President’s Message
CIQS is stronger now than ever and only getting better Ian Duncan, PQS hat greater year than 2009 to succeed to the Presidency! The 50th anniversary celebrations were, to me, not only a tribute to the efforts of the custodians of the Institute (namely it’s Councils and Administrators) over the 50 years but also an acknowledgement of the strength of the body as it stands today and the perfect position from which to launch into the future. The fact that there were record numbers in attendance from across the country and representation from all the most significant quantity surveying practices from across the country bodes well for the future. The past five years have seen substantial increases in membership and it falls on the new Council to ensure that the structure of the Institute is adjusted to cope with the challenges that come with growth. While I have been a member of Council over the past few years,
governance and structure have been important topics on the agenda of Council meetings. Several positive measures have been implemented during this period. This includes the re-adoption of the Past President position on Council and the introduction of two successive Vice President positions. This means that when an affiliate representative is appointed to the position of second Vice President, he/she will have two further years experience on Council to prepare for the presidency and one year as Past President to complete any unfinished business and help the new President into a smooth transition. In the last year, we have already seen what a good decision this has been in the person of Walter Strachan. As the Institute has doubled in size, we have outgrown the structure. An issue of priority for me this year is to, in conjunction with Lois Metcalfe, oversee the reorganization of the administration
“The fact that there were record numbers in attendance from across the country and representation from all the most significant quantity surveying practices from across the country bodes well for the future.” 4 | Construction Economist | www.ciqs.org | Summer 2009
of the Institute. This includes succession management, a staff education portfolio and equitable division of duties for such time consuming tasks as CPD administration and website overhaul and maintenance. This will take some time, and in some ways, is a continuing exercise but it has become apparent that restructuring has become essential. Committees have already been struck to deal with these issues and the planning has begun. At the AGM, we saw, for the first time, the participation of our student members at a CIQS function. Student membership is at an all time high and is vital for sustainable growth. The CIQS’ aggressive policy toward education and contact with colleges and universities will continue to expand under the leadership of David Lai and the affiliate representatives. The establishment in Construction Management degree programs across the country from Toronto to Vancouver resurrects the old question related to the required level of education to become a Professional Quantity Surveyor in Canada. Should we be looking into upgrading the requirement to Bachelor Degree level in line with comparable professionals? This probably will not be tackled this year but should not, in my view, be far from the agenda of future councils. I would like to finish by thanking my predecessor, Orest Stachniak, for his hard work during his term and I am thankful for having the opportunity to continue to work with him in his new position as Past President on Council in the coming year.
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