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In April 2009, the National Research Council (NRC) engaged a consulting firm to conduct a business review of the Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC). The goal was to seek input from a cross-section of stakeholder groups to help ensure the continued success of this evaluation service, whose role is to help building construction products gain regulatory and market acceptance. The study’s findings will be considered by NRC management to set the future direction for the Centre.

Background

CCMC has earned a solid reputation for its national evaluation service over the past twenty years. The many changes that have taken place during that time, in both industry and regulatory environments across Canada, necessitated a review to determine if the service was still meeting needs and expectations. These changes included the advent of green products, the concept of sustainability and pressures to increase energy efficiency.

Activities

The consulting firm, Montreal-based Brio Conseils, reviewed the Centre’s current business practices and solicited input from stakeholders. A project team consisting of manufacturing representatives, provincial and municipal regulators, NRC staff, and the Chair of the Canadian Commission on Construction Materials Evaluation oversaw the firm’s activities, verified findings and provided guidance.

Brio Conseils prepared a comprehensive overview of expectations and how they were being met. It conducted an environmental scan to identify the Centre’s strengths and weaknesses as well as the changes in the industry and regulatory environments that were having an impact on its operations. Consultations took place with industry and the regulatory community in fall 2009 and a final report was delivered in spring 2010.

Final report

The final report shows that a majority of users are satisfied with CCMC services. Respondents, however, identified four key issues that need to be addressed. They involve misconceptions regarding CCMC’s role and services; a poorly understood evaluation process that is perceived as taking too long; dissatisfaction with response times and follow-ups; and building officials’ use of evaluation reports.

The report recommends reviewing the evaluation process to confirm that it is meeting the changing demands of today’s construction sector and to eliminate confusion over listings and reports as well as the role and process of re-evaluations. It also suggests that the CCMC consider recognizing other organizations that provide evaluation services.

Improvements to the evaluation and decision-making process were also recommended. These included clearly defining expectations in terms of timeframe, cost and quality. Risk management and conflict resolution could be improved, and a simpler evaluation for low-risk products considered (such as fast-tracking). Other suggestions included expanding the use of external resources and placing more emphasis on internal peer review and staff cross-training.

The overriding concern, however, was the need to improve communication with stakeholders. Two different approaches were recommended to provide more personalized services: one for manufacturers, who view the CCMC as a service provider, the other for decision makers, who view the centre as a partner. A client care program, as well as one-stop-shop service, could be established for manufacturers, while decision-makers would benefit from a support program that provided clearer documentation and assistance in using the information provided. All stakeholders would profit from a customer-relations approach to enquiries and complaints.

The report concludes by recommending that the CCMC consider expanding its services to encompass energy efficiency, water conservation, green, and sustainability/conservation issues, as these are under development, or consideration, in the National Building Code of Canada. Brio Conseils’ report, and comments from the Canadian Commission on Construction Materials Evaluation, are being considered by NRC management.

View the final report, April 28, 2010 (PDF - 3.7 MB)

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