliverability. 

The aim of this driver is to facilitate the provision of better information on design and construction processes by practitioners to consumers and to provide effective complaints management mechanisms for builders and consumers.

6. Market information.

Many consumers rarely use the services of the building industry and do not build up expertise in managing construction processes and participants. Therefore information is necessary to avoid the inadvertent selection of an incompetent or unethical practitioner, who could cost a consumer dearly. Regulation could also improve the availability and quality of information about the technical competence of practitioners thus reducing consumer risk.

7. Market Recognition.

Differentiation in the market place for highly qualified practitioners can be achieved through the establishment of a pre-determined standard that builds the value of the ‘registered practitioner brand’. This will entail the identification of specific skill sets and competencies within the categories and will result in greater consumer confidence in engaging building industry professionals.