Practice management

Question 1

What areas need managed?

Answer 1

Marketing - new clients, PR
Financial - fees, accounts, tax

Time - Timecards
People - employees and recruitment

Health and Safety - H&S MS
Quality - QMS
Risk - each project, industry, Brexit

Question 2

How is quality managed in your practice?

Answer 2

• AECOM is accredited with ISO9001
• This international standard of accreditation sets the requirements for AECOMs quality management system.
• The principals of this are reflected in AECOMs Global Quality Policy to…
  
  • Consider quality at all times
  • Client focus
  • Risk based thinking
  • Collaboration
  • Employee empowerment and learning

The success of this is measured by

• client satisfaction
• employee engagement
• project delivery and profit
• continual improvement

The policy is implemented by
- evidencing communication and co-ordination
- procedures, planning and budgeting for quality
- risk assessments
+ AUDITS

MY EXPERIENCE of the system has been through
….. Quality and technical discipline reviews of every deliverable
- Originator (errors/complete)
- Checker (mistakes - corrected)
- Verifier (review against brief, checks comments)
- Approver (final review and authorisation for issue)

…. Inter disciplinary reviews
…. Project risk registers
…..Use of BIM (ISO 19650)

Question 3

How is H&S managed in your practice?

Answer 3

• AECOM is accredited with ISO45001
• This international standard of accreditation sets the requirements for AECOMs H&S management system.
• The principals of this are reflected in AECOMs Safety for Life Policy to..
• Budget for safety
• provide training & engage all employees
• plan for safety & report incidents

Aim

• achieve zero work related injuries / illnesses
• prevent damage to property & Environment

Success is measured by number of incidents

This is implemented by

• procedures, guidance and standard forms for assessments etc. available to all employees
• Leadership from SH&E Team
• Training - AECOM University (online).

MY EXPERIENCE of the system has been through
- Safety in Design
Training - AECOM Uni, CSR site card
Designer Risk Register

Question 4

What is the scope of your department, what services do you offer?

Answer 4

Discipline team: Belfast Landscape
Department: UK & I buildings and places
Work we bid for primarily the built environment

All RIBA work stages.
Services: landscape design and administration services including post contract award.

My experience: mainly public realm and open space within urban areas.

Typically appointed within in an integrated consultant team.

Question 5

How does your practice promote its services?

Answer 5

In accordance with STD 10 on the C.o.C - services are promoted truthfully and our practice never subverts work from other practices.

• Email - existing clients, info on successful projects
• Social Media - current projects, awards.
• Ireland Review - hosts - all clients are invited for event to showcase projects in the region that have supported AECOM’s current business themes, includes talks from industry experts. Attracts developers to Belfast.

Question 6

How can your department acquire work?

Answer 6

DESIGN COMPETITION
- time and effort not paid, very competitive, new clients

DIRECT APP
- simple and cost effective, private / small public

FRAMEWORK
- 1 selection process for multiple projects, cost & time effective, build relationship with client, steady work, lower rates.

COMPETITIVE TENDERING
- time and effort, if short listed = good chance of success. fee can become too low - strain on project and client relationship.

Question 7

Employers responsibilities?

Answer 7

In accordance with employment law…

• Safe, healthy and suitable environment
• no discrimination
• Contract
• national minimum wage
• reasonable hours
• sick, parental, holiday leave
• redundancy pay (after 2 years)
• notice before termination

Question 8

Employees duties?

Answer 8

Honour terms of the contract…(express and implied)

• act with reasonable skill and care
• don’t risk harm to yourself or others
• honest, disclose wrongdoing, others and own, bribery
• confidentiality
• adapt to when job changes
• take care of employers property

Question 9

Examples of employment law?

Answer 9

NI Legislation:

Disability Discrimination Order and Act
Equal Pay Act
Fair employment Act
working time Regs
HASAW Act (HASAW NI order)
GDPR 2015

Question 10

Copyright

Answer 10

Intellectual property rights =

• Copyright Designs and Patents Act
• Registered Designs Regulations

works of architecture = artistic works
cant copy all or part of the works, 70 years beyond death of author
work owned by your employer
can assign work to client - then they own it - dangerous - designs are always site specific.

RD Regs = LA has right to be identified as the author, client needs written consent to use designs and copy them.

‘AECOM’ is on all our drawings

Question 11

Data Protection

Answer 11

STD 5 - integrity and confidentiality

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
data kept on employees/clients must be:
- accurate, regularly reviewed
- used for limited and specifically stated purposes
- kept for no longer than necessary
- kept safe and secure
- anonymous if sensitive

Data Protection Act - you can request to see info kept on you

FOI Act - public sector must disclose info they have on any subject

Practice management implications:

• anonymize sensitive data
• review HR policies & data stored
• back up personal data safely
• inform individuals of their data