Women in Construction Adjudication Scholarship Winners
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16 May 2024
RICS is committed to fostering greater diversity in the construction adjudication sector, and is advocating for greater representation of women in adjudication roles. In recent years, there has been a gradual rise in the number of women undertaking the RICS Diploma in Adjudication, an essential qualification for inclusion on the RICS Panel of Adjudicators. Whilst this progress is encouraging, women adjudicators still constitute a minority. According to a 2022 study of the UK’s construction dispute resolution sector by King’s College London (KCL), just under 8% of adjudicators are women.
To address this imbalance, RICS has committed to an annual industry scholarship intended to cultivate talent and diversity within alternative dispute resolution roles in the construction industry. The scholarship will grant one individual the opportunity to enrol on the RICS Diploma in Adjudication.
This annual scholarship is designed to empower women already working in the construction field, offering the opportunity to pursue their aspirations in dispute resolution and adjudication. It is a commitment from RICS to encourage greater diversity amongst those studying for adjudication, and to help cultivate a more inclusive adjudication landscape.
An esteemed panel of judges - Amanda Clack, Louise Brook-Smith and Matt Molloy - reviewed over 30 applications and whittled them down to 5. The remaining 5 were asked to submit an essay on a topic of their choice based on the role and/or the challenges women face in the construction sector.
Upon receiving the completed essays, the panel then interviewed the remaining 5 candidates to try to choose a winner.
Due to the high calibre of candidates, in this inaugural year, RICS DRS are pleased to announce the joint winners of the RICS DRS Women in Construction Scholarship:
Victoria Clapp
Victoria Clapp is the Technical Principal for Cost, Commercial and Quantity Surveying (CCQ) at Mott MacDonald, a global engineering, management and development consultancy. She is a Fellow of the Royal Institute for Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and member of the RICS Matrics UK Board. A finalist in the RICS Young Surveyor of the Year (2022), she strives to shape best practice and has a unquenching passion for promoting our profession and supporting the next generation of surveyors. With lived experience of neurodiversity, she co-leads the RICS Matrics UK board strategy for equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).
Published date: 16 May 2024
Iona Morrison
Iona is a senior project manager at AECOM based in the Edinburgh team. Her current primary role involves managing a multidisciplinary team to execute airfield refurbishment projects across the defence sector in the UK. Previously she has administered several JCT contracts across the private sector.
Iona is passionate about promoting and supporting diversity within the construction industry. Within AECOM she is the ED&I Champion for Scotland as well as being a member of the Gender Alliance Employee Resource Group. Iona is also the founder and chair of the Scotland Women's Network; a network designed to facilitate connections among women across all disciplines at AECOM.
Iona strives to become a role model for younger generations to demonstrate that the construction industry can offer a wide range of exciting opportunities for both professional and personal development.
Published date: 16 May 2024
