Gaining mandatory building control competencies

Every candidate on the various APC pathways has one thing in common: they must meet the mandatory competencies set by RICS.

These competencies – whether they be Client care, Communication and negotiation, Ethics, Rules of Conduct and professionalism, or Health and safety – represent the foundation for becoming and being a successful chartered surveyor. I am going to discuss these four competencies in particular as they are demonstrated by all building control surveyors on a daily basis.

Although you may think that these competencies simply form part of the APC, as a chartered surveyor you will actually need to apply them day in, day out wherever in the world you work. You should therefore review these competencies continually to ensure you maintain the highest standards possible.

To attain the Level 2 that is required, you must provide evidence of practical application of the principles of client care in your area of work. This can be evidenced by providing accurately calculated quotes to clients, establishing and documenting a scope of services for a specific project, or consulting with the statutory authorities on the consents and other approvals required.

One example of this on the Building Control pathway could be providing examples of when you consulted the fire authority about a building on behalf of your client. By carrying out this consultation and providing the client with the fire officer's comments, you will be able to demonstrate that you have met the competency's requirements.

Another aspect of client care that surveyors undertake on a day-to-day basis would be preparing and issuing reports to clients. These could be simple inspection reports relating to a site visit you have recently conducted, or a report you issued after reviewing plans and specifications provided by a client.

As stated, preparing quotes and writing reports on inspections can be used as evidence of meeting the required Level 2. It is also possible, however, to show your experience with evidence of performing tasks such as presenting to colleagues or wider project teams, or taking minutes of meetings.

You can do this in several day-to-day activities, though the most common example for an APC candidate is dealing with a complaint. By showing how you followed your employer's complaints procedure, you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the required level.

Other examples of reaching Level 3 could include setting up professional indemnity insurance, handling clients' money, or overseeing the registration of a firm with RICS; however, these types of activity are usually undertaken by senior surveyors, so it would be difficult to evidence these during your APC training.

It is essential that you are conversant with the current edition of Surveying safely, RICS guidance note. Along with this, you should be aware of any legal duties and specific regulations relevant to building control.

You could achieve Level 2 by obtaining a formal health and safety qualification, or, for instance, by assessing safety at sports grounds, which would include reviewing health and safety procedures and fire safety and evacuation protocols in accordance with the Guide to safety at sports grounds - also known as the Green Guide.

These four competencies should be targeted by all potential APC candidates embarking on their journey to become chartered. By ensuring these fundamental mandatory competencies are met surveyors will be certainly on the right path.

Jake Green MRICS is a building control surveyor at Assent Building Control
Contact Jake: Email

See Jake's series of Built Environment Journal articles covering his APC training

Related competencies include: Client care, Communication and negotiation, Ethics, Rules of Conduct and professionalism, Health and safety