Annual Report 2005 - The Office of Public Works

Following a request to the Office of Public Works to provide additional facilities to meet
the Government decision to recruit 2000 extra Gardai, Architectural Services responded
with an accelerated design and construction programme. These buildings were
substantially completed in 2005 in record time from initiation of the E20m project to the
facility becoming fully operational.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
An analysis of CPD staff records was carried out as part of the comprehensive ISO Audit of
Architectural Services in December 2005. It was noted that individual staff member’s
average annual CPD training for 2005 stood at 34 hours. This exceeded the 2004 figure of
28 hours and the base CPD annual target of 25 hours.
Training days per staff member rose from three and a half days in 2004 to four and a half
days in 2005.
The CPD Programme continued in 2005 with training and other events including:
• Participation by selected Architectural staff at Planning & Design for Heritage
Development Seminar in association with the DoE.
• Series of lectures and RIAI approved refresher courses for selected staff, on Health
and Safety and Planning Legislation.
• Safepass accreditation for an additional 45 staff members including the Graduate
Architects.
• Seminars and day courses for individual staff members on Fire Safety in Historic
buildings, Conservation Engineering, Historic Roofs and Conservation Repair Renders
in association with the Dublin Civic Trust and the Irish Georgian Society.
• Participation by selected Architectural staff at Historic Gardens Conference in Dublin
Castle
• Participation by selected staff at Historic Houses of Ireland Annual Conference.
• Legal briefing on the Health and Safety at Work Act 2005.
• A further 12 permanent staff members were trained as Access Auditors under the
University of Ulster programme.
• Senior Architectural management staff attended conferences relating to, European
Environmental Policy, Public Affairs Conference on Decentralisation, Strategic
Environmental Assessment.
• Training in BREEAM Assessment for offices, was received by selected Architectural
Staff at the Building Research Establishment in Watford, England.
• Companies who had appropriate RIAI or RIBA accreditation gave a variety of
Technical and Trade Powerpoint presentations to Architectural staff throughout 2005.
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