Current initiatives taking place globally are encouraging a quality, partnership movement with the need to move away from the historic notion that 'the cheapest quote is necessarily the best one'. 'Best value for the life of the building' encourages the use of an organisation that will manage its operations efficiently; employ and manage competent, satisfactory staff and contractors; comply with industry and safety regulations and Best Practice, and deliver first class service to customers.

The Chartered Building Company and Consultancy Schemes (CBCs) aim to offer exactly such excellence: their status cannot be bought, and rigorous qualification requirements are in place for the executive directors, who are then in turn encouraged to see to the continuous development of their staff at all levels.

Membership of the CBC Schemes, and therefore the right for a firm to call itself a Chartered Building Company or Consultancy, depends on the composition of its executive board or partnership. A formula based around numbers of corporate members of the CIOB together with qualified members of other relevant chartered institutions, will ensure that the firm will be managed with proven academic and industrial skills and experience.