Indigenous Building Knowledge Exchange (IBKE)
Indigenous Building Knowledge Exchange (IBKE) was developed to address the needs for knowledge transfer services to Councils or individuals working on new or renovation construction projects in First Nations communities. Over the years, FNNBOA found there are large demands for an organization to deliver know-how and guidance to Indigenous communities in the construction of new or existing buildings. IBKE was introduced as a pilot project to address these many of these challenges.
The objectives of IBKE are as follows:
Provide build knowledge and capacity to Indigenous communities who seek or want any guidance or assistance to ensure construction project functions.
Provide expertise in construction knowledge, capacity and risk.
Facilitate the construction knowledge process.
Share information, abilities, and ideas among the Indigenous communities.
Encourage construction innovation.
Identify and collect knowledge on construction projects and establish a best practice inventory.
Deliver valuable knowledge and feedback on the construction systems that have the potential to create problems for the communities during construction.
Provide impartial narrative reports (if required) especially where “politics” become involved in the decision making for construction contracts.
Offer technical building education workshops and presentations.
Knowledge Transfer of Construction Information
Knowledge transfer of construction information is the process of distributing knowledge that was developed in an organization with one or more specific individuals and transferring that information to Indigenous communities. While knowledge transfer can be informal or formal, it plays an important role to ensure Indigenous communities have the most up to date information and knowledge to successfully build new or renovate homes. Knowledge transfers are important for Indigenous communities as this will help to maintain and ensure homes are built to existing construction best practices, assist with successful housing strategies and ensure efficient use of resources in the construction of homes.
Construction Practices
For the past few decades, serious concerns were voiced about the performance of construction practices in many Indigenous communities. These studies and reports focused on how poor construction practices have resulted in deteriorating and inadequate housing. While the deterioration to the homes is the result of many factors such as overcrowding, the largest contributing factor, is that homes were generally not constructed according to building code and other housing standards. Compromised construction practices are also a contributing factor to moisture in the interior of homes. Rain and moisture are able to penetrate the building envelope while ineffective moisture removal and increased indoor moisture level generated by occupants yield increased moisture levels, which are sufficiently high for mould growth.
The following matrix highlights the challenges that many Indigenous communities generally do not have the capacity nor knowledge to build homes in their communities. When one considers the approximately 650 communities, we generally believe that around 70% of individuals responsible for housing construction projects (generally it is the housing director/Manager) have low experience in the management of construction projects and have low knowledge/capacity of construction practices.
The matrix further shows that homes cannot be sustained (life cycle is about 6 years based on previous FNNBOA study) because many of the people responsible for the construction activities lack the skills, knowledge or capacity.
FNNBOA created IBKE to addresses these major shortcomings and to provide knowledge transfer guidance and services on construction projects.
How does IBKE work?
Knowledge transfer services will be triggered by individuals need for knowledge who are working on a new or renovation construction projects. A written request is made by the individual. Legal forms will be required to protect FNNBOA and the experts from any legal action as the community will always be the authority having jurisdiction.
An individual can contact FNNBOA any time during any the pre-construction (site testing, plan review, tendering etc) and construction and post construction stages asking for knowledge.
Based on the needs and availability, knowledge experts will be assigned to help the community. The knowledge experts will be assigned the specific tasks based on the work (e.g., the knowledge expert will provide the community with 40 hours of expertise). The knowledge expert will then send an invoice to FNNBOA for the work completed. Most importantly, the communities are not charged for these knowledge transfer services.
IBKE Services
IBKE focuses on the following areas for knowledge and guidance activities:
Procurement Guidance: IBKE will provide procurement related information any time during the procurement stages.
Pre-Contract Phase/Preparing the Bid: This includes working with the communities to prepare the bid or the tender (prequalified bidders), ensure competitive pricing, bid solicitation and assessing/rating the bids, review of technical specifications and ensure drawings are signed off by a professional authority.
Contracting Phase: This includes tender/bid evaluation, selection of the bidder and a review of any alternatives or substitutions that the contractor may replace from what was specified in the tender.
Contract Administration Phase: This involves working with the communities to ensure there is a standard construction contract in place (CCDC), the planning of work and timelines are reasonable, issuance of contracts, and to help the community to ensure accountability with the contractor (e.g., follow up on delivery, administer progress payments) and to help with any claims or disputes.
Post-Contract Phase: This includes the file is properly closed, that the community has any holdback for work not completed, final billing, occupancy and reconcile the budget.
Technical Guidance: The program can specifically focus on providing technical support to the communities. This can include the following activities:
Technical plan review to ensure any potential errors, omissions, ambiguities and conflicts with building codes and standards can be identified. The review can also improve plan by providing vital information on noncompliant items, specifications, and alternative design options.
Risk Assessment to help the communities to reduce and avoid risk on new and renovated construction projects.
Building Code Inspection Services: IBKE can provide teleinspection services to communities requiring an inspection on new or renovated building projects for building code and other building standard compliance. FNNBOA would use the teleinspection approach for inspection services, as this is becoming the future to conduct inspection services. The building code inspections services along with the technical specifications review and tendering of contracts are all part and parcel of a compliance framework to ensure homes are built to national building codes and standards. Where asked, IBKE can provide physical or on-site inspections, but the communities will be charged for this professional services accordingly based on fair market value. *1
Barrier free specifications: IBKE can provide expertise in the design of access ramps and to make sure that homes have user-friendly bathrooms. IBKE can provide Council with the capacity and knowledge with respect to accessibility issues related the building.
Renovations Guidance: IBKE will work with Indigenous communities to provide input to any of their renovation plans or actual renovations. This can include procurement of the contractor (e.g., making sure they hold the proper insurances and contracts) to providing teleinspection for the final product. The program can help to identify the challenges and risk associated with any renovation plans or projects.
Radon Gas Initiative (pilot project) *2: IBKE will work with selected communities to address the challenges of radon gas for only new construction. Under this initiative, IBKE will support technical awareness and follow-through on the implementation of the radon prevention aspects of the building code for new construction.
HOT2000 Energy Program Review: IBKE will provide HOT2000 energy program reviews. HOT2000 is an energy simulation and design tool used by architects, builders and energy advisors. Using the HOT2000 Energy Modelling software, the software will create a virtual model of your new or existing home. The HOT2000 can then model how much energy can be saved in your home by implementing our recommendations. For new builds & homes, it can determine the EnerGuide rating for your homes built in First Nations. A service that is imperative especially where energy costs are extremely high.
Contact FNNBOA for IBKE services
IBKE is a pilot project. Several communities have already been identified. However, many of these communities may not use IBKE services for reasons out of their control. FNNBOA will take contact information from communities and individuals who may want any of the IBKE services and if funds are available, we will contact your community. Outreach will be done on a first-come first-served bases.
Please provide the following information - and please add info@fnnboa.ca and admin@fnnboa.ca to your address booke so our email back to you comes through:
If you have any questions, please contact info@fnnboa.ca or call (613) 236-2040 and leave a message. Someone will return your call within 72 hours.
*1 - For on site inspections, based on the estimated cost to conduct an on site inspection, FNNBOA will require a deposit of 80% of the cost.
*2 - As this is a special pilot project, 4 or more regions of the country will be identified.