In this blog, we look at the core competencies for the QS&C pathway. Essential reading for AssocRICS and RICS APC candidates.
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).
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
What is Commercial management of construction?
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?
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?
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?
Typical examples you could use include:
- Foundations
- Superstructures
- Internal structures
- Specification
- External landscaping
- Services
- Building Regulations
- Sustainability
What is Procurement and tendering?
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
"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).
- Forecasting
- Managing change control procedures
- Valuing change
- Contingencies
- Interim valuations
- Claims
- Final accounts
Typical examples you could use include:
- Preparing estimates
- Cost plans
- Valuing works
- Measurement rules and application
- Quantification of risk allowance, overheads and profit
About the author - Jen Lemen BSc (Hons) FRICS
Jen has extensive experience in providing training services to students, RICS AssocRICS, APC and FRICS candidates and corporate clients, together with academic experience as a Senior Lecturer at the University of the West of England, Lecture at the University of Portsmouth and Associate Tutor at the University College of Estate Management. Her RICS assessment experience includes sitting on final APC interview panels, APC appeal panels and being a lead APC preliminary review assessor.
She has also written published articles in Property Week, ACES Terrier, RICS Modus and the RICS Property Journal. She also writes a regular APC column in Estates Gazette Brick & Mortar podcast series with Sarah Jackman and is a contributing author to the Health & Safety section on RICS iSurv.
Jen works as a trainer and consultant with Built Intelligence on the APC Structured Learning programme - more details and to book on module two - Written Submission can be found here