Professional Certification Program a great success.The merits of the New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. Department of Buildings' self-certification program have been challenged recently. Critics have called the investigation of an architect accused of repeatedly abusing the honor system honor system n. A set of procedures under which persons, especially students or prisoners, are trusted to act without direct supervision in situations that might allow for dishonest behavior. Noun 1. a failure of the program. To understand why they are wrong, you first have to know how the program works. The Professional Certification Professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply certification or qualification, is a designation earned by a person to assure that he/she is qualified to perform a job or task. program began in 1995 as a way for registered architects and professional engineers to self-certify that their plans comply with all zoning laws and the building code. The program has slashed the approval process for new buildings from months to just a few days. I have been a strong proponent One who offers or proposes. A proponent is a person who comes forward with an a item or an idea. A proponent supports an issue or advocates a cause, such as a proponent of a will. PROPONENT, eccl. law. of the program from its beginning. It has sped development in a city desperate for additional construction. It saves taxpayer money and enables the Department to handle new applications in a timely manner. Saving Time In New York City, obtaining a work permit begins with the pre-filing of an application in one of the five borough offices of the Department of Buildings. The application must include the plans; "approvals" from the other agencies such as Landmarks, DEP DEP Deposit DEP Deputy DEP Department of Environmental Protection DEP Dependent DEP Departure DEP Depot DEP Deposition DEP deployed (US DoD) DEP Data Execution Prevention (computer security) and the Transit Authority; the required forms and a graduated filing fee. The Department uploads the information into its Buildings Information System. Under the normal system, a plan examiner reviews the application to make sure it complies with regulations; this process can easily take three or four months. By contrast, under the Professional Certification process (which must be elected at pre-filing), the application will be approved at the time of data entry, assuming all of the materials are complete and accurate. Pre-Consideration When a question of interpretation of the building code arises, the Department advises architects and engineers to submit a pre-consideration, prior to the application. For fans of courtroom television dramas, pre-consideration is similar to asking a judge for a ruling on an obscure legal issue. You make an argument for your interpretation and a Deputy Commissioner makes a ruling, giving a clear explanation of how the code should in fact be interpreted. For architects, it is much safer to seek pre-consideration prior to finalizing construction documents and breaking ground. In the worst case, doing otherwise creates the possibility that the design may have to be changed after construction has been completed. That is a grave financial risk for the building owner and a serious risk to the reputation of the architect, as well. Enforcement To prevent abuse of the self-certification honor system, the Department audits approximately 20 percent of all professionally certified See certification. applications within ten days of submission. These audits can make an IRS An abbreviation for the Internal Revenue Service, a federal agency charged with the responsibility of administering and enforcing internal revenue laws. audit look superficial by comparison. The Department also has the right to thoroughly investigate anyone suspected of consistently violating the program. There are no long-term incentives for cheating the certification program. Any repeat violator will almost certainly be caught in the regular auditing and review process. The consequences of this can include losing the ability to self-certify, critical damage to one's professional reputation; coping with lawsuits filed by building owners and paying a significant fine. Rule 21 The Department has recently proposed a new rule to further tighten the noose around the necks of those who abuse the. program. The strict statute would revoke To annul or make void by recalling or taking back; to cancel, rescind, repeal, or reverse. revoke v. to annul or cancel an act, particularly a statement, document, or promise, as if it no longer existed. self certification privileges of architects who show ignorance of the building laws, submit plans that were not prepared under their own supervision, demonstrate incompetence in·com·pe·tence or in·com·pe·ten·cy n. 1. The quality of being incompetent or incapable of performing a function, as the failure of the cardiac valves to close properly. 2. , knowingly make false or misleading statements, falsify falsify, v to forge; to give a false appearance to anything, as to falsify a record. any application or form, are convicted of a criminal offence which arose out .of their professional occupation, or show poor moral character. The furthest reaching element of the new rule requires "disciplinary action" whenever the Department issues two 10-day notifications within a six-month period: These actins promise to ensnare many well meaning but. busy firms who regularly file dozens of applications. Scandal = Success The Department of Buildings is currently investigating an architect whom it accuses of abusing the self-certification process in plans for 25 apartment buildings in Brooklyn, reports The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times. Some call this a black eye for the self-certification program and a reason to abolish it. They are mistaken. Just as the criminal justice system can only prosecute after accusations that a crime has been committed, the Department of Buildings can only take action on abuses after the fact. Whether or not this particular architect is vindicated, the investigation proves the system works. If potential abuses were not pursued, we would have a failure capable of bringing down the system. But the prudent investigation of possible wrongdoing wrong·do·er n. One who does wrong, especially morally or ethically. wrong  do ? That is a matter
for celebration.
DAVID David, in the Bible David, d. c.970 B.C., king of ancient Israel (c.1010–970 B.C.), successor of Saul. The Book of First Samuel introduces him as the youngest of eight sons who is anointed king by Samuel to replace Saul, who had been deemed a failure. MANDL PRESIDENT MELTZER/MANDL ARCHITECTS, P.C. |
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