Specifying Practice Group: January 2010 Archives

Today I had the honor of hosting the first meeting for CSI's Specifying Practice Group. Nearly 200 people have joined the group and over 70 participated in the first meeting. CSI staff commented that this is an excellent turnout. If you missed it, you may still join the group by registering at http://bit.ly/8ZdfJK. Once registered you will receive notices of future meetings.

The topic, MasterFormat™ 2004, drew the crowd because the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) announced that, effective January 1, 2010, the 1995 edition of the industry standard format would no longer be supported. By removing all support, CSI is encouraging the industry-wide adoption of the current standard - already celebrating its fifth birthday, so it is hardly new anymore.

CSI's MasterFormat Maintenance Task Team will be publishing the first of the future annual updates in February 2010. The update will include new section numbers and titles requested by users to ensure the document remains current with industry trends and general usage. Any interested party can submit requests for revisions or additions to MasterFormat by visiting http://masterformat.com.

The discussion during the group meeting was delightful. We heard success stories and difficulties with unyielding bureaucratic government agencies. Groups and individuals turned MasterFormat 2004 into an educational opportunity to improve relations with their consultants, clients, and other industry associations. We learned how one government agency Port of Portland lead the way in adopting and implementing MasterFormat 2004.

For notes of the first meeting, visit the CSI Blog at http://blog.csinet.org.

The first meeting is history, my butterflies are gone, my recalcitrant mouse will be replaced. So, mark your calendar, for the first Thursday of each month. Join the Discussion. I invite everyone to attend. This is not just for specifiers.

Here is the presentation that helped spur the discussion. Scroll through using the arrow button below and share your comments here.