The International Code Council (ICC) and the International Building Quality Centre (IBQC) announced the release of the latest in a series of good practice building regulation documents published by the IBQC. The document, Good Practice Building Inspector Guidelines for Emerging Economies (“Inspector Guidelines”) focuses on the role of building inspectors in emerging economies, with an understanding that the role played by building inspectors in each emerging economy is unique yet critical. The Inspector Guidelines are designed as a tool to help policymakers establish fit-for-purpose inspection regimes and to define the core competencies and associated training needed for building inspectors.

“Independent verification of building design and construction is a crucial component in a building regulatory system, and whether inspectors are independent or employed by a government entity, it is essential for them to have the training and tools that enable them to effectively enforce the regulations adopted in their jurisdiction,” said Judy Zakreski, ICC vice president of Global Services, who also chaired the IBQC working group that developed the Inspector Guidelines. “Just as a ‘one size fits all’ approach to building regulation is unlikely to be successful particularly in countries with significant non-engineered and informal construction, the role of building inspectors likewise needs to be fit-for-purpose.”

The Inspector Guidelines were developed over the course of several months by a committee consisting of IBQC board members with expertise in building regulatory systems, inspector training and certification programs, and emerging economy contexts, along with several outside experts that had combined decades of experience in technical training and international development programs. The work was supported by the Code Council, University of Canberra, University College London, and the University of Nairobi.

“The Inspector Guidelines represent another innovative contribution by the IBQC to the building regulatory systems in emerging economies,” said Adjunct Professor Kim Lovegrove, IBQC chair and senior construction lawyer with Lovegrove and Cotton Lawyers. “Building regulation in emerging economies is an extraordinarily difficult topic to address effectively, and the series of guidelines published by the IBQC are filling a critical need.”

The Good Practice Building Inspector Guidelines for Emerging Economies is a complementary document to the IBQC publication, Good Practice Guidelines for the Development of Building Regulations in Low Income Countries, which was released in April 2021.

Both documents are available, along with the other IBQC publications, as free downloads from the IBQC website.