In 2023, 1315 administrative documents were filed in the Register of Building Managers maintained by the State Construction Control Bureau (SCCB), an increase of 3.7 times compared to 2022.
Most of them, 762, were notifications about updating details. During the reporting period, 482 building managers requested access to 12,533 apartment buildings. This rapid increase is because of the requirement for apartment building managers to keep the files of their buildings in digital format via the Building Information System (BIS), starting from 1 March 2023.
‘Although for a building manager, keeping the building file is additional work, it is also an opportunity for them to achieve transparency and to ensure access to historical documents whenever building managers change. This is particularly important for building owners, as it enables them to keep track of their building’s financial data, inspection assignments, surveys and general meetings, and raise issues that are important to them,’ said head of the SCCB, Svetlana Mjakuškina.
In 2023, in order to reduce the use of paper documents, updates took place in the online services of the Register of Building Managers, improving the upload feature for the list of buildings managed and introducing a single contract file that can be added to the list of ‘non-transferred buildings’. Other BIS improvements also took place: the Register of Construction Merchants switched from using a secure electronic signature to a system signature, making it easier to use online services and leading to a sharp increase in the number of applications for the registration of construction merchants and for changes in their details. Of the 453 applications received digitally, 306 were received after the change of the signature method. It is also worth mentioning that construction merchants have a duty to submit annual information via the BIS online service.
Since the system’s user module for construction authorities and supervisory institutions was developed 10 years ago and its technology foundation and visual design were outdated, a new tech solution was developed to replace it. It resulted in quicker processing and decision-making and changes in the visual design. The default consent principle for the issuing of permits, marks, and approvals was introduced, with the automation of the supervision of decisions and deadlines, the automation of cadastral surveying of buildings for simplified devices, and the automation of the process for determining and changing jurisdiction.
A new BIS website design as well as content management environment were developed. The new design offers a convenient, logical, and easy-to-search layout of information, as well as user quality-of-life tools (calendar, quick surveys, new FAQ section, etc.). Operating and, partially, building file functions were added to the BIS Mobile app, giving the user more convenient access to building file records.
In 2023, the SCCB conducted construction control at 479 sites. The Bureau began the supervision of construction work at 157 new sites, and 205 sites were commissioned. Last year, 719 building inspection reports were issued as part of construction control. Violations were found in 200 cases. In 23 cases, decisions were adopted to suspend construction across the entirety of the site, and in 2 cases, within a part of the site. The reasons for the suspensions were mainly due to discoveries of deviations from the construction design, and due to contractual disputes between the construction parties. 3 decisions were also made permitting the suspension of construction following applications by construction proponents.
In 2023, the Bureau improved the criteria for checking structure inspection reports and the principle of controlling compliance with instructions in BIS, improving the overall quality of construction control activities, including the continuous assessment of the quality control systems implemented at the construction site through the Bureau’s expert reports.
Measurements were carried out at 167 sites, including 80 cases of instrument quality control of concrete structures (deficiencies found at 4 sites), 59 cases of quality control of steel structures (deficiencies found at 2 sites), 13 cases of quality control of timber structures (deficiencies found at 1 site), and no deficiencies were found as part of the quality control of masonry structures, foundation structures, steel and concrete composite structures, and aluminium structures.
In late 2023, information about 256 main construction contractors, 8262 subcontractor contracts, 636 construction sites, and 139,331 workers at construction sites was registered in the single electronic working time database (VEDLUDB).
351 physical inspections were carried out as part of the supervision of the operation of public buildings last year. The results of the initial inspections carried out by the Bureau show that 40 (9%) of the buildings were in a hazardous failure or pre-failure state, with the Bureau adopting a decision to prohibit their operation. 44 (10%) of the buildings inspected were in excellent or good condition, while 265 (81%) were in need of safety improvements. A year earlier, the need for safety improvements was identified significantly less often: in only 35% of cases. The increase is due to the introduction of an algorithm that determines the risk level: buildings at higher risk undergo inspections first.
In 129 cases (37%) the building owners had not carried out regular technical inspections. According to the standard, group two and three public buildings commissioned before 1 October 2014 that have not undergone a technical inspection within the last 10 years, must be inspected by 31 October 2024.
741 administrative inspections were carried out, including 293 decisions for the prevention of hazardous and unauthorised construction, and follow-up checks were performed for 448 administrative documents, with the SCCB issuing 34 warnings. In 55 cases, it was found that an administrative document had not been complied with within the deadline and enforcement proceedings were initiated. In 158 administrative cases, the building owners complied with the requirements of the decision, thereby improving the safety of their buildings or eliminating the consequences of unauthorised construction.
Exercising its function as a construction authority, the Bureau adopted 61 decisions for the construction of buildings for the needs of the Ministry of the Interior and institutions subordinate to it, which are fully or partially located within the zone of the national border, its patrolling zone, and the border sign supervision zone. 291 decisions were taken on the construction of buildings necessary for the needs of the Ministry of Defence, institutions subordinate to it, or the National Armed Forces, and 5 decisions were taken on the construction of power transmission lines with the status of a site of national interest. As part of the review of construction plan documentation, 46 building structure solutions were assessed in depth.
In 2023, 10 applications for the award of a construction expert certificate were received, of which 4 were in the building expert review specialisation. 5 decisions were made to award a construction practice certificate. There was 1 decision to award a permit to provide temporary professional services as a construction expert to a foreign specialist. 13 complaints were received about alleged professional misconduct by construction specialists. The review of 4 of these cases has been completed, finding that the construction experts did not commit professional misconduct in them, while 9 cases are still pending.
A survey of certified construction specialists was conducted in 2023 to assess the quality of the services provided by the SCCB Construction Specialist Certification Division (CSCD). 60 certified construction specialists took part in the survey, and overall, CSCD’s services were rated higher than in 2022 when the average rating was 4.17 out of five, rising to 4.33 in 2023.
In order to improve the certification system for construction experts, a new examination procedure was developed, expanding the content of the exam papers with an in-depth analysis of a practical situation.
In 2023, the SCCB received an award as the top Latvian institution out of 115 in the Efficiency of Internal Processes category of MEPRD’s E-Index initiative. The Bureau took 3rd place in the Customer Service and Support and Open Data Accessibility categories. SCCB won bronze in the assessment of government institutions as part of Sustainability Index 2023 organised by the Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility Institute (InCSR). The 2023 digitisation report of the Consortium of European Building Control (CEBC) highlighted Latvia as the only one out of the 17 CEBC countries to have conducted the administrative process in construction exclusively in electronic form since 2020, with paper format no longer accepted for new construction plans.
