In 1922 Sir Claus Moser declared that “Education costs money, but then so does ignorance.” In the design-build game the cost of ignorance can be mighty high. That is why education is the cornerstone of DBIA’s effort to effect change in the industry and promote and encourage the growth of the design-build delivery process as a high quality project delivery system. We know that education is the one single thing that will ultimately help transform our industry from one characterized by fragmentation, inefficiency, waste, and conflict to one distinguished by interdisciplinary collaboration, resourcefulness, innovation, and mutual respect.
With that realization in mind and the ever increasing demand for credentialed professional designation, the DBIA Education Department set out to increase the availability and access to its core and elective curriculum in 2005. Over the past year the continuing education department of DBIA set three very ambitious goals:
- To completely overhaul and improve the three core courses needed for designation and deliver 56 programs in 29 major cities around the United States
- To bring back the most popular previously offered elective courses, online and available
- To develop badly needed new elective courses as quickly as possible
As Chair of the Education Committee I can tell you that these ambitious, but achievable, goals posed a tremendous challenge to both the Education Committee and the leadership and staff of the Education Department. However, with strong support from the DBIA regional Chapters and with the steadfast direction of Lisa Washington, DBIA’s Vice President of Education and Conferences, I am pleased to report that the mission has pretty much been accomplished (there are still 17 courses to be delivered in 2005). And although this important undertaking did not proceed without its fair share of hiccups, some outstanding results and significant improvements have been made. Let me just share a few:
- Revisions have been made to each of the three core courses to improve their flow, eliminate redundancy, and better direct their focus. Efforts will continue throughout 2006 to improve each of these courses.
- Several previously offered elective courses have been revamped and are ready for delivery starting in 2006 (e.g. Conceptual Estimating — look for at least three offerings in 2006).
- Several new elective courses are in development and will be offered in early 2006 (e.g., How to Develop Effective Performance Specifications).
- In an effort to increase the instructor pool and maintain a high standard of quality, the first DBIA instructor workshop was developed and held in Chicago in May 2005. A second workshop is scheduled for early 2006.
- Education program policies and procedures regarding course logistics, on-site coordination, instructor training, course evaluation, and attendee satisfaction have been put into place in an effort to improve the overall quality of our educational offerings.
- Course attendance has increased by more than 100 percent over 2004.
- Persons applying for DBIA designation have increased by 40 percent over the past year.
- DBIA offered five times more course offerings than in 2004.
These accomplishments and the ensuing results have confirmed our belief that education must remain a major focus of DBIA and that every opportunity should be taken to leverage as many DBIA resources toward these educational initiatives as possible. With this aim in mind, DATELINE will feature a column specifically dedicated to sharing some of the knowledge, practical experience, and course content associated with DBIA’s educational programs.
Starting in August, First Principles will present and discuss a few slides depicting several key topics covered in the various courses. Each month one of our expert instructors will highlight relevant aspects of the design-build process and hopefully pique discussion and generate a forum for thought and information. In this effort we will further support one of our primary goals — to lead the industry in design-build education and training.
Information on all DBIA courses and registration procedures may be found on this web site.
Dr. Barbara Jackson is a Professor of Construction Management in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA. She also serves as Chair of DBIA’s Education Committee.