Current Situation and Direction for Perfecting the Provisions on Construction Labor Grading under the Construction Cost Norms System in Conformity with the Labor Market

Abstract

The current construction norm system plays an important role as a key tool for determining and
managing investment costs of public investment projects, thereby contributing to improving the efficiency of
capital use. At the same time, the norm system also serves as a reference in determining and managing costs
of projects using non-public investment capital and other sources of funding.
Based on the review and evaluation of the application of norms, it has been found that the system still reveals
a number of shortcomings, such as: certain unit cost allowances do not adequately cover the expenses
required for implementation; the cost norms do not fully reflect commonly used construction technologies
and methods; the norms fail to account for changes in executed quantities; some norms do not clearly specify
the conditions for application; and the classification of worker skill grades in the norms remains problematic.
Among these shortcomings, the inadequacy in regulating worker skill grades within the norms is one of
the major issues that needs to be addressed, as skill grades are closely linked to project costs. This paper
examines and assesses the current regulations and practices on worker skill grades in the construction norm
system and proposes directions for improving the skill grade framework in line with the labor market.