Communities Of Practice

ANDREI CACHIA

First Community of Practice Sessions Garner Success: Environmental and Resource Authority lauds Initiative

In a pioneering move towards fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing, the recently concluded first Community of Practice (COP) sessions, have proven to be a resounding success. The first two COP sessions, organized by an enthusiastic group of workers employed by the Environmental Resource Authority (ERA), drew an impressive number of attendees from our chamber –MCCM. Recognizing the value of community-driven initiatives, ERA not only supported the event, but also actively participated in the discussions. The sessions facilitated constructive debates together with insightful questions and the significant turnout is a testament to the growing interest in environmental issues. Moreover, the enthusiasm within our community leads all participants to develop themselves further in this subject, to be able to guide the Clients during the project life cycle.

Together with his fellow colleagues, Milan Savic delivered the first session and went into detail about the generation and treatment, including basic statistics, of construction and demolition waste in Malta. As a summary he took us through the;

• Overview of the Construction and Demolition Waste Strategy for Malta 2021-2030;

• Brief description of the measures already implemented from the Strategy;

• Explanation of measures currently being implemented and discussion.

Participants raised queries related to environmental regulations,sustainable practices and the authority's plans for tackling specific challenges.

The fruitful discussions that ensued not only deepened attendees' understanding on the subject, but created a sense of mutual respect and collaboration, generating a positive atmosphere throughout the discussions.

During the second session, two speakers took the floor; Miss Christine Tanti gave an explanation on how ERA’s assessment unit fulfils it’s role as:

• External consultee for development planning process and other processes

• Competent Authority for implementation of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process

• Competent Authority for the implementation of the Appropriate Assessment (AA) process

Following the first half, Mr. Anthony Aquilina gave a thorough explanation about the:

• Role of the Environmental Permitting Unit

• Which types of permits are applicable to the sector

• When to approach the Authority and in which cases

• Permitting process and how to apply for permits

• Navigate onto ERA’s website to obtain information on permitted facilities

The success of the first Community of Practice sessions, highlighted by the remarkable turnout and active participation, marks a significant milestone in the chamber’s journey towards members’ development. The sessions' constructive questions and insightful discussions contributed to a vibrant atmosphere of learning, enhancing the collective understanding of environmental challenges, potential solutions and collaborations.

The COP sessions have set a promising precedent for future community-driven initiatives. Our dedicated plans will pursue in the 2nd quarter of this year – July 2023. Unfortunately, the original plans to meet another two important regulating bodies – PA and BCA - did not materialise, as they argued that due to the current changes in the legislations within the construction sector, it is too early to meet.

Nonetheless, as one of our items in our code states that all MCCM members shall “Keep themselves informed of current practices and developments within the construction industry”, we came up with the idea of setting up a workshop amongst our members (and the general public who might be interested), to discuss one of the main processes that we as Construction Project Managers manage; Contract Management. We will be delving in particular techniques of this process and thus, we welcome all both our members and the general public to take advantage of these occasions and attend these two intriguing seminars, which will be led by knowledgeable experts in the subject.