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Should CSI Chapters Offer a Crash Course in Construction Basics?

By Ken Lambert, CSI posted 09-27-2019 12:16 PM

  

Editor's Note: CSI is pleased to publish this blog from Ken Lambert, current CSI Chapter President in New Hampshire. If you have an idea or opinion you would like to share with your colleagues in the construction industry, please contact CSI Content Strategist Peter Kray at Pkray@csinet.org. He would love to help publish your thoughts.

 

As I’ve gotten more involved in CSI over the past several months I am now trying to think of ways to increase the public’s and the industry’s interest in CSI. Brainstorming outside the box a bit.

Nationally, regionally, and at the local chapter level, CSI is quite active and does offer many benefits and publications and expertise to the broader AEC community. Best practice guides, certifications, Construction Specifier magazine, local topical roundtables, and networking opportunities are good examples. But what can we add to this list? I have an idea.

If you look around (maybe even in your own company) you will see that there are several people in each mid-large construction or architecture firm that essentially, through no fault of their own, know very little about the building process and/or how a project actually gets built. They may have titles like: controller, CFO, marketing director, executive assistant, proposal writer, or HR Director. In all of these positions, there would be some clear direct and indirect benefit to their company if they possessed some basic construction project knowledge.

And that is where the Construction Specifications Institute could come in.

I am thinking of perhaps a 2-3 hour “crash course” in the basics of a building project, offered by a regional or local chapter CSI group for a nominal fee. I don’t believe a person or a company would not send someone to an educational and practical half-day session if they saw an immediate value.

Assuming it might be 3 hours total, the breakdown might be something like:

  • 1 hour – Basic review of CSI specs/ division format etc. Including review of some key aspects of Division 1, including Summary of the Work and also basic contractual/administrative language.
  • 1 hour – Basic review of a set of typical commercial building blueprints, reviewing at a base level where different aspects are located within the plans, etc.
  • 30 minutes – Jobsite photos, with some industry vocabulary.
  • The final 30 minutes would include a wrap-up, roundtable, or a Q&A.

I talked to a person a few months ago who works in the marketing department of a very large general construction firm. She was telling me that sometimes it would be beneficial in her role and job if she knew a little bit about construction, how things get built, and the process in the field. I agreed, one hundred percent. This kind of CSI intro course could be an answer to this problem.

As was noted recently on the CSI website in a blog article by Dean Bortz, The Construction Industry Management Crisis, the construction industry as a whole lacks enough good managers. There are just not enough qualified and willing people to replace those that are phasing out. Many people come into working for a construction company with no building experience, but rather certain other general business or soft skills.

Those are great skills to have, but wouldn’t it be great if everyone at a construction firm also had a basis in some Construction 101? Or at least the CliffsNotes version of Construction 101?

I think that CSI could potentially compile and provide this short “study guide” version of the basics of construction for people that would benefit from a peripheral knowledge of building. While doing so, our association would increase its exposure to more AEC companies (perhaps gaining some new members) and continue to reinforce its role as a relevant and valuable entity.

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10-11-2019 11:53 AM

Hello-  Thanks Athena for your comment etc.   I also got your email.  I will certainly review further with some other folks at CSI.   
Cheers,

Ken L.

10-11-2019 09:06 AM

Hello:
I would definitely take a course on Construction 101 or at least the CliffsNotes version of Construction 101. In fact I was searching for such a thing on the web the other day. 
Very excited about this thought. I know my coworker would take this course as well.
Thank you for thinking about this. 
Athena van Waardenburg
Pella Windows and Door Commercial Architectural Rep for DENVER, CO
Cell #:720 387 1556