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Writer's pictureJen Lemen

Hot Topic Highlight - Quantity Surveying & Construction - Core Competencies

Updated: Oct 30, 2023


RICS APC and AssocRICS mandatory competency business planning

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What is today's blog about?


This week, we look at the core competencies for the QS&C pathway. Essential reading for AssocRICS and RICS APC candidates.


You can also listen to our CPD podcast on Anchor for more free AssocRICS and RICS APC training and support.


What competencies do I need to satisfy?


For the QS&C pathway, you need to satisfy a range of mandatory and technical (core and optional competencies).


This week, we will outline the core competencies which all QS&C candidates must meet at level 3. In future articles, we will look at the mandatory and various other optional competencies.


What core competencies do I need to satisfy?

  • 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


We will look at these in further detail below, including guidance from the RICS pathway guide (pre-August 2018). We will look at the post-August 2018 guidance in a future article.


What is Commercial management of construction?


"This competency covers the commercial management of construction works. Candidates should have an awareness of how commercial competitiveness balances against profitability. They must have a thorough understanding of the financial processes used to achieve profitability and how these integrate with the overall delivery of the project" (RICS, 2017).


Candidates have a choice of choosing either this competency of Design economics and cost planning. This is more suitable for surveyors working in a commercial or contracting environment, rather than a public or private sector consulting environment.


Typical examples you could use include:

  • Cash flow forecasting

  • Creating construction budgets

  • Financial management of the supply chain

  • Agreement of final accounts

  • Administering supplier agreements

  • Cost evaluation

  • Risk management


What is Design economics and cost planning?


"This competency covers the impact of design and other factors on cost throughout the life of the building and the control of cost during the pre-contract stage. Candidates should have an awareness of how design decisions and construction processes impact on construction and operational costs. They must have a thorough understanding of techniques used to manage and control costs pre-contract" (RICS, 2017).


Typical examples you could use include:

  • Estimating - types, basis, components, use of data, benchmarking, reporting

  • Calculating unit rates

  • Dealing with inflation, location factors and site-specific conditions

  • Cost planning - preparing and preparing cost plans, setting budgets, components

  • Measurement rules

  • Value management and engineering

  • Application of RICS Life Cycle Costing guidance

  • RIBA design stages


What is Contract practice?


"This competency covers the various forms of contract used in the construction industry. Candidates should have an awareness of all of the main standard forms of contract and a thorough understanding of contract law, legislation and the specific forms that they have used" (RICS, 2017).


Typical examples you could use include:

  • Establishing a contract - basic contract law, legislation, forms of contract, third party rights

  • Contract mechanisms - retention, conflict avoidance, payment provisions, change procedures and liquidated damages

  • Contract implementation

  • Advising on contract form

  • Pricing options

  • Risk allocation


What is Construction technology and environmental services?


"This competency covers the design and construction of buildings and other structures. Candidates should have a clear understanding of the design and construction processes commonly used in the industry. They should have detailed knowledge of construction solutions relevant to their projects" (RICS, 2017).


Typical examples you could use include:

  • Foundations

  • Superstructures

  • Internal structures

  • Specification

  • External landscaping

  • Services

  • Building Regulations

  • Sustainability


What is Procurement and tendering?


"This competency covers how a project is structured and delivered in terms of risk allocation and contractual relationships and how tendering processes are used to establish a contract price. Candidates should have a clear understanding of the different types of procurement and tendering commonly used and the advantages and disadvantages of each to the parties involved. They should have a detailed working knowledge of the procurement routes and tendering procedures used on their projects" (RICS, 2017).


Typical examples you could use include:

  • Procurement - types of route, contractual relationships, time and cost certainty, quality management

  • Tendering - establishing the contract basis, types of tenders, pre-qualification, management of the tender process, tender documents

  • Regulations and rules


What is Project financial control and reporting?

"This competency covers the effective cost control of construction projects during the construction phase. Candidates should be aware of the principles of controlling and reporting costs on any construction project. They should have a detailed understanding of the control and reporting processes used on their projects" (RICS, 2017).


Typical examples you could use include:

  • Forecasting

  • Managing change control procedures

  • Valuing change

  • Contingencies

  • Interim valuations

  • Claims

  • Final accounts


What is Quantification and costing of construction works?



"This competency covers the measurement and definition of construction works in order to value and control costs. Candidates should have an awareness of the various methods of quantifying and pricing construction works used throughout a project. They must have a thorough understanding of the specific methods used on their projects" (RICS, 2017).


Typical examples you could use include:

  • Preparing estimates

  • Cost plans

  • Valuing works

  • Measurement rules and application

  • Quantification of risk allowance, overheads and profit


How can we help?

  • Head to our blog archive to access even more free CPD and AssocRICS and RICS APC training and support.

  • Download your free AssocRICS and RICS APC resources, including e-books and revision quizzes.

  • Find out more about our bespoke AssocRICS and RICS APC training and support, before booking your free 15 minute consultation and signing up for your services online.

  • Not sure about signing up? Make sure you read what our recent successful candidates have to say in our Testimonials.


Stay tuned for our next blog post to help build a better you


N.b. Nothing in this article constitutes legal or financial advice.

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