Professional Practice and Ethics

At the end of this course, the students should be able to: 1. understand the general principles of good practice by Professional Builders; 2. explain relationship between the professional associations and regulatory bodies; 3. understand the roles of professional builders as consultants and construction managers; 4. areas of entrepreneurship and opportunities for builders; and 5. understand mentorship and its relevance in building practice.

The course deals with the principles of good practice by registered builders in relation to other sister professions and the interest of clients and the public. Characteristics of a profession; the relationship between professional associations and their regulatory bodies; the professional registration boards in the construction industry and their regulation; ethics and professional practice; professional ethics and moral obligations; partnerships and consortia; The builder and the building code; contract documents and construction documents in the Nigerian building code; core competency and services of professionals irrespective of procurement methods; Design and build. Building production management (BPM) as a distinct technical service of the registered builder. Principles, preparation and use of building production management documents roles of builders in contracting organisations; roles of builders in client organisations; consultancy practices and their regulations. Setting up a builder’s consultancy office; consultancy services of registered builders on building projects – preconstruction (predesign, design and tendering stages), construction stages, post construction stages (facility management/maintenance and deconstruction stages). Roles of resident builders; concepts and theories of professional fees; tendering and bidding strategies. Building production management reports. The builder and sustainable construction, green building. Entrepreneurship for builders, prospecting for jobs: consultancy or contracting; mentorship and business packaging for builders; national and international building codes, regulations and byelaws.