Competence

[edit] General introduction

[edit] Competence

Competence is a measure of the ability to do things well. Thus, a competent person is someone who generally does things to standards that are judged favourably by others.

Competence can sometimes be ascertained on the basis of historical actions which can be projected into the future to give an idea of how someone might perform under a specific set of circumstances. So, on the basis of past work completed, an architect may be expected to do well (and so show competence) on a similar new building project.

Competency and success usually go hand in hand: exhibiting competence is a vital characteristic for progression in any career. However, competence can be subjective – what may appear competent to one person may seem incompetent to another Competence may also be demonstrated by accreditation or qualifications, or by comparison with industry standards..

[edit] Incompetence

The opposite of competence is incompetence which is a tendency not to do things well. An incompetent person generally makes mistakes, gets things wrong or does not perform to the required standard.

However, neither competence nor incompetence need be permanent and even generally competent people can at times show signs of incompetence – and vice versa.

[edit] Building safety competence

One of the key recommendations of Dame Judith Hackitt's 'Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety' report was the development of competence regimes for all of those who work on or impact safety of people in and about Higher Risk Buildings. As such the government funded the Built Environment Competence programme to develop a number of standards around competence, which are as a result freely available for download.

There are a number of standards aimed towards; professional institutions, licencing bodies and awarding organisations, regulators and enforcing authorities, principal contractors, clients, building owners and leaseholders undertaking repairs, maintenance and improvements (RMI) to buildings. These cover roles and responsibilities; skills, knowledge and experience; behaviours and ethics; additional competences for higher-risk buildings; and limits of competence.

There are four related standards available under the Built Environment Competence programme which include;

• BSI Flex 8670 v3.0:2021-04. Built environment. Core criteria for building safety in competence frameworks. Code of practice, was published on Apr 30 2021, and is currently under review.
• PAS 8671:2022, full title: Built environment. Framework for competence of individual Principal Designers. Specification. It specifies competence thresholds that individuals are expected to meet when delivering or managing the duty holder functions of the principal designer, and additional competencies for working on higher-risk buildings (HRBs). Areas of competence include appropriate behaviour; legislative and regulatory framework for compliance; management of design work compliance; and technical framework for compliance.
• PAS 8672:2022. Built environment – Framework for competence of individual principal contractors. Specifies competence requirements for the duty holder role of principal contractor. It also describes specific competences common to all principal contractors and those which are additional for those undertaking the role on HRBs. It covers roles and responsibilities; skills, knowledge and experience; behaviours and ethics; additional competences for higher-risk buildings; and limits of competence.
• PAS 8673:2022. Built environment – Competence requirements for the management of safety in residential buildings. Specifies competence requirements for managing safety in residential buildings and other developments incorporating residential accommodation. It also gives guidance on detailed competences and the assessment of competence.

[edit] Competent person schemes

The Competent Person Schemes (CPS) were introduced 2002 to allow certified businesses who are competent in their field, to self-certify certain types of building work as compliant with the requirements of the Building Regulations in England and Wales. For further information see the article competent person self-certifications schemes (due for an update) or follow this link: https://www.gov.uk/building-regulations-competent-person-schemes/overview.There is also an associated register of competent person schemes, whichcan be found here: https://www.competentperson.co.uk/

[edit] Building safety background context

[edit] Hackitt review

Following the Grenfell Tower Fire, the Hackitt Review found that competence across the construction industry was patchy and called for the creation of a new Joint Competent Authority (JCA) comprising Local Authority Building Standards, fire and rescue authorities and the Health and Safety Executive to oversee better management of safety risks in high-rise residential buildings across their entire life cycle.

For more information see: Hackitt review of the building regulations and fire safety, final report.

In the context of the UK Building Safety Act, competence refers to the ability, knowledge, skills, and experience necessary for individuals and organisations involved in the design, construction, management, and maintenance of higher-risk buildings to carry out their roles effectively and safely. Competence is a fundamental requirement under the Building Safety Act to ensure that those responsible for building safety have the necessary expertise and capability to fulfil their duties and obligations.

Overall, competence is a critical aspect of building safety management under the Building Safety Act, ensuring that those responsible for building design, construction, and management have the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience to safeguard the safety and well-being of building occupants and the wider community.

[edit] The Competence Steering Group (CSG)

The Competence Steering Group (CSG) was set up under the auspices of the Industry Response Group, established in the immediate aftermath of the Grenfell fire in June 2017 jointly by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Build UK, Construction Industry Council and Construction Products Association and the National Fire Chiefs’ Council. The CSG is chaired by CIC Chief Executive Graham Watts and CPA Chief Executive Peter Caplehorn.

In October 2022 a timeline setting out key milestones in improving competence of those working in the construction and fire sectors was been created by the Competence Steering Group (CSG). The timeline charts the activities of the 12 Working Groups within the CSG detailing when competence frameworks for each of their specialisms will be published alongside other activities This includes the new PAS documents for duty holders and expected timescale for the transition to new British Standards. Dates implementation dates for Building Safety Act legislation is also included on the colour-coded graphic.

The CSG was set up to tackle competence shortcomings identified in the 2018 Hackitt Review, Building a Safer Future, published in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017. The CSG comprises more than 150 institutions and associations working across construction, built environment, fire safety and owner / manager sectors.

The Working Groups established by and reporting into the Competence Steering Group are outlined in the table below, with the Timeline for competence activity outlined in the diagram below.

[edit] A Higher Bar

A Higher Bar. Achieving a competence led built environment, is the third report from the Competence Steering Group and urges industry to embrace new standards and frameworks and sets out the Group’s future. It sets out the significant steps being made across the built environment and fire sectors in improving skills, knowledge, and behaviours to drive culture change and improve the safety of buildings. The report can be downloaded here

[edit] Setting the bar

Setting the bar. A new competence regime for building a safer future. The Final Report of the Competence Steering Group for Building a Safer Future, was published in October 2020, defines competence/ competences as: ‘…the combination of skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours that enable a person to undertake responsibilities and perform activities to a recognised standard on a regular basis.'

It suggested that the competence framework as: ‘A set of agreed skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours required for a profession or trade in order to perform their work to predetermined standards and expectations and maintain or improve their performance over time.' And competency/ competencies refer to: ‘A person’s ability to perform a certain task.’ And a competent person as: ‘…someone who has sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities that allow them to assist you properly. The level of competence required will depend on the complexity of the situation and the particular help you need.’

NB BSI Flex 8670 V3.0, Built environment – Core criteria for building safety in competence frameworks – Code of practice, April 2021 Version 3, published by The British Standards Institution in 2021, defines competence as: ‘…application of skill, knowledge, experience and behaviour consistently to achieve a specific outcome.’

It defines competence assessment as: '...evaluating and documenting evidence of an individual’s performance against competence requirements.'

The Code for Construction Product Information, Version 1.0, published by CCPI in September 2021 defines Competent/Competence as: “application of skill, knowledge, experience, and behaviour consistently to achieve a specific outcome.”

[edit] APM competence framework

The competence framework for project managers in the built environment was launched in January 2024 by APM in association with CIOB and RICs. The new competence framework applies to the management of projects in the built environment following changes in the recently introduced Building Safety Act. It was introduced in response to learnings from the Grenfell Tower tragedy, this new framework is planned to have significant implications for project professionals working in the built environment. The new framework can be accessed here.

[edit] BSRIA competence definition

The BSRIA guide to 'Commissioning Air Systems' (BG 49/2024), written by by Keith Barker and published by BSRIA in March 2024, explains how to commission ducted air distribution systems in buildings. It was originally published in 2013, then 2015 with the latest update in 2024. It refers to a definition of competence simply as being 'The level of skill, knowledge, qualification and experience commensurate with the task at hand'.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• A Higher Bar. Achieving a competence led built environment.
• Best practice.
• Competence framework.
• Competence framework for project managers in the built environment launched.
• Competence management.
• Grenfell Tower.
• Hackitt review of the building regulations and fire safety, final report.
• Learning.
• Professional.
• Professional conduct.
• Professional practice.
• Recruiting and retaining talent in the construction industry.
• Skills gap.