CALS/EC
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The Ministry of Construction (currently called the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport) began the "Public Works Support Integrated Information System Study Group" in May 1995, and started preparing to introduce the CALS/EC. The Construction CALS/EC Center was established in the 2nd Research Department in February 1996 in order to support its introduction. Since its establishment, the center has performed investigations, studies and development related to maintenance of systems critical to creating an electronic environment at each phase, such as design, bidding, contracts and construction, based on Action Programs for achieving CALS/EC in the public works field.

Meanwhile, the CALS/EC Promotion Office was inaugurated in the same 2nd Research Department in April 2001 for the purpose of promoting the smooth introduction and establishment of CALS/EC, based on the active CALS/EC introduction needs of local government agencies, covering roughly 70% of public works.

The CALS/EC Department came from the CALS/EC Center and the CALS/EC Promotion Office mentioned above. The mission of the CALS/EC Department is to perform activities for the purpose of investigation, study, development as well as the spread of systems to support a series of work processes for public works such as planning, investigation, design, contracts, construction, maintenance and management via IT utilization.


On the basis of promoting the Construction CALS/EC, information gathering and external information delivery activities will be conducted that are critical to investigation, research and development related to development, improvements & settling on standards, as well as revisions for core systems.

1. Public Works Procurement Information Service (PPI)
A service that enables the obtaining of procurement information such as ordering schedule information, ordering information and bidding results related to construction works administered by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport via one site, by using the Internet, in April 2001. The expansion of information provided as well as improvements in usability will be facilitated, based on the actual operating results and user suggestions.

2. Electronic Bidding System
Electronic bidding for large-scale work and construction projects of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport was launched in October 2001. This electronic bidding system will facilitate improvements in the system based on actual operations, towards its application in all construction of public works administered by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (goal: FY 2003).

3. Electronic Delivery Procedures, Standards & Settlements
Concerning procedures and standards, such as the Procedures for Electronic Delivery of Civil Engineering Design Work (Draft), Procedures for Electronic Delivery of Documents Upon Completion of Works (Draft), CAD Drafting Standard (Draft) and Standard for Digital Photo Control Information (Draft), the CALS/EC Department will handle necessary work revisions, based on issues such as the expansion of objectives and operations, from FY 2001, in order for the smooth implementation of electronic delivery to occur.

4. Settling on Standards for CAD Data Exchange
Making use of results developed by the CAD Data Exchange Standards Development Consortium (through the SCADEC project) while aiming at high-level use of CAD data, such as development and automatic quantitative calculations of precise standards for CAD data exchange as well as connection to GIS, based on the practical use of and spread of these exchange standards.

5. Building an Information Shared Integrated Database
The CALS/EC/Action Program calls for building and utilizing various kinds of information at each process of design, construction, maintenance and management, created electronically in conformance to a standard format, as an information shared integrated database linked via the Internet. Efforts will be made to create an electronic process related to minutes of construction meeting upon undertaking construction as part of the vital system specification standardization for this purpose.

6. Overseas Information Gathering and Connections Related to CALS/EC
Connections, such as with overseas CALS/EC promotion organizations, will be facilitated and various information gathering and delivery activities will be performed, such as advanced case studies of other countries, participation in ISO international conferences and holding CALS/EC international promotion symposiums.




The following work will be implemented towards the realization of the "CALS/EC Local Promotion Action Program" (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, June 2001).

1. Administrative Support for Local CALS/EC Promotion Council
Administrative support for CALS/EC Promotion Council, held by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, as part of the support measures taken for CALS/EC to be introduced by local government agencies.

2. Support for Settling on Local Promotion Action Programs
Performing technical support for settling on Local Promotion Action Programs in each local CALS/EC Promotion Council, etc.

3. Promotional Support for Local Promotion CALS/EC
Performing critical support activities based on requests when the local government agencies, etc. settle on a plan for promoting CALS/EC and when prefectural authorities construction technology centers, etc. perform technical support for local government offices within their jurisdiction.

4. CALS/EC Qualification System
The "CALS/EC Instructor" and "CALS/EC Expert" are established via connection to the Japan Civil Engineering Consultants Association in order to obtain personnel to support the meticulous spread and support system, necessary to keep pace with nation-wide promotion of the CALS/EC. Then, the JACIC managing director certifies the entity that has satisfied the specific requirements.

5. Activities for Training & Spread of CALS/EC
Workshops for spreading CALS/EC are held periodically, and teaching aids such as textbooks, training videos and CD-ROMs are created and sold for this purpose.




An electronic bidding core system will be developed, which has high flexibility and can be applied to multiple public purchasers at the same time, based on the electronic bidding system to be provided free of charge by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The creation of specifications for the development system and evaluation work on measures to spread the system are implemented mainly by the "Electronic Bidding Core System Development Consortium" (3-year schedule from FY 2001), established jointly with the JACIC and SCOPE (Service Center of Port Engineering).

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