Roadmap for Redefining the Competencies of Malaysian Building Surveyors in the Post-COVID-19 Era

The construction sector has been heavily impacted, globally, and locally, by the COVID-19 crisis since the beginning of the Movement Control Order in Malaysia in mid-March of 2020. This situation has severely impacted construction practitioners, building surveyors and the construction industry overall. Adaptations are necessary to continue updating professional needs and skillsets while minimising the negative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply of, and demand for, building surveying services. To ensure the continuous improvement of surveying practice, this study asks, “What new competencies skillset is required by building surveyors in Malaysia to deal with the post-pandemic crisis?” Therefore, this study attempts to redefine a new set of competencies that Malaysian building surveyors will need to succeed in the post-COVID-19 era. The research data for this study was collected using a qualitative method approach that involved analysing and reviewing documents such as the guidelines, standards and policies from the national and international professional bodies that govern this profession. Based on the document review and analysis approach, the study highlights how fourteen competencies are emphasised by the five professional bodies governing the building surveying profession. The study provides significant benefits to building surveyors, who can improve their employability, as well as to fresh graduates and undergraduates preparing for the working environment. It also offers valuable insights for policy makers and surveying institutions on how to structure their adaptation and plans to overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic that will confront building surveying practitioners

Roadmap for Redefining the Competencies of Malaysian Building Surveyors in the Post-COVID-19 Era

The construction sector has been heavily impacted, globally, and locally, by the COVID-19 crisis since the beginning of the Movement Control Order in Malaysia in mid-March of 2020. This situation has severely impacted construction practitioners, building surveyors and the construction industry overall. Adaptations are necessary to continue updating professional needs and skillsets while minimising the negative effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply of, and demand for, building surveying services. To ensure the continuous improvement of surveying practice, this study asks, “What new competencies skillset is required by building surveyors in Malaysia to deal with the post-pandemic crisis?” Therefore, this study attempts to redefine a new set of competencies that Malaysian building surveyors will need to succeed in the post-COVID-19 era. The research data for this study was collected using a qualitative method approach that involved analysing and reviewing documents such as the guidelines, standards and policies from the national and international professional bodies that govern this profession. Based on the document review and analysis approach, the study highlights how fourteen competencies are emphasised by the five professional bodies governing the building surveying profession. The study provides significant benefits to building surveyors, who can improve their employability, as well as to fresh graduates and undergraduates preparing for the working environment. It also offers valuable insights for policy makers and surveying institutions on how to structure their adaptation and plans to overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic that will confront building surveying practitioners

Tutor-based approach toward sustainable architecture education

A teaching expert is a valuable asset to any educational institution. These experts are invaluable not only in developing the specific fields of knowledge but also invaluable to other institutions that require their services. Thus, each educator and teacher must strive their utmost to better themselves in their specific field of expertise as well as in other knowledge to reinvent themselves and be able to look at their knowledge in a more meaningful and dynamic fashion and not stick to the same views all the time. But there is tendency to a belief among practitioners that who has some experience in architecture is fully equipped for teaching. This paper discusses the importance of tutor training in architecture education

Public Private Partnership (PPP) Project Performance in Malaysia: Identification of Issues and Challenges

Public Private Partnership (PPP) in Malaysia as an innovative procurement mechanism aims to undertake the public sector infrastructure project construction in order to overcome the weaknesses of conventional system. PPP is seen significantly viable to enhance the quality of public services and stimulate economic growth. After the decades of its implementation, many arguments have been reported along the lively growth of PPP project development. Within that context, this study provides a review of issues and challenges for PPP pertaining to project performance in Malaysia. The objective of this study is to highlight the loophole of PPP implementation in Malaysia through a qualitative approach. A qualitative approach was used to analyse contextual literature review and to investigate four selected performance measurement models as the precedent study to provide a basis for improvement of PPP in Malaysia. The findings showed that the issues and challenges were almost similar between the literature and selected models in which the guideline / framework, Key Performance Indicator (KPI), risk allocation, efficiency flexibility were perceived as dominant issues. Apart from that, a technical factor had proven as the most threated factor that could hinder the implementation of PPP project in Malaysia. Hence, the structure of PPP model should be more viable towards the stakeholders by developing a clear, realistic and concise guideline in order to improve the service delivery performance and return value for money

A Model of Housing Quality Determinants (HQD) for Affordable Housing

This research identifies the design quality determinants and parameters for affordable housing in a developing metropolis, Karachi, Pakistan. The absence of quality housing in Karachi has resulted in a variety of factors including policy failure, violation of bylaws, housing scarcity and more low quality housing. The combination of these factors has resulted in poor housing design and construction and has lowered the overall quality of housing. Homeowners (end-users) experience unplanned maintenance and repairs. This study provides a design quality model for use as a survey tool among professionals and end-users. This study resulted in a table of 24 quality determinants marked as Housing Quality Determinants (HQD) grouped into eight sections. This research concludes that the existing design quality of affordable housing in Karachi could be enhanced by resolving problems related to design, construction, services, site development, neighbourhood and sustainability. The HQD model provides a platform for developing quality indicators of housing design and an opportunity for local and international design and construction professionals to rethink design in the context of housing quality. This article provides the development of the HQD framework (model)

Causes and Effects of Variation Orders in the Construction of Terrace Housing Projects: A Case Study in the State of Selangor, Malaysia

This paper investigates the most significant causes and effects contribute to the variation orders in the construction of housing projects in the States of Selangor Malaysia. Data was collected based on the existing literature reviews and also contract documents from a total of 61 housing project located at nine district in the state of Selangor. The data were analysed and the formulate the findings. The result from revealed four most significant causes variation orders which are: Change of scope by owner, Substitution of materials by owner, Changes of specification by owner and Changes of design by consultant. Meanwhile the effects of the variation orders are time and cost overrun. The finding concludes that owner is the major source of the variation orders in construction of building projects and suggested that owner should have adequate planning and recourses before initiating a project in order to avoid variation order during the construction stage

Dome conditions in coastal city in tropical climate

The paper describes the long-term monitoring of the finishesperformance of the building with dome structure located in coastalarea. The theoretical proposal is based on relevant literature and wasapplied and adjusted in a survey of 24 buildings. Majority building inthe study is composed of mosque buildings and followed bygovernment buildings and business and office building. As the buildingmust also be in good condition to serve their purpose, there was concern about the effect ofthe outdoor factor on the durability of the building finishes. The main objective of themonitoring was to assess the effect of the environment in coastal area on the buildingfinishes. The study included the correlation between dome condition with age, coastaldistance, mean sea level height, material finishes and dome size. This paper explains themonitoring and results approach. The results indicated that the finishes use of variousbuilding materials has a different effect on the outer finishing conditions of the dome.Majority dome using concrete finish is in good condition compared to the dome that usesmetal sheet finish. This defect can be seen from the connecting part of the metal sheet panel.This is due to the incorrect or inaccurate installation method

A comprehensive learning of architecture education: understanding critique session as learning process and criteria-based assessment in the architecture design studio

In the educational process, a process of continuous and comprehensive learning becomes very important. This paper has the aim to analyze and evaluate the whole process of teaching methods in architecture studio. This research is an action observation and analysis of the student 2nd year Architecture Design Studio Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) on their learning and assessment process in design studio. In the process of education, the teaching process is very important to determine the final result or assessment. Therefore, the implementation of a comprehensive educational process has a very important function. The teaching process in the architectural education viewed from two aspects, the aspects of teaching and assessment. Both of the aspects are using different learning methods, namely Critique Session and Criteria-Based Assessment. With these methods we have been able to conclude that both methods are holistic approaches and very helpful in the learning process of students as they are gradually and continuously develop their ability in the learning experience in design studio

Upgrading Education Architecture by Redefining Critique Session in Design Studio

AbstractArchitecture education with apprenticeship based training method has existed from long time ago. This type of education was based of practice and imitation. But today according to the design issue and open ended problems it is changed to transmitting the concept and idea of design. In this educating system which is based on critique all the efforts are to increase student's self criticizing ability by continuous criticisms to able to manage their own projects. Design is one of the most complex types of problem solving that involves several aspects and components. Its cognitive processes and procedures should be transmitted to the students through lectures and critique sessions. The current model in studios is based on ancient model that must be redefined and be made clearer in order to improve both learning and teaching ways. There is no unreasonable action in the world and all are perusing a prominent target, especially in educating system that in fact it is the base of all forward steps in community around us. This paper analyses architectural studios in order to find the weak and strength points and also to identify procedures and tools that can be used to support the studio based pedagogy in architecture. First we take a look on what is going on in design studios and then by classifying the critique methods in different type of studios and explaining each will explore the reasons of dissatisfactions and at the end will give some suggestions to upgrade the existing system

Towards creating a nation of engineerpreneur.

New conceptualizations were introduced to address the emerging need to develop innovativeness and creativity attitudes in future engineering professional . Thus, entrepreneurial engineering education needs an environment where future engineers can be formed through practical learning and the interaction with forces, ideas and inspirations, in the final perspective of effectively identifying, acquiring, developing, and transferring technology into new business products and services. This paper aims to investigate the characteristics of a successful entrepreneur for engineering students. A questionnaire was used to measure the level of entrepreneurial competencies. The questionnaire was based on the Personal Entrepreneurial Competence Model, developed by McClelland Individual. Participants were recruited from the final year students of eight programs under the Faculty of Engineering. Of the 432 questionnaires distributed, 210 were collected back, giving a response rate of approximately 49%. Findings suggest that final year engineering students have respectable entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviors, and are competent to be engineerpreneur. The study also recommended that we need an environment that does not insist that engineers become entrepreneurs, but one where the two can meet, and business leaders can organize our nation effectively