Overview

Until 2007, all construction permits in the Czech Republic were governed by a 1976 law. As in many other Eastern European countries, land allocation and construction were based mostly on administrative decisions and a planned economy, not supply and demand. Reform was necessary to modernize the system. But reform came late to the Czech Republic.

Finally, in 2007, a new building code introduced a new independent profession, the authorized inspector, along with the related shortened building control proceedings. These innovations privatized parts of the building control procedures—and should speed the licensing process. It’s still too soon to measure the impact of the reform, but this case study highlights the choices that the Czech Republic made to create a new profession from scratch, learning from international best practices.

Main Findings

• In 2007, 23 successful candidates were appointed authorized inspectors. As of April 2008, another 34 had been appointed.
• The newly appointed authorized inspectors have received