15th April 2024
Ir LAU Chun-kit, Ricky
Permanent Secretary for Development (Works)
Development Bureau, HKSAR Government
18/F, West Wing, Central Government Offices
2 Tim Mei Avenue
Tamar, Hong Kong
Dear Ricky,
On behalf of the Hong Kong Institute of Construction Managers (HKICM), I would like to express our sincere gratitude for your kind arrangement of the upcoming meeting with us on 25th April 2024.
For the past 27 years, HKICM has been the sole local professional institute dedicated to obtaining statutory status for the construction management profession. Although our journey since 1997 has not been without challenges, HKICM has never wavered in its commitment to working with the government and associated counterparts to advance the standards of construction management for the benefit of Hong Kong.
HKICM has made significant efforts to promote excellence in construction management, including:
- Co-organizing the biennial HKCA/HKICM Joint Conference since 2017. These conferences have been widely recognized as the only local events focused on the practices of construction management in Hong Kong, garnering overwhelming support from government officials and industry practitioners.
- Leading the organization of the Quality Building Award (QBA) 2022, considered the pinnacle of achievement in the construction industry in Hong Kong. The QBA aims to promote excellence in both private and government development projects, and the President of HKICM serves as an esteemed juror for the award.
- Organizing the Construction Management Award (CMA) since 2016, which recognizes the contributions of individual construction management practitioners in building projects. In CMA 2024, the award scope will be expanded to include Civil Projects.
- Responding promptly to media inquiries regarding current industry issues. HKICM’s media visibility has increased by 260% from 2022 to 2023, and we anticipate further growth in 2024.
- Entering into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with 廣東省土木建築學會 (Guangdong Society of Civil Engineering and Architecture) for mutual recognition of members is a significant step towards enhancing collaboration within the industry, particularly within the Greater Bay Area (GBA). By recognizing each other’s members, both organizations can benefit from a broader talent pool and expedite collaboration on various projects. The completion of the first batch of mutually recognized members in January 2024 is an encouraging milestone. It suggests that the process of recognizing and accepting members from both organizations has been successfully established. This achievement will likely pave the way for future rounds of recognition, leading to an expansion of the talent bank within the industry.
Looking ahead, we plan to build upon our solid foundation and focus on several key areas to support the excellence of construction management in response to recent industry developments. Our initiatives include: - Initiating a policy research study on the establishment of a Construction Management Ordinance tailored to Hong Kong’s unique situation. This research aims to assist the government and other stakeholders in developing a new system to enhance existing performance standards, such as safety and quality, to meet the expectations of society as a whole. We have already begun engaging with some Legislative Council Members who have shown interest in supporting a private bill for this purpose.
- Allocating additional resources to prioritize safety-related continuing professional development (CPD) and site visits. We believe that construction managers are ultimately responsible for ensuring daily site safety and must be equipped with the latest knowledge and initiatives in technology-based safety management systems.
- Collaborating with the Hong Kong Construction Association (HKCA) and the Hong Kong Institute of Construction (HKIC) to establish a new training course for existing frontline Construction Supervisors. Recent site issues have highlighted the need to provide frontline supervisors with updated training in safety and ethics periodically. HKCA’s members will nominate their respective Construction Supervisors for training, while HKIC will oversee the course. HKICM will leverage its existing Registered Construction Supervisor system for registration, with the aim of enhancing the quality of frontline Construction Supervisors across the industry.
We eagerly anticipate our meeting in less than two weeks’ time to exchange ideas on the aforementioned initiatives and explore further areas of collaboration.
Thank you once again for your support.
Yours sincerely,
Terence Mang
President
The Hong Kong Institute of Construction Managers
