All Blog Posts Tagged 'apc' - Property Network

Week 24 - Month 12 Supervisor & Counsellor review - part 2 - Candidate preparation

2010-01-29T14:00:00.000Z

This article describes the candidate’s role and preparation leading up to the 12-month meeting. There are clearly defined steps and various other key items that the candidate should consider.

CANDIDATE PREPARATION
Candidates should refer back to the previous APC advice articles covering the three, six and nine month meetings and focus on producing an up to date copy of their Final Assessment templates. This will easily demonstrate the candidate’s competency and experience achievements to date

As a reminder, the final assessment templates should identify the competencies and levels achieved and have sufficient detail in each area to clearly define the experience gained against the competency requirements as stipulated in the RICS APC Pathway guide.

Candidates need to provide their supervisor and counsellor with all of the information and tools for them to make a learned and professional assessment of the candidate’s ability and competency to date. Candidates should be provide examples of projects, processes and tasks they have undertaken that demonstrate their competency achievement. Candidates should be able to discuss these experiences with their supervisor and counsellor. If it beneficial for candidates to undertake a truthful self-assessment of their progress to date and present their thoughts and concerns to their supervisor and counsellor.

All the pre-meeting documentation should be up to date and delivered to the supervisor and counsellor one week before the planned 12-month meeting so that they have an opportunity to review the documentation in advance.

In addition, it is advisable for candidates to review their previous three, six and nine-month meeting notes and report upon the actions and targets that they and their supervisor and counsellor were required to achieve by the 12-month meeting.

Week 22 – Month 9 Supervisor review – Part 4 - Conclusion

2010-01-15T13:30:00.000Z

It is important to ensure that the nine month meeting is concluded properly. Candidates should also refer to the conclusion of the three-month supervisor review, part four.

The nine month meeting should have been a benefit to all parties and enthused the candidate with support and guidance for the next three months.

The results of the discussions, the candidate’s progress and any actions should be documented professionally in the RICS supervisor / counsellor report template or similar. The RICS template can be can be downloaded from www.rics.org (See www.apccentre quick-links 4.4).

There are a few other development areas to consider:

KNOWLEDGE BASE TESTING
Supervisors should continue to develop a range of technical questions relevant to the candidate’s experience to test the candidate’s knowledge, competency and ability. The APC pathway guides are always a great resource for this as they identify the detail to which the RICS professional group consider a candidate should be competent for each competency level.

Assessors are likely to ask the following style of questions:

Under competency “A”, I see from your documented experience that…’ ‘On project “X”, which you managed, you did “Y” process… explain to me how you undertook that process?’ (Level 2 style of questioning).

‘What advice did you give client “Z” and why?’ (Level 3 style of questioning).

RULES OF CONDUCT
The rules were updated a couple of years ago now but undergo periodic changes. The most recent change is January 2010 and I am currently undertaking a separate piece of research on what the changes are and if they mean anything significant. If you would like a copy of the completed research email jon@delever.com and express your interest. I hope to launch the research in Februray 2010. Supervisors should make sure candidates realise the importance of a full understanding of the rules of conduct and this should be a priority discussion point with the candidate at each meeting.

There is a member’s version and a firm’s version, helpsheets and policy documents all of which can be downloaded at www.rics.org (See www.apccentre quick-links section 3.0).

Also see the DeLever RICS Rules of Conduct DVD which covers the rules in depth and also discusses how they may be assessed at the final assessment. For more information and to purchase a copy, visit www.delever.com

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Although the critical analysis is not required until later in the process, there are aspects that can be developed during the nine-month meeting. Reviews of potential projects, collection of relevant documentation and pictures etc. It is worth keeping records of relevant issues, progress photographs and other material to build a research portfolio. There should be a plan to start writing the critical analysis a few months after the 12 month half way stage.

INTERIM ASSESSMENT
There is no longer an interim assessment at month 12 meeting. It is important to review the candidate’s progress in the same detail as at each 3 month meeting. It is also important for the candidate to prepare and realise that month 12 onwards starts to get busy in the APC process administration and development so it is important to get everything up to date to ensure the resource time is available to keep moving forwards in the process.

At the end of the nine-month meeting the candidate and supervisor should:

• agree the issues discussed
• agree actions and targets for the next three months
• ensure training and professional development opportunities are planned
• sign off achieved competency levels
• complete the formal supervisors’ nine month meeting template, available to download from the RICS (www.rics.org).

Candidates should keep focused on the target ahead, continue to review the APC guides and pathway competency guidance and take every opportunity to develop experience and get involved in RICS matrics and other RICS events.

Candidates need to keep on top of things and not lose sight of the objective. A quarter of the process has been completed already and time will pass very quickly.

myAPC diary
DeLever’s myAPC diary helps candidates to record their APC experience, manage their APC process and immediately identifies any deficiencies in experience. It is easy to use and can save over 60% of a candidate’s APC administration time. For more information and to purchase a copy, visit www.delever.com

APC Update
Sign up to DeLever’s APC Update to be informed when changes are made to the Rules of Conduct and to receive other useful APC information. Sign up at www.delever.com

Rules of Conduct DVD
DeLever’s RICS Rules of Conduct DVD covers the rules in depth and also discusses how they may be assessed at the final assessment. For more information and to purchase a copy, visit www.delever.com

Week 20 – Month 9 Supervisor review – Part 2 – Candidate preparation 3

2010-01-11T16:19:35.000Z

This article describes the candidate’s role and preparation leading up to the nine-month meeting.

In addition to reviewing the APC guides, candidates should consider organising the meeting and providing the supervisor with information prior to the meeting to ensure that they get the most out of it. All the pre-meeting documentation should be up to date and delivered to the supervisor a week before the planned nine-month meeting.

This includes preparing the APC final assessment templates and documentation including the diary; log book; professional development and experience record.

In addition, candidates should review the three and six-month meeting notes and report on the actions and targets that they and their supervisor were required to achieve by the nine month meeting.

Candidates should now be settled into the APC process and be able to offer the supervisor much better information regarding their experience to date and how their ability and competency experience is developing.

MONITOR EXPERIENCE
Candidates need to monitor their progress to spot trends or difficulties in the gathering of experience. Candidates should highlight any deficiencies so experience and training can be reviewed and adjusted so they can gain well-balanced experience by the end of the process. Failing to monitor experience early on will cause difficulties later as candidates run out of time to mitigate problems before the final assesment. If this happens, the only solution is to defer the final assessment and spend more time training.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
I suggest that this is a good point in the process for candidates to start to discuss ideas regarding the pending critical analysis. There are key elements of the critical analysis that need careful consideration. I believe that it is best to leave drafting the critical analysis until months 12 to 15, but it is always good to be aware of what is needed to write a good critical analysis.

Candidates may find it useful to produce a matrix with all of their technical core and optional competencies on the left-hand side and the proposed projects or topics across the top. Working down, mark the competencies covered in each of the suggested projects or topics.
This exercise helps to identify potential projects or processes for the critical analysis. If three or four potential projects or topics are identified, the second-best options can be retained as a fallback should the candidate be referred and need to produce a new critical analysis topic. It is good to be prepared, even though everyone hopes not to be referred.

The candidate can discuss over the following months their potential projects or processes with their supervisor and take time to consider the right project or topic to develop into a critical analysis. It is advisable to start writing the critical analysis in a few months’ time.

Finally, candidates should make sure all their documentation is complete and give their supervisor everything they need to make a learned decision about their experience during the nine-month meeting.

Extra help
The myAPC diary 2009 significantly cuts down the administrative process whilst offering useful support and guidance. It is an effective APC process management tool and has the potential to save over 60% of the candidate, supervisor and counsellor administration time. See www.delever.com for more details.

APC Seminar – Critical Analysis
Covers APC requirements, understanding the Critical Analysis step by step, report writing skills and common pitfalls. Jon walks delegates through each component of the critical analysis, including key issues, options, proposed solutions, appraisal, conclusion and analysis of experience gained.

From £95 per person.
Next seminar: 12.45pm - 4.15pm, 18th Jan 10, 12th Jul 10
To book call London South Bank University on 0207 815 6934/44.

By Jon Lever, managing director of DeLever, APC chairman of assessors, RICS training adviser and RICS licensed assessor trainer.
DeLever produces APC resources, training and software: go to www.delever.com

Next week: nine-month supervisor review,
Part 3 – Supervisor preparation

Week 21 – Month 9 Supervisor review – Part 3 – Supervisor’s Preparation

2010-01-08T13:30:00.000Z

By now, supervisors should understand the APC process, and candidates should be on the path towards gaining relevant and useful experience. The nine-month meeting is the third formal review of progress and it follows the same procedure as the three-month supervisor review.

THE SUPERVISOR
Graduate route one candidates should be almost halfway towards achieving the minimum APC training requirement. In the nine-month meeting the supervisor needs to address the following main areas.

COMPETENCY
Although it is likely that the candidate’s experience is developing well and the competencies are starting to be met and signed off, it is worth revisiting the competency planner to check that development is on track. It is always important at any APC process meeting between the candidate and supervisor, that the candidate’s progress is reviewed in the light of how remaining time is left in the candidate’s training process. The 9 month meeting is close to the half way point through the process and planning is paramount.

EARLY WARNINGS
The diary and logbook should help supervisors to identify whether the candidate is recording too much or too little experience time against their declared competencies. If any deficiencies do arise, these need to be addressed as soon as possible so that the candidate has the appropriate level of experience across all declared competencies at the final assessment document submission stage.

DeLever’s myAPC diary helps candidates to record their APC experience, manage their APC process and immediately identifies any deficiencies in experience. It is easy to use and can save over 60% of a candidate’s APC administration time. For more information and to purchase a copy, visit www.delever.com

Competence: Housing Strategy and Provision

2009-12-18T11:31:41.000Z

This competence is always a red hot potato- particularly in the UK.

Look at how many Housing Acts have been passed in the last 50 years in comparison to Acts which deal with commercial property.

Even the latest Act of 2004 is proving to be a controversial for the Government to introduce in all its elements.
So when gathering your evidence to demonstrate your competence a key skill is to stay up to date – if things change during the time you are completing your evidence do not ignore it and hope they will not be picked up – make notes to show how the changes have affected your thought process and be prepared to demonstrate how you keep up to date with changes.

At level 1 you have to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the various methods used to assess and identify overall housing needs and be aware of the options available for housing providers to meet these housing needs. Make sure you know what polices relate to your geographical area – know who is responsible for the estimates and critically on what data the estimates have been based.

Level 2 is a bit more interesting than some competences in that you have to ‘apply your knowledge to identify and respond to housing needs’- the word respond requires particular skills in analysing what the options are – make sure you demonstrate that you have considered all the options available.

Level 3 requires the normal evidence of providing reasoned advice – but goes further in requiring evidence and contribution to the formulation and implementation of a housing strategy to meet identified housing needs – not easy in a very complex and changing environment which some would say has a built in political delay factor.

Critical Analysis Overview

2009-12-11T15:54:05.000Z

Candidates often mistakenly write their critical analysis as ‘a day in the life’ of a individual or project, or in the style of an essay or piece of coursework. The critical analysis should be a competency focused account of a candidate’s learning and experience and should demonstrate competency level achievement to as high as level 3.

A good candidate should use the critical analysis as an opportunity to demonstrate to the assessment panel that they have quality experience and they are competent across all their declared competencies. The critical analysis should encompass the depth and breadth of the declared competencies, specifically Technical Core and Optional (and Optional Plus if pathway requires).

The critical analysis is one of the key documents a candidate will write for their APC final assessment. It will be read in detail by the assessment panel and will form a large portion of the APC final assessment interview. Therefore the critical analysis is a very important part of a candidate’s final assessment submission documentation.

CHOOSING A PROJECT
In addition to covering a wide range of competencies, candidates should choose a project or process where they were involved in something interesting and unique. Their critical analysis report should then describe how they approached and dealt with any issues. The aim is for candidates to demonstrate their ability as a professional surveyor and prove that they are able to deliver day to day processes, whilst also being experienced enough to cope with and solve problems that projects and processes encounter.

I would not advise candidates to specifically note their competencies in the report text, but it should be obvious that the tasks and processes they have undertaken directly relate to their competencies.

For example, if a candidate has carried out an inspection then it is assumed that the candidate probably had involvement in competencies such as inspection, measurement, communication and maybe and the assessors will ask questions about these.

ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL AND STRUCTURING THE REPORT
At the final assessment a candidate will be required to deliver a 10-minute
presentation on their critical analysis and enter into a detailed discussion about it with the assessors.

I suggest all candidates:

Read the APC candidate’s guide (updated December 2008) specifically page 17, follow the requirements and use the listed headings verbatim.

Assessors like to see consistency among candidates’ documentation. Assessment panels normally see four candidates per assessment day so they will have plenty of documents to review. If candidates make the assessors assessment process easier by writing their documentation exactly as per the APC guides then the assessors will find it easier to establish whether a candidate is competent.

The critical analysis is a report, so candidates should write it in the format of a report, for example

A cover page
A contents page
Some form of declaration of authenticity of content and confidentiality;
An introduction
Main content;
Conclusions
Numbered paragraphs,
Relevant and supporting appendices

Hopefully this is an obvious and basic comment, but unfortunately so many candidates misinterpret the requirements or simply do not understand the basics of report writing. This in turn suggests to assessors that the candidate’s experience and exposure is limited.

Candidates should deliver a professional document when writing the critical analysis. They should make sure that spelling and grammar are perfect and that the presentation is excellent. I suggest using 1.5 line spacing as this gives the assessors opportunity to make notes between the lines.

THE LENGTH OF THE CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Candidates need to keep the word count to a maximum of 3,000 words as stated in the APC candidate guide and not write more than 3000 words. Assessors are strict about this. The word count should be included at the end of the report and only refer to the content of the report, not the appendices.

The word count should be weighted sensibly over the report. For example, a good weighting is:

400 words for the introduction;
800 words for a key issue, including an explanation of the key issue, options (including rejections) and a proposed solution. I suggest limiting the key issues to two so that there is sufficient word count to describe both fully.
1,000 words for the conclusion and analysis of experience gained.

AND FINALLY
Confidentiality of content is important so candidates should approach all the parties they name and seek their approval to disclose any details. Alternatively, any of the parties or content can be disguised to make them unidentifiable.

It is a good idea for at least ten people to read the critical analysis. If at least three of them are lay people who know little or nothing about surveying then the report’s readability can be tested without the reader getting caught up in technicalities. It is important that candidates are able to write reports for clients who may not understand the intricacies of surveying.

The critical analysis is likely to take 3 to 4 months to write and will probably undergo a number of major rewrites or edits. Therefore, as noted in the DeLever timeline wallchart candidates should consider starting to write their critical analysis at least 6 months prior to the final assessment document submission dates.

Extra Help

The DeLever Critical Analysis Seminar at London South Bank University on 18th January 2010 may be well worth attending. Jon Lever will walk through the critical analysis process step by step and provide useful resources such as a critical analysis report template and also provide opportunity for group discussion on good and relevant projects that could be used for the critical analysis. All delegates also get the latest DeLever APC Resource CDROM too. See: www.delever.com/seminars

The DeLever timeline wallchart of step by step guidance through the APC is free and available from www.delever.com and the critical APC dates can be found in the DeLever APC news and information document also freely available from www.delever.com

Month 6 Supervisor & counsellor review – Part 4 – Conclusion

2009-12-09T15:30:00.000Z

IT IS VITAL TO ENSURE THAT THE SIX-MONTH meeting is concluded properly to prepare the candidate for the next three months training with enthusiasm, support and guidance.

Once all the discussions have been completed and progress and actions identified, they should be documented in the RICS APC counsellor’s progress report a template for which can be downloaded from www.rics.org.

If additional training is needed, it should be planned and implemented as soon as possible. Training and a feeling of progressing will often motivate candidates.

Other areas that should also be considered:

RULES OF CONDUCT
The rules of conduct changed on 4th June 2007. It is highly advisable for candidates, supervisors and counsellors to be fully up to date in their understanding of the rules. There are members and firms versions, help sheets and policy documents. There is also a guidance note explaining how the new Rules of Conduct will be tested at final assessment. All are available from www.rics.org.

I have recently reviewed the changes up to October 2009 and quite a few minor changes have been made. A report on my research and findings can be downloaded from www.apccentre.com or in article 13 published on 6th November 2009.

FINAL-ASSESSMENT PRESENTATION
I think that it isn’t enough to send a candidate on a presentation skills course, they need more than that. It is advisable to provide an opportunity every month for the candidate to deliver a 10-minute presentation on a relevant subject, either something relevant to their APC or a topical issue for the industry, perhaps even the rules of conduct. This practice should prove invaluable.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Although the critical analysis is not required until month 23 (Graduate 1) in the APC process, if a candidate is aware of the requirements early on they can look out for relevant projects that may be in the first stages now, but will be completed by the time the critical analysis needs to be written. If a project becomes available, candidates should monitor it closely, record key issues, take progress photographs and build a research portfolio.

THE CONCLUSION OF THE MEETING
At the conclusion of the six-month meeting the candidate, supervisor and counsellor should:

• Agree the issues discussed in the six month meeting
• Agree actions and targets for the next three months
• Ensure training and professional development opportunities are planned
• Sign-off the relevant achieved competency levels
• Complete the formal counsellor’s six month meeting template.

Candidates should keep focused on the target ahead, continue to review the APC guides and pathway guides and take every opportunity to develop experience and get involved in RICS matrics and other RICS events.

A quarter of the process has now been completed, and time is passing very quickly!

Next week: critical analysis requirements

Month 6 Supervisor & counsellor review – Part 3 – Supervisor and Counsellor Preparation

2009-12-07T10:01:01.000Z

A few points about the counsellor and who is best to take on this role have already been mentioned in the article of 13th November 2009. The supervisor’s and counsellor’s preparations before the meeting include:

• Reading the APC guides.

• Understanding what the supervisor and counsellor require the candidate to provide before the meeting.

• Reading and understanding any reports and documentation the candidate has provided which should include the APC diary and RICS final assessment templates 3,4 and 6.

• The difference between the three and six-month meetings is that the counsellor is involved with the latter and needs to investigate the candidate’s progress and be confident of the candidate’s ability, before signing off the varying levels of declared competencies.

THE SUPERVISOR
The supervisor should understand the candidate’s experience fully and so should be able to discuss the candidate’s progress intimately to bring the counsellor up to date.

The supervisor should also be able to discuss the candidate’s improvements, deficiencies and any targets that they are keen to review in this meeting.

THE GUIDES
The supervisor and counsellor should make sure they have the latest updated versions of the APC guides and APC pathway guides. The pathway guides will help all involved to better assess the knowledge and experience requirements that the professional group (faculty) has stipulated. These sources are not exhaustive and the supervisor’s and counsellor’s involvement and experience is paramount.

TEST KNOWLEDGE BASE
Supervisors and counsellors should use the information provided by the candidate to develop a range of competency based questions related to the experience the candidate is gaining and the levels of competency currently achieved. This will enable the candidate to become used to the competency style of questioning they will experience at the final assessment.

When questioning candidates assessors use a range of questions to investigate differing levels of competency. For example, to question level 2 and 3 of a competency assessors will phrase the question “I see from your experience on project X that you were involved in…. how did you go about delivering Y process?”. This is Level 2. They would probably lead on from there with “and what advice did you give client Z and why?”. This is Level 3.

The APC requirements and competencies guide and pathway guides explain each of the competencies and levels.

THE COMPETENCY APPROVAL
The supervisor may have assessed and signed off some competencies at the three month meeting. It is now the counsellor’s role to evaluate the candidate and, if in agreement with the supervisor, counter-sign the three-month meeting achievements (in template 3). The counsellor and supervisor will need to review, identify and agree any progress and sign off the candidate’s competencies up to the six-month meeting. It is important that the supervisor and counsellor sign off competency experience regularly over time to demonstrate the candidate’s progression.

Unfortunately, candidates who have little support or guidance and have their competencies signed off in the last days before final assessment document submission in my experience are usually referred at final assessment as they have not been mentored properly. So, it is very important for supervisor and counsellor to be vigilant and mentor candidates properly.

IDENTIFYING TRAINING
Part of the counsellor’s role is to identify and implement additional experience or training for any areas of competency deficiency that the six-month meeting has identified.

On occasion it is not possible to provide specific experience or training in-house. In these instances, RICS suggests using external sources such as secondments to make up any shortfall.

I do not believe that there is any point putting a candidate forward for assessment if they have not had the proper experience. The supervisor and counsellor need to be vigilant, give the APC process sufficient attention to carry it out properly and develop a balanced, professional and competent candidate.

Extra help
In December 2009 DeLever is launching it’s new DVD for supervisors and counsellors which gives guidance to help employers, supervisors and counsellors manage the APC. Find out more at www.delever.com

Next week: six-month counsellor review, part four, concluding the six-month meeting.

Competence: Access and rights over land

2009-11-25T12:15:19.000Z

Yet again an interesting competence to consider. At level 1 you are asked to demonstrate your competence in understanding the legislation and/or framework for acquiring sites or access for the provision of power, water, pipelines, other third party or communications infrastructure.
This should include the methodology and techniques used for valuation for these purposes.
At level 1 this competence allows you to focus on one of two elements; firstly your competence in operating in the area of how sites are acquired or secondly your competence in how services are provided to sites.
The legal framework will of course depend on which country you are operating in.
However it is important to note that at level two and level three the competence has focused onto the second part of the level 1 competence i.e. the service provision element.
When compiling the evidence of your competence remember to consider the obvious issues as well as the complex issues. What are the interest(s) in the project?- is there more than one interest in the same project site? If so what are the statutory requirements for changes to the interest (if any)? What statutory powers (if any) can the service providers call on to deliver services to the site? What are the planning issues?
In respect of the valuation issues, you are required to demonstrate that you have the competence not only to produce the valuation but to understand the underpinning methodology.
This can be an issue when industry standard software is used to produce the valuation figures – you must be able to explain what valuation methodology the software is employing and issues associated with its use.
Finally, don’t forget to keep an eye on the latest case law relating to the subject area.

Supervisor & counsellor review – Part 2 – Candidate Preparation

2009-11-25T10:18:57.000Z

CANDIDATE PREPARATION FOR THE SIX-MONTH MEETING

I believe that candidates should be responsible for the administration and management of their APC process and they need to be very proactive for the 3 monthly meetings to happen properly. There are some clearly defined steps that all candidates should consider.

Booking the 6 month meeting and ensuring attendance
Candidates should organise the date and location of the meeting. This is an ideal way for candidates to demonstrate their organisational and administration skills, team building and time management abilities which can fit into some of the mandatory competency achievements.

Pre-meeting documentation
The APC 6 month meeting should be handled like any other business or client meeting. Attendees should have the agenda and copies of the relevant information in advance.

I suggest candidates prepare the following from the APC final assessment templates:

1. The APC diary.
The APC diary is not included in the final assessment templates (MS Excel workbook format), but is available as a separate template (MS Word format) to download from www.rics.org. The diary should be up to date and I strongly suggest that it is written up in the available template format. The diary is a key component to demonstrating real life experience and competency achievement.

2. Template 3 – The Achievement Record (Log book).
This is generated from entering the APC diary totals into the log books.

3. Template 4 - Professional development.
This is important to regularly record and evaluate over time as candidates without the required quota of hours (Graduate 1 & 2 minimum 48 hours per year and all other routes 20 hours per year) will probably be referred at final assessment. Also just as a reminder, much more information is now required to be recorded.

4. Template 6 – Experience record
This should be the relevant experiences and projects the candidate has worked on to date. This template should continually grow over the APC training period and then be finally edited prior to the submission of the final assessment documents. Close attention should be paid to the competency levels to ensure that the candidate is gaining the right experience.

5. Templates 7 & 8 are for referred candidates but should be utilised in the same way as template 4 or 6 above.

I suggest that this pre-meeting documentation should be up to date and delivered to the supervisor and counsellor one week before the planned meeting.

In addition, candidates should review the three-month meeting notes and report on the actions and targets that should have been achieved by the six-month meeting.

Candidates should now be settled into the APC process and be in a position to offer their supervisor and counsellor much better information regarding their experience to date and how their ability and competency is developing.

MONITORING EXPERIENCE
Candidates should monitor their own progress closely and highlight any deficiencies to their supervisor and counsellor as soon as possible. In this way, the candidate’s experience and training can be reviewed and adjusted to aim for a well-balanced experience record by the end of the process.

Failing to monitor experience early on will cause difficulties later in the process, as candidates will run out of time to mitigate problems. If this is the case, the only sensible solution may be for candidates to defer their final assessment and spend more time training.

COMPETENCY SELECTION
The candidate and their supervisor and counsellor should be asking questions relating to the achievement of the declared competencies. The most common question asked is:

Q ‘I have now been doing the APC for six months and I am aware that one or more of the competencies I have chosen may not be achievable. Can I change declared competencies? Do I need to tell anyone?’

A: Candidates can change competencies, and in most cases this relates to technical optional competencies only. If necessary, it is advisable to change competencies early and make sure the required levels of experience for all competencies have been met before attempting the final assessment.

It is not unreasonable to take longer than the minimum 23/24 months to ensure sufficient experience has been achieved. Any previous experience or time recorded on old competencies that have been dropped can be reallocated to other experience and subsequently to other competencies, if it is relevant. The time recorded will be lost if it cannot be allocated to other areas of competency. The requirement of a graduate route 1 candidate is to ensure a minimum of 400 days of relevant competency experience in a minimum of 23/24 months. The 400 days should be recorded only in the technical core, technical optional or technical optional plus competencies. There is no requirement to record diary time against mandatory competencies.

The final assessment assessors will only question and assess on the minimum level of competency declared in the candidate’s pre-submission documentation. It is imperative that the chosen competencies relate to the minimum requirement stated in the RICS APC requirements and competencies guide (version 2, amended July 2009).

Candidates should make sure all documentation is complete and give their supervisor and counsellor everything they need to enable them to make a considered decision about their experience during the six-month meeting.

Extra help
The myAPC diary software can save over 60% of a candidate’s APC recording and administration. See: www.delever.com/myapc.

An RICS web site quick link guide can be found on the home page of www.apccentre.com and in the DeLever newsletter, available to download at www.delever.com

Next week: counsellor and supervisor preparation for six-month counsellor review

Competence: Purchase and Sale

2009-11-17T16:27:00.000Z

Not surprisingly this competence appears in many of the Faculty pathways; particularly the ‘Land and Property’ focussed Faculties and it is a popular selection by candidates.

If this is a competence you have selected take care to read the requirements carefully. Make sure you demonstrate the full breadth of ‘competence’ the definition requires.

Depending on the level required, the competence not only requires you to demonstrate that you know how property is bought and sold, but what the full range of options are for buying and selling and what the full range of possible interests are that can be marketed - and you have not finished there - you need to demonstrate an understanding of the economics of the market for each interest and the appropriate legal framework- sounds a bit like a full BSc course in Estate Management!

Don’t fall into the trap of only focussing on the types of property interests and methods of sales and purchase you are directly familiar with – make a note on your file ‘why’ the method of sale is being adopted or recommended and include a note about what alternatives were considered and ‘why’ they have been rejected. Don’t be scared to re-visit economic terms - remember the characteristics of real estate and how they differ from other products?

At level 3 you need to take the economic analysis further as you are required to demonstrate you have the ability to provide the client with an holistic view of the entire transactional market and advise him/her clearly and appropriately, not only on the sale or disposal market but also on other areas’.
Finally remember to show how the legal framework affects the process - a good way of doing this is to make sure you have an understanding of an alternative system that operates e.g. England v Scotland.

This is a demanding competence to demonstrate – but very rewarding as it requires an understanding of market forces.

Competence: Due Diligence

2009-11-17T16:25:59.000Z

Lets start with understanding what the term means - Wikipedia tells us that - due diligence is a term used for a number of concepts involving either the performance of an investigation of a business or person, or the performance of an act with a certain standard of care.

It can be a legal obligation, but the term will more commonly apply to voluntary investigations.

Due diligence in civil litigation is the effort made by an ordinarily prudent or reasonable party to avoid harm to another party.

Failure to make this effort may be considered negligence. Remember as a Chartered Surveyor you will be expected to apply the due diligence of a Chartered Surveyor as you are holding yourself up to be an expert in the field of knowledge.

The wording of the competence is interesting- at Level 1 you need to ‘demonstrate knowledge of the techniques used for cost, quality and time-related forensic examination in your area of practice’ - at Level 2 and Level 3 respectively you need to demonstrate you have the ability to apply and provide advice to clients. The wording is interesting because if focuses back on your technical ability in your chosen area of Surveying – the word ‘forensic’ implying a scientific structured application of skills.

Therefore you need to demonstrate that you understand (apply & advise depending on level) what technical skills are expected of a Chartered Surveyor in your area of practice and critically how you can demonstrate that you have met these requirements if challenged. You will have noticed the dreaded word ‘Negligence’ in the first paragraph!

Again this shows how important it is to create an audit trail of your thought process while you are undertaking your work – it provides the evidence of ‘Due Diligence’.

Competence: Building Pathology

2009-11-17T16:24:39.000Z

My advice here would be don’t pick anything too complex! There is always the danger that a candidate selects an extremely complex projects in an effort to demonstrate how skilled they are in the area of Building Pathology, but then struggle to demonstrate their competence because the complexity of the evidence conceals how the candidate has undertaken the work; remember it is you that is being assessed not the project.

As normal at Level 1 you must demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of building defects – but critically including collection of information, measurement and tests. At level 2 you must show how you are able to apply this knowledge to undertake surveys and use survey and other information to diagnose causes and mechanisms of failure. At level 3 you must demonstrate how you use the competences at level 1 and 2 to provide reasoned advice and appropriate recommendations, including the preparation and presentation of results.

As with previous competence, the importance of your site notes is critical in demonstrating your competence- your site notes are a record of your observations on site plus your thought process on site i.e. how and why you have come to your conclusions. For example, if you are observing and recording a crack in brickwork of low rise residential building, make sure you record the necessary information e.g. location, the measurements that you take (width, displacement, lateral) and other observations you make (even if it is- no evidence) – but also reference your site note records back to established publications such as BRE Digest 251.

By doing this you are demonstrating that you know how to record your observations and thought process, can relate your observations to recognised and accepted bench mark standards and critically, any element of a report developed from the site notes can be audited.

Supervisor & counsellor review – Part 1 – Explained

2009-11-13T16:30:00.000Z

WHAT IS THE SIX-MONTH MEETING?
As stipulated by RICS, the six-month meeting is another opportunity for the candidate to formally review their progress. It is also the first documented meeting at which the counsellor’s presence is formally required.

I believe that it is beneficial to have continuous communication between the candidate, supervisor and counsellor throughout the APC training period. From my experience, the quality of the relationship between all three parties is directly proportional to the success of a candidate at final assessment.

WHO SHOULD BE THE COUNSELLOR?
Prospective counsellors should read the RICS APC guide for supervisors, counsellors and employers. It is important that the counsellor is a chartered surveyor. Whilst the guide states it is preferable that that the counsellor is from the candidate’s pathway (professional group), I say it is imperative as then the counsellor will be best able to offer guidance and advice. If the counsellor is not from the candidate’s pathway they may not be able to mentor the candidate properly and may not understand what is the right competency experience for the candidate. If it is unavoidable that the counsellor is not from the candidate’s pathway, then these difficulties can be overcome if the supervisor is a chartered surveyor from the candidate’s pathway.

If no suitable counsellor exists in-house then a suitably chartered counsellor can be sought from an external source instead. Smaller firms, sole practitioners or departments within a larger non surveying organisation or local authority often use external counsellors. When external counsellors are used, it is important to ensure that they have the correct experience, are available and willing to commit the time and effort necessary to perform the role properly. Please note that RICS does not hold a list of counsellors as it is the employer’s responsibility to provide a counsellor for the candidate.

THE COUNSELLOR’S ROLE
The counsellor’s role is to objectively assess what the candidate and supervisor have been discussing since the start of the APC process and at their three-month meeting to establish their own perception of a candidate’s ability and competency. To best evaluate the candidate’s competency, it is useful if the counsellor probes the candidate’s knowledge, understanding and application of the processes and procedures undertaken in everyday working and documented in the APC diary.

The counsellor also needs to be in a position to update the supervisor and candidate on the latest APC thinking and suggest and facilitate additional training where necessary. The counsellor’s preparation for the six-month meeting will be discussed in two weeks’ time.

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THE SIX MONTH MEETING
The best meetings happen when the candidate, supervisor and counsellor are all together, either in person or in a conference call. The candidate should not meet the supervisor and counsellor separately. It is a very good idea for the candidate to send the supervisor and counsellor all of the required documentation to read a week in advance of the meeting. This will give the supervisor and the counsellor the opportunity to update themselves on the candidate’s progress and prepare relevant questions. This will then allow the supervisor and counsellor to make better use of the meeting, fully interrogating the candidate on their progress and understanding of the competencies.

The required documentation will be discussed more fully in next week’s article, candidate preparation. There is a requirement to document the six-month meeting formally and this should be done by using either the template available to download from the RICS website or a similar in-house reporting system.

Extra help
myAPC diary
Candidates can record APC competency experience in a straightforward, simple way and save enormous amounts of APC administration time. The myAPC diary 2009 also highlights experience deficiencies to help better plan the APC, and has simple diary entry and comprehensive error checking.
For more information and to purchase, visit www.delever.com

Candidate companion
A three-part booklet containing a detailed explanation of the changes to the UK APC and the new RICS templates and provides direction on how to complete the templates.
For more information and to purchase, visit www.delever.com

Next week: candidate preparation for the six-month counsellor and supervisor review – Part 2

Careers in Property guide

2009-11-11T10:26:32.000Z

Careers in Property is a guide produced for students interested in working in property.
It gives an impartial overview of the kind of work which is involved in surveying, the different sectors in which you can qualify and an overview of the companies who take graduates and support their completion of this qualification.
The publication, which was initiated and coordinated by Savills.
The full guide can be downloaded here CAREERS IN PROPERTY 2010.pdf.

APC Advice - Competence: Insurance

2009-11-06T16:42:16.000Z

The construction of this competence is very interesting.
As normal, at level 1 you are required to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the principles and practice in relation to your area of practice and at level 2 you need to show you are capable of applying your knowledge and/or be involved with the insurance of construction or property related matters.
For most of you this will be property related, but for some this will include other areas such as plant and machinery.
However, if you have to demonstrate your competence to level 3 you now must show a ‘thorough understanding of the regulations and practice governing insurance of construction and/or property related matters’.
So for level 3 candidates - make sure that you show how you have gained knowledge and understanding off the regulations – as this is not explicit within your progression through levels 1 and 2 as with most other competences.
If we focus on the calculation of reinstatement costs for a moment, the RICS produce a very useful ‘Guidance Note - Guide to Carrying Out Reinstatement Cost Assessments’.
You should familiarise yourself with the contents which includes:- Taking Instructions, Preparing for Inspection, Collecting Information, Processing Data and The Assessment Report. It also provides very useful data collection sheets.
A critical stage of any work is the taking of instructions; this is particularly true with insurance work. It is vital that you obtain a clear picture of what is required and what is included and what is excluded from your work.
In many case you may be required to guide the client as the expert.
This aspect of your work is re-enforced within the RICS Guidance Note with some 14 separate points highlighted for the taking of instructions.

RICS Rules of Conduct Overview

2009-11-06T16:30:00.000Z

It is extremely important for candidates to appreciate early on in the APC process just how critical the RICS Rules of Conduct are. In the hour long final assessment interview a candidate is likely to get asked three or four questions on the RICS Rules of Conduct. These are key questions that candidates cannot afford to get wrong. When I am chairing assessments, if a candidate gets just one of these questions wrong I would refer them, however good they may have been in the rest of the interview.

It is essential that candidates fully understand, appreciate and implement the RICS Rules of Conduct and use them as a foundation of their professional practice and decision making.

With this in mind, the following is a review of the changes to the RICS rules of conduct that have happened in the last few months since they were first published on 4th June 2007.

My research material has all been drawn from the RICS web site at www.rics.org and RICS Business magazine since January 2009. I hope you find the following interesting and of use.

Please note that the research I have done for this update is completely independent and based upon the latest documents I have found on the RICS web site on 1st October 2009 and reviewed against the originally published documents dated 4th June 2007. I take no responsibility for any errors or omissions in my research and I strongly suggest any individual keen to update themselves on the Rules of Conduct should do so by downloading the documents for themselves.

Rules of Conduct - Major Update since 4th June 2007

Lifelong Learning (LLL) / CPD – Updated 1st January 2009 (for Chartered Surveyors)

This has had a fundamental change where RICS now require a minimum of 20 hours LLL per year to be undertaken by Chartered Surveyors. The help sheet is available to download and is dated 1st January 2009.

The relevant extract/update from the lifelong learning help sheet:

“Quantity and quality
RICS requires members’ lifelong learning to be effective, enabling them to do their work competently. The outcome of the learning is as important as the number of hours spent on it, however RICS would find it difficult to consider less than 20 hours learning activities per year to be an appropriate amount of learning.”

Rules of Conduct, Help Sheets and Policy Documents as published 4th June 2007 but amended in October 2008, January 2009, April 2009 and May 2009.

Rules of Conduct - General Updates since 4th June 2007• RICS Rules of Conduct for APC Final Assessment - Guidance Note - No change
• Rules of Conduct for Members - Updated April 2009 - Rebrand and minor heading changes
• Lifelong Learning - Help Sheet - Updated January 2009 - Inclusion of minimum 20 hours per years
• Maintaining 12 Professional & Ethical Standards – Help Sheet - No change
• Rules of Conduct for Firms - Updated April 2009 - Rebrand and minor section and heading changes and communication methods.
• Complaints handling Procedure - Help Sheet - No change
• Approved Redress Mechanisms - Help Sheet - Updated January 2009 - Rebrand, layout and better definition of consumer or business redress mechanisms
• Training for Firms - Help Sheet - No change
• Clients’ Money General – Help Sheet – No change
• Clients’ Money Auctioneers – Help Sheet – No change
• Professional Indemnity Insurance – Policy Document – No change
• Use of Firms Designation ‘Regulated by RICS – Policy Document – No change
• Who Will Manage Your Business in Your Absence – Help Sheet – New October 2008
• Rules for the Registration of Firms – Updated April 2009 – Rebrand and further detail
• Online Registration of Firms – Help Sheet – New – No issue date
• Annual Fee for Firms 2008 – 2009 – Updated – No issue date
• How to Complain About an RICS Member or Firm – Help Sheet - No change
• How Complaints to RICS Firms are Dealt With – Help Sheet – No change
• How to Complaints to RICS are Dealt With – Help Sheet – Updated May 2009 – Minor wording change on disclosure of member and firm details
• Bye-Laws – Updated - November 2008
• Regulations – Updated - November 2008
• Supplemental Charter – Updated - November 2008

Download all of the relevant Rules of Conduct documentation at :
www.rics.org/newregulation or www.rics.org/regulation

Extra help
For a fuller explanation, see the DeLever DVD on the Rules of Conduct Explained www.delever.com/dvd

Next week: Explanation of the six-month counsellor and supervisor review – Part 1

APC advice - Competence: Economic Development

2009-10-30T16:46:14.000Z

As an economist I am fascinated by the role that real estate plays at the centre of economic activity and therefore I have a particular interest in this competency.
It always surprises me that the critical role of real estate in developed and developing economies is not fully recognised.
This competence requires you to demonstrate your performance in the economic principles and practice that underpin economic policy. The economic principles and practice remain fairly constant but the policies can change regularly; often depending on your geographical location.
It is therefore important to establish which policies you are working with. In many countries and regions governments provide guidance on Economic Policy via their websites- take a look and see what they provide for you.
It is important to note that this competence requires you to have knowledge not only of your geographical practice area but also development policies in the context of international, national, regional and local economic issues.
I would suggest that if you are attempting to demonstrate this competence you start a separate file to collect articles and data as you progress through your APC. Make different sections within your file to take information at Local, Regional, National and International levels- depending on the source of your information.
Don’t forget ‘blogs’ particularly from sources like BBC radio – who conveniently divide much of their output at ether National/International level and Regional/Local level.
Then see if you can follow a story associated with your work from local level through to national or international policy.
This will provide you with the depth of understanding required.
For anyone who would like to take their interest further in this subject I would urge you to read ‘The Mystery of capital’ by Hernando De Soto – the first chapter of his book can be read on line at http://www.ild.org.pe/eng/mystery.htm

Month 3 Supervisor review – Part 4 – Conclusion

2009-10-30T15:13:31.000Z

IT IS IMPORTANT TO GET THE conclusion of the three-month meeting right, as it sets the candidate up for the next three months until the six-month meeting.

Once all discussions have been held between the supervisor and candidate and the candidate has managed to convince the supervisor of their ability and levels of competency, the following steps need to be taken to conclude the meeting fully:

1. The supervisor agrees any final changes to the candidate’s three-month documentation ready for the candidate to continue to follow the APC timeline. Supervisors should try to accommodate as soon as possible any changes to the training required which may become apparent during the 3-month meeting. Supervisors need to manage a candidate’s experience and competency achievement so that the candidate has the required breadth and depth of experience at the final assessment.

2. Actions and targets for the six-month meeting are set. Candidates will need to provide more of the same documentation updated and emailed to their supervisors and counsellors before the next meeting.

3. The next professional development opportunities that are required should be reviewed and, if relevant, linked to ongoing training that the candidate would normally be doing. Professional development (PD) is a key area to focus on after the three-month meeting. The previous article Professional Development Explained, published 25 September 2009 covered PD in detail and it is just worth reminding you that the RICS guides state ‘[PD] … helps you to gain extra skills and knowledge which are not always possible to get within the week-to-week business …’

4. Supervisors can download from www.rics.org a formal meeting report template for supervisor’s comments. RICS guides also suggest that in-house report templates, such as those used for appraisals, can be used, but this needs careful consideration to ensure that they contain all of the relevant detail and are produced at the correct points in the APC timeline.

5. I think it is a good idea for the counsellor to get involved at each three month meeting. This keeps them up to date and saves explanations and report reviewing at the 6 month meeting, so it is beneficial to all parties for the counsellor to attend all the formal meetings. If this is not possible, then it is useful for the supervisor to contact the counsellor after the meeting to inform them of what has been achieved and also to send them copies of the templates to show the competency achievements to date.

Even though the candidate is only three months into the process, it is likely to start becoming apparent what can or cannot be achieved within the week-to-week business. It is advisable to apply careful consideration and research into the experience that is available to candidates.

Do not forget RICS matrics, RICS regional and national events, and also any other form of learning and outside work involvement that is character and contact
building and can benefit a candidate’s knowledge and understanding.

Next week: Six-month supervisor and counsellor review Part 1

Month 3 Supervisor review - part 3 - Supervisor

2009-10-23T11:30:00.000Z

SUPERVISOR MEETINGS ARE ESSENTIAL TO ensure that the supervisor spends quality time with the candidate reviewing their APC development. It is vital that the supervisor reads all of the relevant APC guides and pathway guides and is familiar with the process and what is required of supervisors.

Generally, the greater the level of the supervisor’s involvement the greater chance the candidate has of being successful at final assessment. Even so, I have found that still only about a quarter of supervisors and counsellors appreciate the benefit they can bring to the candidate’s training process.

Supervisors should set the correct level of expectation at the outset and establish what they require from the candidate at the meetings. Also, it is important for the supervisor to empower the candidate to manage the whole process to ensure everything is delivered at the right time.

If supervisors get this right from the beginning then I believe their role can be delivered easily and much more effectively. The supervisor needs to appreciate the breadth and depth of a competency and work with the candidate to establish the correct experience to achieve the required level of competencies.

It is important for supervisors to download from www.rics.org the latest copies of the APC requirements and competencies guide (version 2, July 2009) and APC competency pathway guide relevant to the candidate’s chosen pathway. It is beneficial, but not mandatory, to have a chartered surveyor acting as the supervisor and preferably chartered in the pathway the candidate is undertaking.

During the three-month meeting the supervisor should promote the discussion
about the candidate’s experience, and discuss the experience in the context of the plan that was created at the outset of the candidate’s APC training process and how it all relates to the required competencies. Supervisors should work through the documentation as follows:

Diary
Is it up to date? Do the entries make sense and relate to the work being undertaken by the candidate? If there are gaps the supervisor should ask why and seek solutions. Supervisors should keep the RICS minimum requirements in mind and try to balance experience time over the 24 months for graduate route 1 candidates.

Template 3 Achievement Record (Log Book)
Has this been created? This is an important document that demonstrates competency achievement and highlights early warnings, such as a dominant competency which could arise from the candidate being stuck on a project or in specific working practices. If left unchecked, the candidate could have an unbalanced level of experience. When the supervisor is convinced of the
candidate’s progress, the next step is to consider the individual levels of competency that have been achieved and date them accordingly in Template 3.

Template 4 Professional Development
Is the candidate doing enough? There is a requirement to achieve a minimum of 48 hours professional development for every 12 months. Professional development is an important component of APC documentation and aids the candidate in developing their Level 1 competencies, knowledge and understanding. The supervisor should check that the candidate can be given ongoing opportunities that fit with the professional development breakdown noted in the guides.

Template 6 Experience Record
The candidate should start to write this template from the start of the APC process, recording possible relevant experiences and real life project information. It is important to note down all experiences and then periodically review what has been achieved and what is still outstanding in order to make relevant training plans. The supervisor should use this information to discuss and question the candidate on their achievements. Where there are gaps in knowledge or experience the supervisor should make note of these for further assessment at future 3 monthly meetings.

See the DeLever 20 Top Tips DVD for Supervisors and Counsellors where we explain the key things that a Supervisor and Counsellor should consider to effectively mentor their candidate through the APC process. See: www.delever.com/dvd

Next week: Concluding the 3 month meeting

APC Advice - Competence: Data Management

2009-10-23T11:30:00.000Z

The last of the mandatory competences we need to cover is Data Management. This competence is set at a minimum of level one. At level one this competence requires you to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the sources of information and data, and of the systems applicable to your area of practice, including the methodologies and techniques most appropriate to collect, collate and store data.

This is not unreasonable- as Chartered Surveyors all we really do is gather information, analyse it and use it to advise our clients- so knowing where it has come from, how it has been adjusted, stored and retrieved is an essential skill.

So what is Data and what is Data Management?

Data is the basic ‘stuff’ which underlies both information and knowledge within an organisation. It is the raw material which can be collected at the point in which it occurs or is created.

Data Management: a useful description is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): ‘Data Management includes the activities of strategic data planning, data element standardisation, information management control, data synchronisation, data sharing and database development.’

This description not only includes the data itself, but also the means by which the data is stored and presented to its clients.

To demonstrate your competence in this area you should have knowledge about the key data you use in practice- be that data generated internally to your firm or through external sources. One of the best ways of demonstrating your competence is to be able to talk about situations where the data source is not suitable for use and why it is not suitable to use in the particular circumstance.

Month 3 Supervisor review - part 2 - Candidate Preparation

2009-10-14T09:00:00.000Z

This article describes the candidate’s role and the preparation required leading up to the 3 month meeting. I believe that candidates should be responsible for the administration and management of their APC process and they need to be very proactive for the 3 monthly meetings to happen properly. There are some clearly defined steps that all candidates should consider.

Booking 3 month meetings and ensuring attendance
Candidates should organise the date and location of the meeting. This is an ideal way for candidates to demonstrate their organisational and administration skills, team building and time management abilities which can fit into some of the mandatory competency achievements.

Pre-meeting documentation

The APC 3 month meeting should be handled like any other business or client meeting. Attendees should have the agenda and copies of the relevant information in advance.

I suggest candidates prepare the following from the APC final assessment templates:

1. The APC diary.
The APC diary is not included in the final assessment templates (MS Excel workbook format), but is available as a separate template (MS Word format) to download from www.rics.org. The diary should be up to date and I strongly suggest that it is written up in the available template format. The diary is a key component to demonstrating real life experience and competency achievement.

2. Template 3 – The Achievement Record (Log book).
This is generated from entering the APC diary totals into the log books.

3. Template 4 - Professional development.
This is important to regularly record and evaluate over time as candidates without the required quota of hours (Graduate 1 & 2 minimum 48 hours per year and all other routes 20 hours per year) will probably be referred at final assessment. Also just as a reminder, much more information is now required to be recorded.

4. Template 6 – Experience record
This should be the relevant experiences and projects the candidate has worked on to date. This template should continually grow over the APC training period and then be finally edited prior to the submission of the final assessment documents. Close attention should be paid to the competency levels to ensure that the candidate is gaining the right experience.

5. Templates 7 & 8 are for referred candidates but should be utilised in the same way as template 4 or 6 above.

The APC Diary
This should be used to succinctly record working experiences relative to the competencies that the candidate is achieving. If candidates do not record relevant information at the time the experience is gained, it can be frustrating later to try and remember where and when the experience was gained.

I generally advise that candidates should write a sentence or two for each day (i.e. one week to one A4 page), briefly explaining what it is that has been achieved and the key points relevant to the competency, so that in 12 or 24 months it can be used as a good reminder when the candidate is preparing for the final assessment.

The APC guides stipulate that competency experience can be recorded for a minimum of a half day and I suggest that four hours per half day is a good rule of thumb. Candidates should only tag one competency reference per duration recorded (half or whole day). If a candidate undertakes many differing roles or processes in a day, it is a good idea to record the APC diary at the end the week and amalgamate daily duties into four-hour (half day) or eight-hour (whole day) chunks of one type of competency which can then be tagged with the appropriate competency reference.

While the APC diary is not required at final assessment submission or interview stage, it will be used to create the log book and can be called for by the final assessment panel if they deem it necessary.

The myAPC diary software can save over 60% of a candidate’s APC recording and administration. See: www.delever.com/myapc.

An RICS web site quick link guide can be found on the home page of www.apccentre.com and in the DeLever newsletter, available to download at www.delever.com

Month 3 Supervisor review - part 1 - Explanation

2009-10-09T14:00:00.000Z

The 3 Month meeting

The candidate, supervisor and counsellor should have discussed the competencies and APC process at the APC application stage and the candidate should now be moving ahead at full steam on the right path towards the final assessment and gaining relevant real life and useful competency experience along the way.

Whilst the supervisor and candidate should chat regularly about the candidate’s training, the 3 month meeting is the first formal review of the candidate’s progress and it is important not to delay this meeting, the 3 monthly meetings should be held every 3 months from the date the candidate starts their APC training.

I suggest that it is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that these meetings are booked well in advance and that all of the relevant parties are reminded to attend in good time. I would suggest that a good target to aim for is to hold the meetings within a week or so of the planned 3 month meeting stage.

Some candidates, supervisors and counsellors delay the meetings or do not hold them at all as they are seen as a low priority. This is not the case. It is a requirement of the RICS APC process to deliver these formal meetings as detailed in the APC guides and in the employers approved Structured Training Agreement that every Graduate route 1 and 2 candidate should be following.

These are not the only meetings that the candidate and the supervisor should have, but they are the minimum requirement dictated by RICS for formalising an effective APC training process.

If you want to know more about where and how the 3 monthly meetings fit into the APC process, order your free copy of the DeLever APC Timeline Wallchart which lays out the whole process in an easy to understand picture.

Template for success

The formal three-month meeting is an opportunity to objectively assess the candidate’s progress and it is a good idea for the candidate to produce up-to-date copies of their RICS Final Assessment templates prior to the meetings. Also candidates need to consider how best to discuss, demonstrate and confirm with their supervisor the work and experience they have achieved to date.

Part of the reason behind the changes to the RICS templates in December 2008 was because candidates continued to submit generalisations and not demonstrate competency achievement by giving specific details of real life experience against real projects. This in turn caused problems at final assessment as candidates mistakenly do not prepare for this style of competency based assessment, so are not able to demonstrate their experience at the assessment. It quite clearly states it in the candidate guide that the assessment is an experiential based assessment.

A good way of recording the right information is to start to fill in the RICS Final Assessment templates, specifically templates 4 and 6 and start to record the ongoing experience and how it relates to the relevant competency and required competency levels. Then through discussion with the supervisor (and the counsellor in the future) the candidate can convince them that they are competent and can have the corresponding competency level signed off. The templates can be downloaded at www.rics.org

As template 6 is completed over time it will start to hold a wealth of useful examples where candidates have achieved competencies. I think that candidates should not go forwards for the final assessment unless they can demonstrate every declared competency level 2 and 3 has been achieved by involvement in a real project or process. Also, that interaction needs to be relevant and to the competency level being signed off. Use the RICS pathway guides to help establish the correct levels.

If candidates delay writing up the final assessment templates this causes problems later in the APC process when the burden of the administration gets in the way of the more pressing priorities nearer to the final assessment. The DeLever myAPC diary may be of interest here as it saves over 60% of the recording and administration time. www.delever.com/myapc

The candidate should submit their final assessment templates to the supervisor at least one week before the meeting to enable them sufficient time to read and digest the detail. This also allows the meeting to be focused on assessing progress and competency experiences which will help to identify whether there is over development of one type of competency or aspect of the templates and the under development of others .

Far too many supervisors, counsellors and candidates I talk to enter into these meetings with little or no information and waste too much time on administration which the candidate could have completed beforehand.

Finally, it is important for the supervisor to set the ethos of these 3 monthly meetings at the outset. They are an opportunity for the candidate and supervisor to demonstrate professional commitment to the APC process, to discuss and develop competency, identify relevant real life competency-based experience and report and record every important bit of the detail along the way.

Extra help

If you want to know more about where and how the 3 monthly meetings fit into the APC process, order your free copy of the DeLever APC Timeline Wallchart which lays out the whole process in an easy to understand picture.

The DeLever myAPC diary may be of interest as it saves over 60% of APC recording and administration time. www.delever.com/myapc

An RICS web site quick link guide can be found on the home page of www.apccentre.com and in the DeLever newsletter, available to download at www.delever.com

APC Advice - Competence: Conflict avoidance, management and dispute resolution procedures

2009-10-09T13:30:00.000Z

This mandatory level 1 competence is fundamental to being a chartered surveyor. The property and construction industries are competitive environments and conflict is inevitable. Disputes are a different matter. Disputes are time consuming, expensive and unpleasant and they can destroy client relationships.

Demonstrating your competence in the area of conflict avoidance, management and dispute resolution is probably one of the most straightforward competences to demonstrate. Because it is so fundamental to being a chartered surveyor your conduct in the area is controlled and therefore if you are aware of the control mechanisms and their operation you will be in a position to demonstrate your competence in this area of practice. There is not space here to re-print the complete text but I would recommend that you read and understand the following:

- RICS Byelaw 19 - requires every member to comply with the Regulations regarding the avoidance of conflicts of interest and the management of any conflicts of interest which may arise.

- RICS Rules of Conduct - (4th June 07). The rules contain key elements for conflict avoidance. In section two, rule 3 is about - Integrity and states that Members shall at all times act with integrity and avoid conflicts of interest and any actions or situations that are inconsistent with their professional obligations.

The RICS has produced a series of leaflets for members and clients that explain how they can deal with complaints and I would suggest that you obtain copies if you do not already have them. Having an understanding of these key conduct areas and a working knowledge of your own organizations complaints procedures will provide the cornerstone in demonstrating your competence in conflict avoidance, management and dispute resolution procedures.

Getting off on the right foot part 7- Professional Development Explained

2009-09-25T10:00:00.000Z

I often find that candidates do not give professional development a high enough priority during their APC. A well planned schedule of relevant professional development that fits in with your competencies can really enhance your understanding of them and help you to become more competent more quickly.

In this article I describe what professional development is, how to record it and where you can find suitable professional development events.

What is professional development?
The RICS guide states that professional development ‘helps you to gain extra skills and knowledge that are not always possible to get within the week-to-week business’.

Professional development is an excellent tool to gain additional level 1 knowledge and understanding of a competency. However, I believe it is not suitable for competency levels 2 and 3 where you need to gain practical real life experience and demonstrate what you have done to achieve each competency and level.

Take care when planning and selecting professional development and make it relevant to your declared competencies.

How much professional development do I need to record?
For graduate routes 1 and 2 professional development is a minimum of 48 hours a year.

There has been a recent relaxing in the rules for graduate route 1, if necessary you can record less than 48 hours in any one year as long as the total quota of hours adds up to a minimum of 96 hours in the minimum 24 months. Other routes must comply with CPD guidance in the Rules of Conduct.

Graduate 1 and 2 candidates should follow the suggested RICS framework where the 48 hours are split into three groups of 16 hours.

The three groups are personal skills development linked to mandatory competencies, technical skills development linked to the technical core and technical optional competencies and professional practice skills development linked to professional practice for example Rules of Conduct, ethics etc

Recording professional development
You record your professional development in the RICS Final assessment template 4. Since the RICS template changes in December 2008, there is a requirement to write much more explanation. Please see the Candidate Companion from www.delever.com/companion for more help on this.

What can be recorded as professional development?
Anything can be recorded as professional development but it will benefit you more if it relates to your declared competencies and fits with the 16-hour breakdown.

Non-RICS events may be useful and can be recorded if they complement your competencies.

The RICS guide says you can record a final year’s worth of education against one year of professional development, but this should be supplemented with other professional development. Those doing an MSc and the APC concurrently are advised to record no more than 24 hours of education (50% of the allowance) as professional development per 12-month period over the 24-month training period.

You should not neglect professional practices skills development, particularly If the RICS rules of conduct, ethics, the structure and role of the institution and the RICS website are not covered within your education.

I would advise any candidate considering using their education for their professional development to consider using it only as a top up. It is important to attend RICS events, be involved in RICS matrics and demonstrate to the assessors your willingness to ‘get involved’.

Exclusive private study is not the best way to deal with the professional development requirements. A small portion of private study, generally research and reading is acceptable as long as it is outweighed with individual and group interaction with fellow professionals. There is no substitute for getting out there attending events and becoming involved in RICS.

Final assessment
The final assessment assessors are trained to review and ask questions about your professional development records. You need to be able to show that you have gained professional development that is relevant to your competencies and demonstrate to the assessors your willingness to get involved with RICS.

From my experience assessors are unlikely to refer you on a professional development issue alone (as long as you have not fabricated the information!). However, getting professional development wrong can affect your success at APC.

You should read the APC guides, make sure that you understand the final assessment templates and record what is being asked of you to the correct levels. At the final assessment be prepared to discuss in detail the professional development you have recorded.

Referred candidates
If you have been unfortunate enough to have been referred it is extremely important that you consider your professional development carefully for your next assessment. You will have to complete template 8, the professional development deficiency record.

Please ensure that you focus your professional development on the areas of deficiency noted in your referral report as this demonstrates to assessors that you have thought about your referral properly and professionally. Also, assessors are likely to question you specifically on your referral areas so this makes perfect sense.

Where can I find suitable professional development events?
The RICS web site has lists lots of RICS events. Visit www.rics.org/events and click on events search to find events in your area or about a particular subject.

The RICS regional magazines contain information on events taking place in your region.

APC Advice - Competence: Teamworking

2009-09-25T10:00:00.000Z

Team-working is another mandatory competence within the APC.

It is an interesting area to consider how best to demonstrate your competence.

Many candidates, particularly in the APC interview, are so focussed on demonstrating their own competence that they forget to acknowledge the input of others into whatever process or case study they are discussing.

Remembering that you are required to demonstrate Team-Working to a minimum of level 1, you are therefore required to show that you have the knowledge and understanding of Team-Working.

It is easy to dismiss this as being obvious – but do not fall into that trap – as your interview panel will be looking for you to show that you recognise the input others have made and how the Team contributed to the job being achieved.

Most of you will have covered the subject area in your academic courses- but probably in the first year and therefore a refresher would be a sensible step.

Simply being able to talk about the old adage of TEAM standing for Together Everyone Achieves More-so often seen on the Entry to School sports-grounds and playing fields – will give you a good start.

However distinguishing between Teamwork and Leadership allows you to take the demonstration of your knowledge and understanding that little bit further. Two commonly accepted definitions of Leadership and Teamwork are:

* leadership – is Establishing a vision of the future and developing management committed to the approach;
* teamwork – is managers, staff, customers and suppliers working together.

We all recognize the importance of Teamwork- so don’t forget to demonstrate that you have used it and have the required underpinning Knowledge and Understanding.

Getting off on the right foot part 6 - Recording your experience

2009-09-18T15:30:00.000Z

The APC process culminates in an ‘Experiential Based Assessment’ which means that the competencies for the pathway you are following need to be demonstrated through real-life experience. Therefore, it is essential to understand the competencies and gather and record real-life competency experience properly and effectively.

To remind you there are three types of competency

Technical core competencies are relevant to your pathway and experience in them should be able to be gained through your everyday work. For most pathways technical core competencies are a set list and cannot be changed. Depending on the pathway, this list can comprise of anything from one to nine technical core competencies.

Technical optional competencies cover a wide range of subjects. Select the few which best describe the unique experience that you are gaining.

Mandatory competencies are the business skills and soft skills that you should gain during your normal working life. For example, leadership, team working, health and safety and client care are all mandatory competencies.

I believe that the most important competency of all is a mandatory competency, Rules of Conduct which all candidates need to achieve to level 3 (I will explain the levels later in this article). It is essential that all candidates understand the rules they are working within and are bound by even as a student member of RICS. The rules of conduct should be the benchmark against which every decision and working practice should be measured. Therefore, it is a competency that you should be aware of and gaining experience in right from the start of your APC.

Once you have decided which pathway you wish to follow, the requirements and competencies guide and pathway guides will help support you in your final selection of competency. It is often frustrating when speaking to candidates as many do not fully know or understand which competencies they are following. Sadly, this often follows through to the final assessment and the pass rates seem to reflect this.

Competency levels

Each competency has three levels and the Requirements and Competencies Guide dictates the levels required for each pathway. The experience you need to gather is then based upon these levels.

Level 1 – Knowledge and understanding

How did you develop your knowledge and understanding? For example, was it through education, reading, observing others, discussing processes with colleagues or following a process laid down by your employer?

Level 2 – Application

How have you applied your knowledge and understanding? What projects, processes and tasks have you undertaken to demonstrate your real-life experiences?

Level 3 – Offering advice

How have you developed your experience to achieve a level of competence where you are able to offer professional advice and get it right first time giving your clients full confidence in your ability?

The levels are key to competency achievement and it is important to remember that every level 2 and 3 competency needs to have real-life project experience allotted to them.

The step from level 2 to level 3 is often much wider than you think. As level 2 is a reflection of technical ability, a candidate can be competent enough to do the job, but would need a lot more experience before being able to offer professionally competent advice.

There is no specific quota of experience days for each competency level as it is about a candidate’s ability to learn and develop. For example, what takes one candidate 6 months to achieve may take another candidate only 3 months, due to the amount and quality of available experience. So, don’t get hung up on the time served, but focus on quality of experience and achievement of your competencies.

Final assessment templates

The log book (template 3) contains the level of experience you have recorded against each of the competencies you have declared. At the final assessment, an assessor will be interested in the spread of experience relevant to the number of technical core and optional competencies you have chosen and the required levels.

Professional development (template 4) is also key to your experience development and is more focussed on planned and structured learning. It is important to record professional development properly and we will be considering this in a future article.

The new experience record (template 6) is the amalgamation of the interim assessment and the final assessment reports. Template 6 should focus you on regular weekly and monthly recording of your competency experience. It is the experience record that tells your unique and individual story of experience and competency achievement. The experience record template along with the critical analysis paints a picture of the candidate assessors expect to see walking through the door at the final assessment.

Interestingly, from my experience as an assessor and as a chairman, the picture conjured up from the documentation does not always fit the candidate sat in front of me. Often a good set of documents does not guarantee a competent candidate and vice versa. This is why a full understanding of the competencies is paramount and from that will come excellent experience and professional documentation that does you real justice.

Three-monthly reviews

It is important to make sure you and your supervisor and counsellor regularly review the experience gained to achieve the competencies and levels (every 3 months as a minimum) and sign them off regularly as you achieve them. Prepare progress reports for each of the three monthly meetings so that you are able to discuss with and demonstrate to your supervisor and counsellor all of your experience and achievements since your last meeting.

These meetings will help you to keep track of your competency experience and help you stay focussed on achieving the right competency experience.

The final assessment

The competency experience recorded in the final assessment documents needs to have sufficient information recorded against each level and where required real-life examples and experiences relating to projects and processes you are undertaking.

It is likely that at the final assessment you will be nervous and stressed. If you have provided examples and real life project names in your documentation, the assessors will usually ask you about them and this can be a small comfort as you are being questioned about things you have done. However, if the documented information is poor the assessors will still focus on competency and expect you to describe good examples of your experience and achievements on the spot and in a stressful environment it may be too difficult for you to think of the best examples of your experience. Therefore, when an assessor reviews your final assessment templates and critical analysis documentation there should be a wealth of information available regarding your experience and real-life achievements.

I suggest that your supervisor and counsellor help you to gather relevant information by discussing your experience and helping you to understand the levels of competency you have declared.

Remember when recording experience to maintain client confidentiality and it is good professional practice to seek your client’s permission if you wish to use their name and project details in your documentation.

Finally

The APC is not to be undertaken lightly. It requires a high degree of dedication and for candidates to achieve it successfully they need to fully understand the competencies and approach gaining the right experience at the right time and in a professional manner.

Extra help

You can download the Requirements and Competencies Guide and the Pathway Guides from www.rics.org, or visit www.apccentre.com for a quick link to the guides.

DeLever’s Rules of Conduct DVD is an in-depth look at the RICS rules of conduct, including guidance on how the rules of conduct may be tested at the APC final assessment.

Getting off on the right foot part 5 - Explanation of the final assessment templates

2009-09-15T09:30:00.000Z

RICS gave the final assessment templates a facelift in December 2008 and they have now been used and well tested in the assessments at the beginning of 2009. June 2009 saw a small update to the templates, version 2 is the latest version available on the RICS web site or one click from www.apccentre.com.

This article will focus on a brief explanation of each template.

Template 1 – Candidate Declaration

This template contains all of the relevant candidate details and incorporates the only sign-off point for the candidate, supervisor and counsellor and an overall declaration regarding the content of the candidate’s whole final assessment submission. The information enclosed in this template enables the assessment panel to build an overall picture of the candidate.

Template 2 – Candidate Checklist

This template is crucial as it lists all of the relevant documents that a candidate MUST provide to RICS at the final assessment document submission stage. It is a simple exercise to produce the documentation and then place an ‘X’ next to every document in the list that the candidate is required to submit to RICS for their final assessment.

Template 3 – Achievement Record

This template is the same as the ‘old’ RICS log book Word template, however, it is now written in Excel and it has some really useful low level calculation. It is broken into a number of sections with the addition of a log book summary which is a huge improvement and provides the final assessment assessors with a running total of all competencies year on year and an overall total level of experience recorded by the candidate. Template 3 includes the competency selection dropdown lists in the log book summary tables at the top of the page. The system will then automatically populate the log books and the remaining templates 6 and 7.

Template 4 – Development Record (PD / LLL)

This template contains the candidate’s professional development (Graduate 1 and 2). Template 4 requires the candidate to write much more in the description section. Please note:

RICS requires candidates to record 96 hours Professional Development in 2 years (23 months) with an equal balance of 48 hours across each year where possible.

Template 5 – Education and Membership Record

This template contains the candidate’s employment details and membership of other professional bodies. Template 5 replaces the old resume / education and employment templates.

Template 6 – Experience Record

Candidates should try and update their records at every three month key milestone meeting, which can then be discussed with the supervisor and counsellor at the meetings and any competency level achievement recorded and dated when achieved in the achievement record (template 3). Whilst these discussions should really happen continually throughout the candidates training, Template 6 is extremely important for the candidate, supervisor and counsellor to complete as the training progresses. Once the candidate has selected their competencies in Template 3, the competencies automatically filter down into this template. Candidates are required to describe against each level of their declared competencies what they have done to achieve the level and give real-life examples of their experience for all levels 2 and 3.

Template 7 – Referral Deficiency Report

Relevant to Referred candidates ONLY

Template 7 is a written report of the candidate’s progress since referral and should contain examples of experience gained in direct response to the candidate’s competency deficiencies noted in their referral report.

Template 8 – PD/LLL Deficiency Report

Relevant to Referred candidates ONLY

Template 8 is a written report of candidates’ progress since referral for continuing PD / LLL generally, or against any items noted in their referral report.

If you want more detail and some worked examples of the templates, see the DeLever Candidate Companion at www.delever.com/companion – special offer for this product on the right of this page.

Getting off on the right foot part 4 – Understanding the competencies

2009-09-03T11:30:00.000Z

COMPETENCIES AND FINAL ASSESSMENT

The competencies are the key to achieving success at the final assessment and they are specifically there to give candidates the opportunity to demonstrate their experience and levels of achievement to the final assessment panel. It is therefore vital that everyone understands what a candidate is meant to do for each competency.

This article does not describe each competency, as the RICS APC guides and Pathway guides clearly explain what is required. But it does give pointers about how to approach competency choices and how to go about gathering relevant experience.

SELECTING COMPETENCIES
When a candidate embarks upon the APC, their employer needs to have an approved structured training agreement (STA) in place. Approval of the STA can be sought by contacting a local RICS training adviser for guidance and assistance.

A key component of the STA is the competency planner which demonstrates which competencies the candidate is considering . With the employer supervisor and counsellor a candidate can amend the competency planner for their own individual circumstances. It is very important for all parties to carefully read the APC/ATC Requirements and Competencies Guide 2006 (updated V2-July2009), making sure they select and review the correct pathway and competency selection.

Before launching into selecting Competencies I suggest the following is considered: 1 Select the competencies in the knowledge that the employer, supervisor and counsellor are in full agreement of what can be achieved. I would advise anyone not to choose any competencies that your employer cannot provide experience in (obviously). Employers are advised to arrange secondments for candidates if they are unable to provide experience in-house.

2 Make sure you fully understand the competency requirements and type of experience levels required to complete each competency. RICS professional groups have many months ago published Pathway Guides detailing the competencies relevant to their professional groups and a breakdown of relevant activities under each competency level. Pathway guides can be downloaded at www.rics.org/pathway. Note that the RICS guidance is not exhaustive and candidates should rely on their supervisor and counsellor to fill in any gaps.

If after reviewing the guidance there are still queries about the competencies, try contacting an APC doctor from your pathway. APC Doctors are listed on the RICS web site (see www.rics.org/apc). It is important to realise that APC doctors are voluntary, so please make contact in good time and in a polite and professional manner.

DEMONSTRATING COMPETENCIES

Candidates will have to demonstrate relevant experience against declared competencies and ultimately they will be tested at length in the final assessment about their knowledge, application and experience.

It is important to consider the following:

1 Look at everything that the candidate does in their normal working day and consider how it relates to the declared competencies.

2 Review and reread the competency requirements regularly and make it a matter of course as part of the preparation for each three-monthly meeting.

3 Always consider what must be record to demonstrate competency to the supervisor and counsellor and ultimately the final assessment panel. Collect examples and evidence of real-life experience and be able to discuss them at length, naming names where possible and as long as it does not breach confidentiality.

4 Do not be surprised if some of the daily tasks relate to more than one declared competency, but remember only one activity can be recorded against one competency duration – a half or whole day.

5 Be aware that candidates are going to have to write detailed yet concise summaries of their experience relevant to competency and levels, in the NEW RICS final assessment templates, particularly in template six

6. Anything the candidate submits to RICS as part of their final assessment documentation is open to questioning and discussion by the final assessment panel, so it is important for candidates to be able to demonstrate concise examples of their experience in a professional manner.

APC Advice - Competence: Communication

2009-09-03T11:30:00.000Z

This is what we do all the time, not only as Chartered Surveyors but in our daily lives and it is therefore not surprising that Communication and Negotiation are a mandatory competence within the APC framework.

Communication and Negotiation is set at a minimum of level 2- that is that you must achieve a level where you can apply the knowledge and understanding you have of communication and negotiation.

Remember that as you progress through to level two you may also be questioned at level 1 (knowledge and understanding) as you are required to demonstrate that you have reached the required level in a logical progression and in successive stages.

If we focus on Communication this week we will look at negotiations next week.

Communication can take numerous forms including face to face contact, telephone, emails, letters, sit notes, file notes, meeting minutes etc.

Of course the interview process itself you will have the opportunity to demonstrate your face to face communication skills. Many candidates get extremely nervous before they undertake their presentation to the interview panel – one tip I have found extremely useful is to make sure I have a first line which is ‘easy to say’ fixed in my head; no long words or combination of words that are difficult to pronounce; have that sentence in your head and stick to I, you will feel a lot better once you have started.

Another way you can demonstrate your competence in Communication is to include a short section in your critical analysis that reflects on how the communication process developed through the selected project.
Keep it short and to the point – but by the reflection you are demonstrating to the panel that you have the knowledge and understanding and can apply it.