Your APC Pathway Guide To Quantity Surveying And

SCSI QS & Const Pathway Guide03/04/201209:21Page 1Your APC pathway guide toQuantity Surveyingand Construction

SCSI QS & Const Pathway Guide03/04/201209:21Page 3Your pathway guide to Quantity Surveying and ConstructionContentsIntroduction4Pathway requirements7Quantity surveying and construction APCQuantity surveying and construction ATC77Competency guidance8Capital allowances (T008)Commercial management of construction (T010)Conflict avoidance, management and dispute resolution procedures (M006)Construction technology and environmental services (T013)Contract administration (T016)Contract practice (T017)Corporate recovery and insolvency (T020)Design economics and cost planning (T022)Due diligence (T025)Health and safety (M008)Insurance (T045)Procurement and tendering (T062)Programming and planning (T063)Project evaluation (T066)Project financial control and reporting (T067)Quantification and costing of construction works (T074)Risk management (T077)Sustainability tal guidance Profile of a newly qualified chartered quantity surveyor Selecting optional competencies. Study check list273

SCSI QS & Const Pathway Guide03/04/201209:21Page 4Your pathway guide toQuantity Surveying and ConstructionIntroductionAbout the APCHow to use this guideThe RICS/SCSI Assessment of Professional Competence (APC)ensure that those applying for RICS/SCSI membership arecompetent to practise and meet the high standards ofprofessionalism required by RICS/SCSI. There is a wide rangeof pathways available to qualify as an RICS/SCSI membercovering 19 different areas of practice, at APC (Chartered) level.This guide is designed to help you understand more aboutqualifying as an RICS/SCSI member in quantity surveying andconstruction. The material is set out in three sections.Section one- provides information on this area of practice witha general overview of the quantity surveying and constructionpathway.The APC normally consists of: a period of structured training a final assessment.The structured training is based on candidates achieving aset of requirements or competencies. These are a mix oftechnical, professional, interpersonal, business andmanagement skills4Section two- lists the competency requirements of thequantity surveying and construction APC.Section three- describes the main technical competenciesassociated with quantity surveying and construction providingexpanded sector specific guidance on each of them. Thisforms the main part of the guide.

SCSI QS & Const Pathway Guide03/04/201209:21Page 5Your pathway guide toQuantity Surveying and ConstructionAbout the competenciesChoosing your competenciesThe APC aims to assess that you are competent to carry outthe work of a qualified chartered surveyor. To be competent isto have the skill or ability to perform a task or function. TheRICS/SCSI competencies are not just a list of tasks orfunctions, they are also based upon attitudes and behaviours.The competencies have been drawn up in a generic way sothat they can be applied to different areas of practice andgeographical locations. This guide is designed to help youinterpret these competencies within the context of quantitysurveying and construction.It is important that you give careful thought to your choiceand combination of competencies. Your choice will inevitablyreflect the work you do in your day-to-day environment(driven by the needs of your clients/employer). Your choiceand combination of competencies will be a reflection of yourjudgement. At the final assessment interview, the assessorswill take these choices into account. They will expect you topresent a sensible and realistic choice that reflects the skillsneeded to fulfil the role of a surveyor in your field of practice.The competencies are defined at three levels of attainmentand each APC pathway has its own specific combination ofcompetencies that you must achieve at the appropriate level.You must reach the required level in a logical progression andin successive stages:Level 1 – knowledge and understandingLevel 2 – application of knowledge and understandingLevel 3 – reasoned advice and depth of technical knowledge.The competencies are in three distinct categories:This guide should help candidates and employers with adegree of assistance in choosing the competencies that aremost appropriate to their area of practice.How to find helpSCSI Education and Membership will be able to help youwith any general APC queries:T 01 6445500F 01 6611797education@scsi.iewww.scsi.ieMandatory competencies – the personal, interpersonal,professional practice and business competencies common toall pathways and compulsory for all candidates. These areexplained in more detail in the APC Requirements andcompetencies guide.Core competencies – the primary competencies of yourchosen APC pathway.Optional competencies – a set of competencies selectedby the candidate from a list defined for the particular pathway.In most cases there is an element of choice. These are mostlytechnical competencies, but certain mandatory competenciesalso appear on the optional competency list and candidatesare permitted to select one of these at a higher level.This guide only deals with the principal core and optionalcompetencies associated with this area. It does not coverthe mandatory competencies.5

SCSI QS & Const Pathway Guide03/04/201209:21Page 6Your pathway guide toQuantity Surveying and ConstructionAbout Quantity surveying and constructionQuantity surveyors are the cost managers of construction. They are initially involved with the capital expenditurephase of a building or facility, which is the feasibility, design and construction phases, but they can also be involvedwith the extension, refurbishment, maintenance and demolition of a facility.The construction industry is global and extends across all real estate and infrastructure markets. Quantity surveyorswork in all sectors of the construction industry worldwide. In real estate this covers residential, commercial,industrial, leisure, agricultural and retail facilities. In infrastructure it covers roads, railways, waterways, airports, seaports, coastal defences, power generation and utilities. Quantity surveyors may also work in process engineering,such as chemical engineering plants or oil rigs.aThey must understand all aspects of construction over the whole life of a building or facility. They must have theability to manage cost effectively, equating quality and value with individual client needs.Quantity surveying andconstruction APCAs a quantity surveyor you may be working as a consultant inprivate practice, for a developer or in the development arm ofa major organisation (eg retailer, manufacturer, utility companyor airport), for a public sector body or for a loss adjuster.On the contracting side you could be working for a majornational or international contractor, a local or regional generalcontractor, for a specialist contractor or sub-contractor, or fora management style contractor.Your work may include the following: preparing feasibility studies or development appraisals assessing capital and revenue expenditure over the wholelife of a facility advising clients on ways of procuring the project advising on the setting of budgets monitoring design development againstplanned expenditure conducting value management and engineering exercises managing and analysing risk managing the tendering process preparing contractual documentation controlling cost during the construction process managing the commercial success of a project fora contractor valuing construction work for interim payments, valuingchange, assessing or compiling claims for loss andexpense and agreeing final accounts negotiating with interested parties giving advice on the avoidance and settlement of disputes.6About Quantity surveying and constructionQuantity surveyors are the cost managers of construction.They are initially involved with the capital expenditure phaseof a building or facility, which is the feasibility, design andconstruction phases, but they can also be involved with theextension, refurbishment, maintenance and demolition of afacility. The construction industry is global and extendsacross all real estate and infrastructure markets. Quantitysurveyors work in all sectors of the construction industryworldwide. In real estate this covers residential, commercial,industrial, leisure, agricultural and retail facilities. Ininfrastructure it covers roads, railways, waterways, airports,sea ports, coastal defences, power generation and utilities.Quantity surveyors may also work in process engineering,such as chemical engineering plants or oil rigs.They must understand all aspects of construction over thewhole life of a building or facility. They must have the abilityto manage cost effectively, equating quality and value withindividual client needs.RICS/SCSI qualification pathways inthis sector: Chartered alternativedesignations related to this pathwayAll candidates qualifying under the Quantity surveying andconstruction APC pathway, whether they work in privatepractice or for a contractor, will be entitled to use thedesignation ‘Chartered Quantity Surveyor’.

SCSI QS & Const Pathway Guide03/04/201209:21Page 7Your pathway guide toQuantity Surveying and ConstructionPathway RequirementsQuantity surveying and construction APCMandatory competenciesYou must achieve the minimum levels as set out in the mandatory competencies.Core competenciesLevel 3 Commercial management of construction or Design economics and cost planning* Contract practice Construction technology and environmental services Procurement and tendering Project financial control and reporting Quantification and costing of construction works.Optional competenciesTwo competencies at Level 2 from the list below. Capital allowances Commercial management of construction or Design economics and cost planning(whichever is not selected as a core competency) Contract administration Corporate recovery and insolvency Due diligence Insurance Programming and planning Project evaluation Risk management Conflict avoidance, management and dispute resolution procedures or Sustainability.NotesCandidates should select from one of the following fields of work in which to demonstrate their competency. Other fields maybe accepted, subject to written approval from the SCSI Education and Membership Department. Building. Civil Engineering. Railways. Petro-chemicals. Oil / gas installations. Mechanical and electrical installations.*Quantity surveyors working in a commercial or contracting environment will probably choose Commercial management ofconstruction to Level3. Quantity surveyors working in a consulting environment within either the public or private sector will probably choose Designeconomics and cost planning to Level 3.7