Pathway guide 1 2 3 4 5

Study checklist
• Insolvency • Establishing client’s brief
In this section the competencies are broken down
into a list of topics to help candidates make sure • Legislation • Site investigation
they have covered everything that is appropriate to • Feasibility studies
their journey through the pathway competencies.
Business planning • Procurement reports
The lists are not meant to be prescriptive. They Level 1 • Project programme
are not comprehensive, nor must a candidate • Communication strategy
• Legislation
necessarily cover every topic. Candidates should • Key Performance Indicators
• Types of business – Partnerships, Limited
be aware that they must consider how the law in
companies, Limited Liability Partnerships (LLP) • Stakeholder management
their world region impacts on each of the individual
competencies. This list is not exhaustive. • Short/long term strategies
• Market analysis
Communication and negotiation
Generally, you should be reading articles in current
• Five year plans Level 2
copies of:
• Objectives – markets, clients, turnover, staffing, • Oral communication:
• RICS Modus and Construction Journal acquisitions • Phone calls
• RICS communications • Resourcing – recruitment, training, financing, • Telephone/video conferencing
• Other construction and property journals accommodation
• Reporting at meetings
• Quality newspapers • SWOT analysis
• Facilitating/chairing meeting
• Human resources
• Client and bid presentations
Mandatory • Data management
• Administration
• Staff presentations

competencies • Health and safety

• Contractor/consultant interviews
• Public speaking at seminars etc.
• Equality
• Listening skills
Accounting principles and • Legislation
• Written/graphical communication
procedures • Letters, emails and other electronic
Client care
Level 1 communication
Level 2 • Report writing
• Balance sheets/profit and loss account
• Appointment documents • Programming
• Taxation
• Fees • Using drawn information – checking scales and
• Revenue and capital expenditure
• Prequalification Questionnaires (PQQ) revisions
• Cash flows
• Invitation to Tender (ITT) • Using CAD documents
• Auditing
• Complaints procedures • Using BIM [Building Information Modelling]
• Ratio analysis
• Insurance
• Credit control
• Understanding client objectives
• Profitability

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Negotiation Data management Diversity, inclusion and team

• Establishing authority Level 1 working
• Establishing objectives • BCIS/BMI or other external sources Level 1
• Setting strategy • Employer’s in-house cost data storage and • Equality
• Collecting and presenting evidence filing • Understand the role of team members
• Record keeping • Pricing books • Appointing the project team
• Elemental analysis • Relationships with other team members
Ethics, Rules of Conduct and pro- • Data base use generally • Communicating with other team members
fessionalism • Business management systems • Partnering and collaborative working
Level 3 • Scheduling • RACI matrix
• RICS Rules of Conduct [for individuals and • Libraries • Strategic alliance
firms] • Storage of project data • Supply chain management
• Conduct befitting a Chartered Surveyor • Building Information Modelling (BIM) • Legislation on selecting project teams
• Registration of firms • Project intranets and extranets • Accountability and responsibility
• Complaints procedure • Appropriate legislation dictating the storage and
• Conflicts of interest sharing of information Inclusive environments
• Gifts Level 1
Health and safety • Recognising diverse user needs in respect of
• Professional Indemnity Insurance
• Client accounts Level 2 age, gender, ability, ethnicity, religion, etc.
• Regulation • Personal health and safety at work – RICS • Equality legislation
• Disciplinary procedures publication ‘Surveying Safely’ Personal safety • Planning legislation and requirements
procedures when visiting a construction site • Building regulations and codes
• Lifelong learning – CPD
Common health and safety risks in construction • Accessibility
• Current RICS structure
Health and safety legislation:
• Professional Group • Visual clarity
• Generally
• Current RICS issues and initiatives • Audibility systems
• At work
• Employment law
Conflict avoidance, management • Construction specific
• Impact of health and safety regulations
• Sector specific
and dispute resolution procedures • Corporate policy
• Client specific
• Ethical considerations as opposed to legal
Level 1 • Asbestos and other hazardous materials requirements
See Optional competencies
Sustainability Leadership
Level 1 Level 2
See Optional competencies • Self-management
• Leadership styles

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• The role of a leader

• Organising
Core Competencies • Letters of intent – Comfort letters/Consent to
spend /Recognition of contract
• Planning techniques • Performance security – Bonds/Parent Company
• Setting goals
Commercial management Guarantees
• Decision making (of construction works) • Insurances
• Communication • Advance payments
Level 3
• Negotiation • Interim valuations and payment provisions
• Estimating
• Supervision • Materials on/off site
• Tendering
• Fluctuations
• Profitability
Managing people • Retention – retention bonds
• competitiveness
Level 2 • Change procedures
• Establishing budgets
• Valuing change – variations/compensation
• Recruitment • Cash flows
events
• Appraisals • Reporting financial progress against budget
• Extensions of time
• Personnel development • Procurement of labour
• Claims/Loss and Expense
• Incentive schemes • Procurement of plant and materials
• Dispute avoidance and resolution
• Communication • Procurement of sub-contracts
• Named/Nominated subcontractors
• Employment law • Financial management of supply chain
• Sectional Completion/Partial Possession
• Employment policy • Financial management of multiple projects
• Design Portions/Performance specified works
• Human rights legislation • Earned Value management
• Determination
• Delegation • Cost Value Reconciliation (CVR)
• Final Accounts
• Empowering
• Mentoring
Contract practice • Completion
• Liquidated/delay damages
• HR policy Level 3
• Defects liability/rectification period
• Stakeholder management • Principles of contract law • Construction technology and environmental
• Legislation services
Managing resources [excluding • Current case-law – look out for cases reported
human resources] in journals Construction technology and
Level 2 • Standard forms of main and sub contract – e.g. environmental services
FIDIC, JCT, NEC, ICC, ACA, IChemE, etc.
• Data communication systems Level 3
• Roles & responsibilities of parties – Client, Con-
• Stationery tract Administrator/Employer’s Agent/Project Buildings:
• Secretarial/administration support services manager/Engineer, Contractor, Sub-contrac- • Substructures – basements, types of piling, etc.
• Space planning tors, Quantity Surveyor
• Superstructures
• Facilities management • Assignment/Novation
• Comparison of concrete/steel frames
• Hot desking • Third party rights – Legislation/Collateral War-
• Floor structures
• Homeworking ranties

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• External walls, windows and doors Design economics and cost Procurement and tendering
• Cladding/glazing
planning Level 3
• Roof structures and coverings
• Partitioning systems and doors Level 3 • Types of procurement:
• Finishes and fixtures • Economics of design – site density, wall/floor • Traditional
• Hard and soft landscaping ratio, storey heights, room sizes, letable/non- • Design and Build
letable • Management Contracting
• Services technology
• Sources of cost data – BCIS/in-house data- • Construction Management
• Electrical systems
base/other external sources • Financial basis
• Mechanical systems
• Inflation (tender/construction) • Lump sum
• Internal/external drainage
• Location factors, regional variations • Re-measured
• Mains services
• Currency fluctuations • Cost Reimbursable
• Air-conditioning/ventilation systems
• Order of Cost Estimates • Target cost
• Fire safety systems
• Elemental Cost Plans • Management contracts
• Security systems
• Cost Planning • Tendering
• Environmental systems and controls
• Life cycle costing – capital/running costs/re- • Standard rules of tendering – codes of practice,
• Data systems
placement practice notes
• Building types and other structures
• Whole life costing • Single/two-stage tendering – competitive/ne-
• Building regulations and codes
• Value Engineering gotiated
• Planning legislation and procedures
• Value Management • Electronic tendering
• Party wall issues/rights of light
• Risk Management and Analysis (contingency) • Compilation of tender lists – pre-qualifying
• Dangerous/banned substances – asbestos etc.
• State of the construction market contractors
• Pre-fabrication
• State of the economy generally – locally and • Compilation of tender documents
• Disability legislation globally • Pre and Post tender estimates
Engineering structures: • Interest rates • Tender analysis
• Bridges • New Rues of Measurement (NRM 1 and 3) • Tender reports
• Tunnels • BCIS Standard Form of Cost Analysis • Partnering – project and strategic
• Roads • Building Information modelling (BIM)
• Railways • RICS Code of Measurement Practice Project finance (control and
• Water ways • International Property measurement Standards reporting)
• Sea defences (IPMS)
Level 3
• Earthworks • International Construction Measurement Stand-
• Post contract cost control
ards (ICMS)
• Sewage treatment plants • Change control procedures
Energy plants and installations: • Change control forms
• Processing plant • Cost reporting
• Final accounts

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• Loss and expense • Interim valuations Conflict avoidance, management

• Risk management and quantification • Valuing change
and dispute resolution procedures
• Cash flows • Loss and expense
• Value engineering • Final account • How standard forms of contract deal with con-
flict avoidance and dispute resolution
• Benchmarking/Best value • Reporting on cost
• Conflict avoidance
• Tender report
Quantification and costing (of • Correcting errors in tenders
• Partnering
construction works) • Post contract financial reporting
• Negotiation
• Mediation
Level 3
• Methods of measurement Optional competencies • Conciliation
• Adjudication
• New Rules of Measurement (NRM Volumes 1 • Arbitration
to 3) Capital allowances • Pre-action Protocol
• Other methods of measurement – e.g.
• Current legislation • Litigation
CESMM, POMI
• Capital and revenue expenditure • Expert Witness
• RICS Code of Measurement Practice
• Taxation • Independent Expert Determination
• International Property Measurement Standards
• Capital Allowances legislation • Scott schedules
(IPMS)
• Claiming capital allowances
• BIM
• Plant and machinery Contract administration
• Inputting data in to BIM
• Integral features • Standard forms of Contract – e.g. FIDIC, JCT,
• Extracting data from BIM
• Industrial buildings NEC, ACA, ICC, IChemE, etc.
• Preparation of pricing documents
• Hotels • Roles and responsibilities of parties – client,
• Tender documents generally
• Research and development contractors, designers, Q.S
• Bill of quantity
• Enterprise zones • Role and responsibilities of person administer-
• Schedule of works
• First year allowances ing the contract – e.g. Contract Administrator,
• Schedule of rates Architect, Employer’s Agent, Project Manager,
• Enhanced capital allowances
• Provisional Sums/Prime Cost Sums Engineer, Client Representative etc.
• Analysis of price Commercial management (of • Co-ordination of parties
• Tender returns
construction works) • Design co-ordination
• Target cost – Pain/Gain mechanisms • Planning and building regulatory controls
• Loss and expense (If not selected as a Core competency - see above)
• Health & Safety
• Preliminaries • Monitoring progress
• Day works • Monitoring quality
• Valuation of works • Insurances

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• Bonds/Parent Company Guarantees Due Diligence Programming and planning

• Third party rights
• Project monitoring on management style • Project programming
• Payment provisions
contracts • Multi-project programming
• Change procedures
• Fund monitoring • Flow diagrams
• Sectional Completion/Partial Possession
• Feasibility study • Activity schedules
• Nominated/Named Subcontractors
• Planning and building regulatory control • Gantt charts
• Extensions of time/loss and expense
• Suitability of team • Critical path
• Materials on/off site
• Suitability of procurement route • Key milestones
• Determination
• Tendering • Float
• Liquidated/delay damages
• Contractual arrangements • Cash flows
• Completion
• Third-party rights • Progress monitoring
• Defects/rectification period
• Suitability of programme • Project handbook
Corporate recovery and insolvency • Cash flows • Project Execution Plans – PEP
• Interim payments • Establishing team
• Types of Insolvency
• Draw-down • Roles and responsibilities
• Bankruptcy
• Final accounts • Commissioning/handover procedure
• Individual voluntary arrangement
• Risk • Close-out reports
• Liquidation
• Administrative receivership/Fixed charge Insurance Project feasibility analysis
receivership
• Professional Indemnity Insurance – generally • Appraisal methods
• Company voluntary arrangement
and RICS requirements • Residual value
• Role of the QS if insolvency occurs
• Indemnifying the employer • Value/income
• Termination and suspension of contracts
• Third-party liability – persons and property • Valuation of property/rental values
• Assignment/novation
• Insurance of the works – joint names • RICS Red Book
• Ownership of material and plant
• Subrogation • Costs
• Bonds and guarantees
• Non-negligence insurance • Land acquisition
• Set-off
• Setting level of cover • Construction costs
• RICS Information Paper on Construction
• In the aggregate/each and every event • Fees
Insolvency
• Excess • Finance costs
Design economics and • Net contribution clause • Taxation, grants, capital allowances
cost planning • Performance bonds • Profitability
• Fire insurance valuations • Planning
(If not selected as a Core competency – see above)

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Risk management Sustainability

• Sustainable development/construction
• Workshops
• National and international regulations
• Identification
• Environmental assessment methods – e.g. SKA
• Register
Rating, LEED, BREEAM, National Technical
• Management plan Standards, etc.
• Mitigation • Building Regulations and Codes
• QS contribution to risk management • Contaminated land
• Risk analysis • Waste management
• Probability and impact • Recyclable materials
• Expected Monetary Value – EMV • Sustainable materials
• Monte Carlo Simulation • Building environmental management systems
• Central Limit Theory – CLT • Water conservation
• Route Mean Square – RMS • Energy generation
• Quantified risk allowances • Energy conservation
• Life cycle cost studies
• Whole life cost studies
• Cost benefit analysis
• Carbon estimating
• Energy Performance Certificates
• Display Energy Certificates

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