Construction management chamber calls for regularisation of construction project management with warrant

The Malta Chamber of Construction Management (MCCM) has called for the regularisation of the construction management profession through the introduction of a legally recognised warrant.

The industry body made this call as it launched its 2021 to 2023 strategy, which aims to drive change within the construction industry.

Addressing a press conference unveiling the strategy, the chamber's president Jesmond Chetcuti explained that traditionally, the local construction sector has been made up of "multiple players with an array of variable interests that were not always driven by quality and standards".

The MCCM's mission, therefore, is to assist in the transformation process, to help the industry adjust into one that embraces change, it said.

The chamber has set out three tiers, with Tier 1 members being eligible to apply for the eventual warrant to operate as construction project managers.

In order for the industry to move forward, the chamber acknowledged that education and continuous development are key.

The industry is constantly changing, with buildings becoming intrinsically more demanding and complex, it has found.

The continuous development of professionals working in the sector, as well as the need to embrace new technologies and best practices – whilst keeping risk assessment as a core theme – are of utmost importance, according to the MCCM.

“There is no doubt that in Malta there are a good number of construction managers of various levels, with years of experience,” Mr Chetcuti said.

“However, not all of them, for some reason or another, have the academic background to complement their experience,” he continued.

This shortcoming was being addressed through collaborations with local and foreign educational institutions, so that specialised courses of various levels and durations are made available, the MCCM said.

Introducing the strategy, Keith Demicoli, formerly of TVM, but now working at The Malta Chamber, said that the MCCM was launched to promote practices and standards and upscale and modernise the practices in the construction industry.

Also present at the press launch was Caroline Gumble, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) in the UK, which is the world's largest and most influential professional body for construction management and leadership.

Mr Chetcuti said that the MCCM’s collaboration with the CIOB seeks to send a strong message that the Chamber is looking at quality and not quantity.