Posted By Arran Linton - Smith Michael, You have asked a number of questions so I shall base my answers more directly on these. Q1. Do a lot of archicture firms employ CDMC's in house? A. No because the majority of architecture practices are not large enough to sustain an in-house CDM-C presence and the CDM-C business is mainly dominated by large QS practices. Q2. Does anyone have opinions as to how good a learning experience it might be to be employed in house with an architecture firm doing CDM-C. A. In my experience you do really need extensive construction management knowledge and experience in order to influence the design team and others during critical phases of the project. Q3. Also a big proportion of your time should be spent in design meetings, doing what CDMC is all about, as in consultancy work a CDMC is appointed after the significant design work is already done, in my experience 70% of the time. A. In my experience the best CDM-C work is often undertaken outside meetings on a one to one basis. For example we are currently looking at the hazards and risks associated with a swale where there are a number of options. In this case we are looking for the best long-term design option with a possible soft landscaping solution. In my experience I tend to mainly get involved just after the concept stage of the design. Q. On the other hand I fear that such a job could involve the production of tedious and in my opinion un-necessary design risk assessments as the main body of the work? A. I leave the design risk assessment process to the designers to the designers to undertake which leaves us with an opportunity examine and explore and comment on the hazards and risks of their design. Summarising your point, I do feel that the CDM-C being based within a design practice does offer the Client and project team much greater value, however the hard commercial reality is that the CDM-C sale often closed before we even get an opportunity to compete for it.

Posted By CFT Mick Arran's response (IMO) is from an absolute expert in his field and you will be hard pushed to get better information. Sorry Arran if I made you blush;-) CFT