PBQP-H is theme of presentation at Construction Congress

The challenge of reducing the country’s housing deficit has prompted the Brazilian government to develop a program of quality and productivity for social-interest housing

The ‘Programa Brasileiro da Qualidade e Produtividade do Habitat’ (PBQP-H  - Brazilian Program for Quality and Productivity of Habitat) was created in 1991 by the Federal Government of Brazil for the purpose of organizing the sector of construction around two main issues: improving the quality of habitats and modernization of habitat production. From then until now, the program has established itself as one of the main tools for the dissemination of new concepts in the quality, management and organization of production, and is today one of the mainstays of the government's “Minha Casa, Minha Vida” (My Home, My Life) housing program. Today there are already 3,200 certified builders. The theme will be the focus of the presentation to be given by (Ms) Maria Salette de Carvalho Weber - coordinator general of the PBQP-H program at the Construction Congress which is held concurrently within Construction Expo 2013.

The ‘Sistema de Avaliação da Conformidade de Empresas de Serviços e Obras da Construção Civil’ or SiAC (System for Assessment of Conformity of Service and Civil Construction Works Companies), a norm which is part of the PBQP-H, aims to evaluate the conformity of Quality Management Systems at levels suited to the specific characteristics of companies in the sector of civil construction services and works, aiming to contribute to the development of quality in the sector. It is suitable for companies of all sizes that operate in the execution of works and preparation of projects for public and private companies. The PBQP-H SiAC certificate is a prerequisite demanded by institutions such as the Caixa Economica Federal and other banks for granting housing development loans. Some state governments and city halls require the PBQP-H SiAC certificate for participation by companies in tender bidding. In the following interview, Maria Salette de Carvalho Weber reveals in advance some points that will be covered.

Revista Grandes Construções – What was the main contribution made by the PBQP- H for the dissemination of quality practices in construction?

Maria Salette - The program contributed to the modernization of the sector, making it more competitive and providing a social gain by producing solutions with better quality and lower cost, helping to reduce the housing deficit, especially in the production of social interest housing, in particular the Federal Government’s “Minha Casa, Minha Vida” (PMCMV) program.

GC – What are the main steps for a construction company to qualify for and receive certification under the ‘Sistema de Avaliação da Conformidade de Empresas de Serviços e Obras da Construção Civil’ (SiAC - System for Assessment of Conformity of Service and Civil Construction Works Companies)?

Maria Salette - Companies must apply for admission to the ‘Sistema de Avaliação da Conformidade de Empresas de Serviços e Obras’ - SiAC. This system has an evolving character and establishes progressive levels of conformity assessment (level of membership and levels of certification A and B), according to which a construction company’s systems for management of quality are evaluated and classified. Companies interested in levels "B" or "A" must have Certificates of Compliance that shall only be considered valid if issued by an ‘Organismo de Avaliação da Conformidade’ (OAC - Conformity Assessment Body) accredited by INMETRO (a list of OACs is available at the INMETRO website). The Level of Admission may be useful for the company to improve its quality management system, since it shall have twelve months to prepare for one of the certification levels.

GC – How long is it estimated to take to get certified and what is the process for the certification of companies like?

Maria Salette – The time required for certification at levels "B" or "A" can be four months, on the average, depending on whether the construction company already has a system of quality management and on the capacity of the OAC that the company has hired to handle its request. The process occurs through audits that verify the application of the regulatory requirements of the system both in the office and at the work site. The validity of a certificate is 12 months and it may be reissued after conducting supervisory audits. After 36 months (the end of the certification cycle) recertification should be applied for.

GC – How many companies have adhered to the program? Can you state the number and classification of construction companies and other manufacturers of products or providers of services?

Maria Salette – Presently, the number of construction companies with certification and adherence to the SiAC is approximately 3,200 companies, classified according to their level of certification. It is worth mentioning that the majority of these companies (67%) are at the highest level of SiAC certification (level "A"). As regards manufacturers of materials and components for construction that participate in the System for Qualification of Material, Component and Building Systems Companies - SiMaC, there are approximately 450 manufacturing companies in activity.

GC – What are the most outstanding benefits for companies that have adhered and for society?

Maria Salette – Companies that joined the SiAC, in addition to having access to a System for Quality Management that is specific for construction companies, can obtain funding from the Caixa Econômica Federal and Banco do Brazil to build housing projects under the "Minha Casa, Minha Vida" Program. In the case of manufacturers of materials and components, the BNDES (National Development Bank) allows the registration of the products made by qualified companies in the SiMaC for sales using the BNDES CARD. That way, everybody wins, including society which will enjoy a habitat of greater quality and that is more sustainable.

GC- Can you point out any improvements in civil construction in the post-PBQP-H Era?

Maria Salette – We can underscore the following improvements, among which are: Co-accountability of the private sector. The partnership with the private sector enabled the government to get the sector to commit more strongly to ensuring quality. The mechanism of control exerted by society and by the various stakeholders of the supply chain of construction was consolidated. There has been greater integration of academia with the supply chain to create mechanisms for regulation of the sector regarding the quality of services and materials. Greater capillarity has been enabled for the PBQP-H through partnerships with the private sector and other government programs. In addition, we created a channel of communication with the sector that legitimizes the results achieved by PBQP-H. Finally, we emphasize the importance that the program has gained with the government's anti-cyclical measures and civil construction in this latter period with the Program for Acceleration of Growth (PAC) and the "Minha Casa, Minha Vida" Program (PMCMV).

GC – What were the most latent problems/difficulties of the market or the most problematic sector?

Maria Sallete – Besides the issue of a quantitative deficit in housing and precarious urban infrastructure, there was a deficiency in the quality of the projects for the construction of social-interest housing which resulted in unsatisfactory solutions and low durability, contributing both to the waste of raw materials and to degradation of the environment.

GC – How is technology evolving in Brazilian construction today as a result even of the boom in construction that the country experienced with the ‘Programa Bolsa Família’ (Family Living Allowance Program)?

Maria Salette – Considering that the sector experienced a period of over two decades without major investments in housing and infrastructure, today the sector of construction faces the challenge of evolving technologically to meet the demands and targets set by the Federal Government. In order to contribute to this development and industrialization, the PBQP-H implemented the “Sistema Nacional de Avaliação Técnica de Produtos Inovadores” (SiNAT- National System for Technical Evaluation of Innovative Products) whose main objective is to “minimize the use of products without a prior technical assessment that can identify any incidental issues regarding the suitability of the product and development needs before its use on a large scale or even to prevent the use of solutions with design flaws that could generate significant ‘pathological’ problems”, especially in the “Minha Casa, Minha Vida” program.

GC – Is any reformulation foreseen?

Maria Salette – Reformulations occur as the need for adjustments to new realities emerge. With this objective, the PBQP-H promotes regular meetings with representatives of the entire production chain at the ‘Comitê Nacional de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico da Habitação’ (CTECH – National Committee for Technological Development in Housing), a forum that is part of the organizational structure of the SNH/M for cities (National Secretariat of Housing/ State Department of Cities). As an example, we can cite the regimens of SiAC and SiMAC that, during 2012, were improved so as to respond to the demands of the sector and adjust the reference documents of these systems to the current reality.

GC - Construction Expo intends to gather companies and participants to discuss technology. Is it important to participate in an event like this? Why?

Maria Salette – We consider our participation in Construction Expo 2013 very important since it’s an event that will feature the participation of various segments of the business chain of civil construction; an environment conducive for us to elucidate our systems and so that we can learn about promote the use of new technologies, besides allowing exchanges  of experience thereby contributing to our mission of inducing improvements in the quality, productivity and sustainability of the sector.

GC – Is there any partnering with universities or sector associations?

Maria Salette – Yes, partnering with public and private actors is what we consider the great virtue and success in meeting the objectives of the PBQP-H, since the task of raising the level of quality and productivity in the sector of construction is incumbent on all of society, and the isolated action of government has its limitations. I’d underscore that universities, via their professionals with acknowledged competence in the area of quality and productivity of the construction sector and who are members of the ‘Grupo de Assessoramento Técnico’ (GAT - Technical Advisory Group) have contributed a lot in the formulation of suggestions for improvement of the functioning of the various systems in the Program. Sector associations play a relevant role, especially in combating systematic non-compliance in relation to Brazilian technical standards in the manufacturing, importation and distribution of materials, components and building systems for civil construction through the maintenance of ‘Programas Setoriais da Qualidade’ (PSQs - Sector Quality Programs) registered in the PBQP-H.

GC – What sort of future can we expect for the sector of civil construction in view of so many market, technological and financial reformulations?

Maria Salette – We can expect a promising future for the sector of civil construction since this period of major investments in housing and infrastructure, coupled with the bold goals set by the Federal Government, is conducive to investments in technological innovations that could propel it toward an environment of increasing competitive equality, industrialization and sustainable development. The mandatory compliance with the standard ‘ABNT NBR 15.575:2013 - Performance of Buildings’ will also have a strategic role to play in the sector’s process of evolution since it will bring greater commitment to quality and performance of Brazilian homes, providing greater user satisfaction and contributing positively to the actions implemented by the PBQP-H

GC -  Does the issue of labor have any place in this debate?

Maria Salette – Yes, the qualification of the workforce is now one of the major challenges for the Brazilian construction industry, not only for those professionals who are already in the market, but also for professionals who will enter this sector due to the current shortage of qualified professionals. In that direction, the PBQP-H has developed a proposal for a specific system for training and certification of labor: the ‘Sistema Nacional de Capacitação e Certificação Profissional’ (Sicap - National System for Training and Professional Certification) for the qualification of professionals working in civil construction. Sicap's proposal was developed in collaboration with the sector’s members and academia, the MTE (Ministry of Labor and Employment) and Labor Unions. Other initiatives are being considered and will certainly be very positive for the development of a proposal that contributes to comprehensive professional qualification in the sector of construction.

GC – What steps should be taken by companies that wish to adhere to the program?  Has the internet helped the process in any way?

Maria Salette – Briefly, admission of construction companies to SiAC can be obtained by sending a ‘Declaration of Adherence’ in which the company states that it has a quality management system that is in conformity with the technical specialization for the Execution of Works under the SiAC. Certification Levels "B" and "A" can be obtained through audits, both in the office and at the work site, conducted by OACs accredited by INMETRO. The model of the ‘Declaração de Adesão’ (Declaration of Adherence) and information relating to the systems that make up the PBQP-H - SiAC can be accessed via the Internet at Web Portal:  http://www4.cidades.gov.br/pbqp-h/. In SiMaC for a manufacturer of materials, components and/or building systems to participate in a ‘Programa Setorial da Qualidade’  (PSQ - Sector Quality Program) of the PBQP-H, the manufacturer will have to contact the entity that maintains that program.

To register a new PSQ, there must be a national sector association that represents more than 50% of the volume of production of the target product to be monitored under the PSQ and a proposal to create the new PSQ must be submitted to the PBQP-H General Coordinator. The basic information for the preparation of the proposal is found in Chapter IV of the General Rules (Regimento Geral) of the SiMaC which is available for download at:          http://www.cidades.gov.br/pbqp-h/download_doc.php

In the SiNAT (National System for Technical Assessment), assessments are divided into two stages. In stage one, the ITA conducts the assessment of the project and testing using the criteria and methods defined in SINAT Guideline for the issuance of a ‘Relatório Técnico de Avaliação’ (RTA -Technical Assessment Report.) In stage two, audits are carried out to verify the procedures for quality control in the production process. Finally, a ‘Documento de Avaliação Técnica’ (DATec - Technical Evaluation Document) is prepared to be evaluated by the members of the SiNAT. Both the Guidelines and the DATec’s that have already been published are also available for download at: http://www.cidades.gov.br/pbqp-h/download_doc.php.

Maria Salette de Carvalho Weber, Coordinator general of the ‘Programa Brasileiro de Qualidade e Produtividade do Habitat’ - PBQP-H