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Selection
Criteria for the Award
1] Each nominated innovation is judged on its effect upon the
construction process. It can be an innovation in the
construction process itself or in materials, design,
equipment, detailing, contract administration, labor
relations, management, training, procurement, etc. that
improve the construction process. A project can be
nominated for its innovative concepts or methods.
2] The innovation must be a proven success. It must have
had a positive, important effect on construction, to improve
quality or reduce cost. Innovation is the
implementatioin of new methods and technologies. It is
not merely an idea that has merit and may be successful in the
future. It must promote good, acceptable construction
practices.
3] The
innovation must be a significant advance, not just a natural
evolution of existing methods, common sense, or good practice.
4] The
innovation must be documentable and presentable.
Innovators and their employers must disclose sufficient
information about the innovation to allow documentation for
the Jury and an informative presentation at the Construction
Innovation Celebration.
About The
Construction Innovation Forum
The Construction Innovation Forum (CIF) is a non-profit
oranization founded in 1986 by a group of concerned industry
leaders seeking to improve quality and reduce the cost of
construction. The CIF's sole purpose is to identify and
honor the innovations tha thave demonstrated a substantial
contribution and to improve the industry.
The NOVA Award was created by the CIF to
recognize individuals, corporations, or other organization
whose innovative work deserves the recognition in the
industry. Individuals in the construction industry are
encouraged to submit nominations for recognition of such
work. Once a year, a panel of distinguished industry
experts reviews these nominations and selects some to receive
the NOVA Award.
The inspiration for the NOVA Awards came
from a major construction industry study sponsored by the
Business Roundtable (BR) - an association of the CEO's of the
country's largest corporations. That study, the
Construction Industry Cost Effectiveness (CICE) project,
involved more than 250 representatives from owners,
contractors, and construction industry organizations.
The CICE team published 23 separate reports on specific
problem areas in construction, the first extensive analysis of
construction practice and its impact on productivity
ever performed in the U.S. by private industry. Among
hundreds of observations and conclusions reached in this
unique study one surprising statistic stands out:
productivity in the U.S. construction industry declined by
nearly 20 percent in the preceding 20 years.
Construction was the only sector of the economy that
registered consistent productivity declines every year between
1965 and 1985.
The causes for the decline cited in the
CICE reports included: outdated management techniques,
inefficient labor practices, and entrenched adversarial
relationships between the industry's many segments. But
a significant common thread that runs through many findings
presented in the CICE reports is the slow pace of innovation
at every level of the construction industry.
The Construction Innovation Forum, through
its cross-industry membership and its diversified base of
endorsements and financial support, is in itself an innovative
catalyst that is bringing the highly decentralized
construction industry together to draw international
recognition to its innovative achievements so they may prosper
and multiply.
You do not have to be a member of the CIF
to submit a nomination for the NOVA Award. Self
nominations are welcomed.
Membership in the CIF is open to any member
of the construction industry. Our current membership
includes:
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Corporate
owners who purchase construction services
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Government
agencies and departments
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Schools and
universities, and their faculty
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Research
Institutions
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Architects
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Engineers
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Industry
Consultants
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Contractors/Construction
Managers
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Specialty
Contractors
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Industry
Associations
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Labor
Organizations
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Suppliers
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