CLIENT CARE
Mandatory Competency at Level 2
[Link]
- BagavadeEswar S BS FQSi MRICS CIPM ACIArb
CEO & Director 3EG Group, UAE.
APC Questions will be based on following:
CLIENT CARE
Level 1 :
Principles and practice of client care includes:
The concept of identifying all Clients/colleagues/third parties who are your Clients and
the behaviours that are appropriate to establish good client relationships
The systems and procedures that are appropriate for managing the process of client care,
including complaints
The requirement to collect data, analyse and define the needs of Clients.
Level 2 :
Provide evidence of practical application of the principles and
practice of client care in your area of practice.
Page 2
Agenda CLIENT CARE
[Link] appointment documents
[Link] fees
[Link] procedures RICS / employer
[Link] Client objectives
[Link] clients brief
[Link]
[Link] of stakeholders
[Link] communications with client team
9 Model Q& A
[Link].
Page 3
CLIENT CARE -OBJECTIVES
The concept of identifying Clients, colleagues and third
parties who are your Clients. Understand the behaviors
that are appropriate to establish good client relationships
The systems and procedures that are appropriate for
managing the process of client care including complaints
The requirements to collect data, analyze and define the
needs of Clients
The client is Sovereign
Customer care Vs duty of care
Deliver good client care
Page 4
1. QS Appointment Documents
Guidance on basic chartered quantity surveying services as set out in the
RICS Standard Form of Consultant's Appointment for Quantity Surveyors,
which are separated into core services for a variety of contracts and
supplementary services.
Option to use Short form or the Standard form (based on RIBA outline
plan of Work)
FIDIC White Book
JCT (The Joint Contracts Tribunal)
NEC PSC (New Engineering Contract The Professional Services
Contract)
ACE (The Association for Consultancy and Engineering)
Page 5
1. QS Appointment Documents
The key points of QS Agreement ( Professional Services Agreement ) PSA
are:
Description of Professional Services in detail
Details of Professional Indemnity Insurance ( PII)
Clients Obligations
Consultants Obligations
Limitations of Liability
Payment terms ( Mile Stone Payments or Monthly Fee etc.,,)
Termination and suspension provisions
Dispute Resolution
Governing law
Clients brief (Extremely important)
Page 6
2. Establishing Fees part 1
The fee is a matter for negotiation: there is no standard or recommended
basis for calculation.
The fees charged by professional quantity surveyors are commensurate
with the work done for their clients and are based on the following options:
An agreed percentage of the contract value;
Monthly fee charges;
An agreed lump-sum fee;
Any other agreed fee negotiated between the client and the
quantity surveyor
Page 7
2. Establishing Fees part 2
The fee will reect :
The complexity of the project,
The scope of services to be provided
The applicable work stages
Procurement method
Construction cost
Timetable.
Conditional terms for:
Timely payment
Specify each amount to be withheld and the
reasons, if the Client wishes to withheld
Payment cycle
Page 8
3. Complaints procedures RICS / employer
Your first step should always be to attempt to resolve the complaint
directly with the firm/member concerned
If you have not received details, ask the firm for its complaints handling
procedure in writing. Keep a copy of the request letter.
A firms complaints handling procedure will have two stages:
Complaints will be considered by a senior member of the firm or a
designated complaints handler
If the complaint cannot be resolved, it will be referred to an independent
redress scheme. The firms complaints handling procedure must give
details of the redress scheme to which it refers complaints so that you
know where to take your complaint.
Complaints handling procedures are designed to deal with complaints
about a firm or members service including where a request for
compensation is involved.
Page 9
4. Understanding the Clients Objectives
The clients purpose in initiating a building project is usually driven by the
need for the project as a functional unit or as an investment.
It is important that the client seek investment appraisal advice in respect of
the project and that the appraisal considers what if questions.
A chartered surveyor will be able to assist the client in these matters. If
particular requirement is important to the client and outside the clients
expertise, the client should be advised to seek other professional advice.
Page 10
4. Understanding the Clients Objectives
Possible objectives are as follows:
(a) Cost-related
minimize capital cost
achieve necessary income cash flow profile
minimize management costs
minimize maintenance and insurance costs
respect capital cost constraint
be energy efficient.
Page 11
4. Understanding the Clients Objectives
(b) Marketability
maximize prompt or future disposal (freehold or otherwise).
(c) Use-related
optimize operational requirements of intended occupier(s)
provide greatest flexibility in potential uses
reflect intended occupiers requirements/preferences/ability to afford
meet social/management/occupiers special needs (e.g. disabled).
Page 12
4. Understanding the Clients Objectives
(d) Environmental
minimize health and safety risks
choose materials which reflect sustainability
reflect planning authoritys brief/policies
reflect corporate style or personal preferences of proposed
occupier/employees
(e) Timing
construct within a defined period
minimize risks of delay during construction
Page 13
[Link] clients brief
The Clients brief shall furnished with:
Description of the Site (by plan if possible);
Description of the Project;
Budgets;
Programme; and
Client objectives
Page 14
[Link] clients brief
Briefing process is one of the most important and difficult tasks in the
delivery of a successful project
correct interpretation of the client's brief
the clear establishment of the client's objectives
development of the brief should be an iterative (repetitive) process
Clarifying the mission of the organization and the function of the
construction project is perhaps the initial and most important part of the
briefing process
Clients can be encouraged at the briefing stage to consider the impact of
costs-in-use and sustainable issues
Always remember the drivers of the Project TCSQ (Time, Cost, Scope
and Quality)
Emphasize from cheapest capital cost to best value over the life cycle of
the building
Page 15
6. KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
Clients of the construction industry want their projects delivered:
on time
on budget
free from defects
Efficiently
right first time
Safely
by profitable companies
Page 16
6. KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
Construction supply chain companies will be able to benchmark their
performance to enable them to identify strengths and weaknesses, and
assess their ability to improve over time.
Critical Success Factors (CSF)
To be able to measure the performance on activities that directly affected
these CSFs should relate to:
time;
cost;
quality;
client satisfaction;
Page 17
6. KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
Critical Success Factors (CSF)
client changes / change orders
business performance; and
health and safety
Earned Value Management A process widely used now among the QS
profession.
Page 18
6. KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
The Key Project Stages
In order to define the KPIs throughout the lifetime of a project, five key
stages have been identified:
A. Commit to Invest the point at which the client decides in principle
to invest in a project, sets out the requirements in business terms and
authorizes the project team to proceed with the conceptual design.
B. Commit to Construct the point at which the client authorizes the
project team to start the construction of the project.
C. Available for Use the point at which the project is available for
substantial occupancy or use. This may be in advance of the
completion of the project.
D. End of Defect Liability Period the point at which the period within
the construction contract during which the contractor is obliged to
rectify defects ends (often 12 months from point C).
Page 19
6. KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
The Key Project Stages
E. End of Lifetime of Project the point at which the period over which
the project is employed in its original or near original purpose ends. As
this is usually many years after the projects completion, this is a
theoretical point over which concepts such as full life costs can be
applied.
Page 20
7. Involvement of stakeholders
Who needs to be communicated with and what do they need to
know?
It is about influencing, controlling and managing those who can affect the
project and its outcomes. This results in the stakeholder strategy, which
then informs the communications plan
The first step is to draw a stakeholder map to capture all stakeholders. It is
important not to miss any stakeholders. (softwares are available on this to
purchase)
Page 21
7. Involvement of stakeholders
The stakeholders can then be subdivided into categories, i.e. responsible,
accountable, consulted and informed, usually expressed in the acronym
RACI, which defines the level of influence each party has in the project:
'Responsible' refers to the person who owns the project or the problem.
'Accountable' means the person who must sign off the work.
'Consulted' stakeholders hold information or the capability necessary to
complete the work.
'Informed' stakeholders need to know the outcome, but need not be
consulted.
In this categorized simple matrix, it is possible to focus on the involvement
of the appropriate people. This helps with the decision making process,
although clearly there are sensitivities to be managed. It is important to
gain buy-in and team agreement.
Page 22
8. Establishing communications with Client team
Communication Strategy based on RACI will determine the messages to
communicate to the stakeholder, the frequency at which they will be
informed and the format in which the message will be communicated.
It also determines how responses are received and actioned, mindful of the
variety of communication methods and technologies available to deliver
project information.
Effective management is vital in any construction project.
A crucial part of any effective management structure is efficient
communication.
To perform effectively, all parties must have timely access to all
information relevant to their tasks and the projects objectives and status.
Page 23
8. Establishing communications with Client team
Once resources, organizational and contractual arrangements are in place,
the client should see that systems are put in place to ensure that the
procurement process can be implemented in fact.
These systems should include:
financial systems
decision systems at the appropriate time and with appropriate authority;
design change systems to implement and monitor
cost and time monitoring systems
Regular cost reports can be produced throughout the construction stage
from which potential overspending can be identified before it occurs with
the intent that corrective action should be possible.
Page 24
8. Establishing communications with Client team
Integrate the 'who, what, when and how' of the communication process,
including: the type of information being communicated, the objective of the
communication, the frequency with which the information is distributed
and the method used to communicate the information.
The plan should be succinct and involve the least amount of bureaucracy
necessary to manage the process.
It should be written by the project manager and if it can be described in an
annotated process map, or a matrix with minimal narrative.
The plan forms the basis and structure of all communications, so getting it
right is important. It will then be applied over the life of the project. It
should have the flexibility to adapt and therefore be a 'live' document.
Good practice involves producing a worked example of a communications
plan and reaching agreement with the project board before rolling out. It
should have interfaces with all stakeholders and provide a cross check as
to the list of stakeholders.
Page 25
8. Establishing communications with Client team
It is very important to carefully consider:
the type of information being communicated (e.g.)
milestones achieved,
risks which need immediate action
outstanding issues;
the objective of the communication (e.g.)
to galvanize action,
to celebrate an achievement;
Page 26
8. Establishing communications with Client team
It is very important to carefully consider: (contd)
the frequency with which the information is distributed (e.g.)
weekly update by exception or a deep dive, i.e. in depth review
monthly report
the method used to communicate the information (e.g.)
e-mail
phone call
intranet alert
The 'whom' will be determined by the RACI matrix.
Page 27
Model APC Questions : CLIENT CARE
THANK YOU AND WISH YOU ALL THE BEST
Page 28
