For the good of the Institute

Strategic Plan: A document outlining where an organization is going over the next few years (by outlining the priorities, resources and objectives) and how to get there (through a detailed action plan on how to achieve set goals). It is a plan meant to produce fundamental decisions and actions that are meant to guide the organization’s directive, mission, and vision.

The National Board of Directors met for two days in May 2019 for a collaborative brainstorming and idea-sharing session to outline the goals and objectives as well as the actions required to meet the goals, and the processes to measure the plan’s success .

As mentioned in the Chair’s Message, the final plan includes four main pillars designed to create brand awareness, grow the community, elevate academic standards, and build interdisciplinary partnerships to optimize value and become the go-to provider for the quantity surveyor profession .

This will be accomplished in part by implementing initiatives to grow the membership and to engage the next generation of quantity surveyors . These initiatives include the development of a student outreach plan and a national marketing and communications plan,

My name is Sophia Chin You . I am the Membership Manager at the Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors . The CIQS sets the highest standards for construction economics in Canada and owns the Professional Quantity Surveyor (PQS) and Construction Estimator Certified (CEC) designations, offered to qualified individuals in Canada and abroad .

Last year, we embarked on a three-year plan to promote the professional status and value of our members and stakeholders within the industry by: • Increasing the connection and relationship among our board, chapters and stakeholders . • Reviewing and updating our educational requirements and standards to stay relevant . • Addressing our staff and technology deficiencies . • Engaging our stakeholders . Feel free to contact me at membership@ciqs.org if you would like to learn more about CIQS membership and its benefits . both used as vessels to reach not only our current members but also industry and the public at large .

The 2019-2022 Strategic Plan was launched at Congress 2019 in Quebec City . One year in, we are well on our way to promoting the professional status and gainful employment of Institute members by maintaining high standards of competence and ethics, furthering their education, and encouraging the interchange of knowledge and fellowship with other industry professionals .

Some of our current achievements under the current strategic plan include:

Student outreach and YQS programs

The student outreach program will focus on promoting the career paths available within the quantity surveying field and how becoming a quantity surveyor can open doors across Canada and beyond our borders . CIQS ambassadors will make presentations at job fairs, career days, seminars, and during individual class discussions at colleges across the country . Volunteers wishing to participate in this program must first complete the CIQS ambassador media training, launched in February of 2020 . The initial training session was held in Calgary, but the pandemic caused

all other scheduled sessions to be postponed . They commenced again virtually in November 2020 .

The Young Quantity Surveyor (YQS) Committee has built momentum over the last year with the creation and implementation of an action plan to provide networking opportunities for CIQS members under the age of 40 who are dedicated to bettering the field of quantity surveying while becoming leaders in their respective communities . This will be achieved through a variety of programs and events designed to offer leadership tools and to open doors for program participants in order to increase their contact network . One such initiative is a four-part leadership webinar series led by Craig Woodall from Byng Leadership Inc ., launched in October 2020, with part 2 scheduled for January 14, 2021 . Another project is a virtual meet-up series where YQS program participants will have the opportunity to discuss issues and ideas with their peers from across the country . The initial YQS Coffee Talk is projected to be launched in Winter 2020 .

Information on both of these programs are available on a dedicated website – THE CIQS HUB – which has been designed as a platform to help tomorrow’s generation of quantity surveyors grow, learn, and network . Visit www.qscareer.org to learn more .

Government relations

Last year we completed an environment scan, surveying government officials about CIQS to ascertain a better understanding of their level of knowledge of the quantity surveying profession . This information was used to create a government relations plan to build relationships with government officials willing to champion our cause and help us build brand awareness and influence within government circles . We started working with a government relations firm in Ottawa in the spring of 2020 and, to date, we have submitted recommendations for the 2021 Pre-Budget consultation process in response to an invitation

The four pillars

The CIQS Community Engagement Initiative has a mandate to better engage our members across the country . The Institute will focus on reconnecting and rebuilding the relationships among the board, chapters, and individual members .

The education committee will work to identify and improve upon the weaknesses and strengths of the current courses and syllabi for the architectural, mechanical, and electrical programs .

With the National office now managing operations and administration of the Institute and the individual chapters, it is imperative that all appropriate IT and human resources are in place . Therefore, one of the pillars is to identify and resolve any resource deficiencies within the organization .

The Stakeholder engagement initiative focuses on communications to educate the public, industry and government about our industry and the benefits of working with a CEC or PQS .

Timeline details for each of the pillars are available on www.ciqs.org in the ‘Members Only’ section, under ‘Institute’ .

by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance . We also held virtual meetings with government officials and representatives from Infrastructure Canada and the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities at the end of October 2020 .

We are continuously nurturing relationships with our external stakeholders, building our brand, and increasing our overall exposure and value . We have continued our membership with FIRPAC (Federal/ Industry Real Property Advisory Council) and are active participants at their meetings in Ottawa . We are also building our relationships within the international community through our membership at CEEC and participation in PAQS meetings and conferences . We also recently contributed to a recent request for information from Public Services and Procurement Canada .

Looking forward at what’s to come, there are several exciting projects in the works for next year . We are finalizing a national marketing and communications plan, scheduled to be launched in January 2021, which will focus on increasing awareness of the quantity surveying profession and the CIQS brand . We are also gearing up to launch our leadership development and mentorship programs; increase our IT efficiency at head office, and overhaul our education and membership programs to ensure that we continue offering stellar programs to our members and stakeholders .

About the author

Alexandra Parliament is a Marketing and Communications Consultant with over 20 years of experience . She has a formal education in print journalism and has worked in the marketing and communications departments of a PR Agency, a major Marketing Agency, a national magazine, an annual three-day festival, provincial and national non-profit organizations and one of the largest loyalty programs in Canada . She has been published in a variety of magazines and online publications and is currently a steady contributing writer for Mechanical Business Magazine . She has been working with CIQS National in a PR/Marketing capacity since November 2018 .