Competencies of Professional Quantity Surveyors in a

Developing Economy
R N NKADO
Department of Quantity Surveying, University of Port Elizabeth
PO Box 1600, Port Elizabeth 6000, South Africa
quarnn@upe.ac.za

Abstract
The effectiveness of consultants in meeting the needs of clients in the built environment of a developing
economy is influenced by their recognition and application of context-relevant competencies. This paper
presents a model of the important competencies required of those providing current quantity surveying
services and discusses the critical inputs expected of key role-players. A review of related literature
followed by in-depth interviews of selected practitioners yielded twenty-three defined competencies that
were presented in a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was completed by 150 practitioners from a
proportional stratified random sample of professional quantity surveyors in South Africa. The techniques
of re-scaling, factor analysis, content analysis and ranking were applied to the survey feedback. Results
showed a high degree of consistency among all respondents, regardless of demographic differences, in the
ranking of the importance of the competencies. A four-factor solution was obtained from factor analysis of
the rated competencies and suggested that the body of knowledge, skills and values that underpin quantity
surveying could be represented in a simplified model. The four competency dimensions, in order of
importance are labelled Relationships, Built environment objectives, Technical skills, and Property
economics. To sustain the model, academic institutions, individual quantity surveying firms and the
Association of South African Quantity Surveyors have defined roles to play.
Keywords: Competencies, development, education, quantity surveyors, South Africa.

INTRODUCTION
Stewart and Hamlin (1992) define competency as something which a person who works in a given
occupational area should be able to do. Holmes and Joyce (1993) view competency as a description of an
action, behaviour or outcome which a person should be able to demonstrate, or the ability to transfer skills
and knowledge to new situations within the occupational area. Meyer and Semark (1996) describe
competence as the demonstration of an integration of knowledge, skill, personal attributes and value
orientation. Wisher (1994) insists that competencies provide a common cultural thread, a language for
success, a framework for thinking about excellence and a way of communicating the future.
A justification for a study of the competencies required of quantity surveyors is that the ability of the
quantity surveying profession to meet differing and changing client needs and to grow the market for
quantity surveying services depends on the knowledge base of the profession. Prokesch (1997) advocates
that building and leveraging knowledge is the key to success in this age of globalisation, while Male (1990)
opines that knowledge is an important power base for professions generally.
The quantity surveying profession faces threats to its traditional roles and functions as a result of changing
client needs in the construction industry (Matzdorf et al., 1997; National Economic Development Office,
1988), advances in technology and the particular needs of a developing economy. Brandon (1990) suggests

that the professions continuing relevance and growth could require enhancing its knowledge domain so
that it can move quickly into new areas of service as opportunities arise. At the same time, it should be
prepared to move away from old methods when technology and competition make them redundant.
Competent quantity surveyors must have a range of skills, knowledge and understanding which can be
applied in a range of contexts and organisations (Hassall et al., 1996). Yet pressing issues which confront
the quantity surveying profession today include increasing the relevance and level of awareness of the
professions services in the built environment and increasing the range of business opportunities for
continued growth. These issues can be addressed by a competency-based review of the profession (Mole,
Plant & Salaman, 1993). This paper presents a model of the important competencies expected of quantity
surveyors and briefly describes the critical inputs required of key role-players for the effectiveness of the
model in sustaining the competencies of quantity surveyors.

PERSPECTIVES ON QUANTITY SURVEYING COMPETENCIES

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) (1971) and Male (1990) emphasise that the distinctive
competencies or skills of the quantity surveyor are associated with measurement and valuation which
provide the basis for the proper cost management of the construction project in the context of forecasting,
analysing, planning, controlling and accounting. Leveson (1996) indicates that quantity surveying
competencies lie in the financial and contractual control of the building project but advises quantity
surveyors to pay attention to developing soft skills.
According to Hassal et al. (1996), the process of professionalisation demands that a profession should take
responsibility for a prescribed body of knowledge by first defining the substantive field of knowledge that
the professional should command and secondly the process of applying that knowledge. Willis et al. (1994)
have described that body of knowledge of the quantity surveyor as incorporating the services of:
Preliminary cost advice; Cost planning including investment appraisal, life-cycle costing and value
analysis; Procurement and tendering procedures; Contract documentation; Evaluation of tenders; Cash-flow
forecasting, financial reporting and interim payments; Final accounting and the settlement of contractual
disputes; Cost advice during use by the client; Project management; and Specialist services.
The RICS (1998) set out the requirements and competencies for the assessment of professional competence
by listing the competencies required of quantity surveyors in three categories: basic competencies, core
competencies and optional competencies, as shown in Table 1. The basic competencies are common to all
construction professions under the RICS structure (land surveying, building surveying, etc.); the core
competencies are uniquely required of quantity surveyors while the optional competencies reflect areas of
specialisation or future career diversification.
Table 1: Headings of competencies required by quantity surveyors for APC
Basic competencies
Core competencies
Optional competencies
Personal
& Construction Contract Arbitration
&
Other
Dispute
Interpersonal skills
Practice
Resolution Procedures
Business skills
Construction
Development Appraisal
Technology
& Facilities Management
Data, Information and
Environmental Services Insolvency
Information
Economics
of Insurance
Technology
Construction
Professional Practice
Project Management
Procurement
and Property Investment Funding
Law
Financial Management
Measurement
Research
Methodologies
&
Mapping
Techniques
Taxation Allowances & Grants
Valuation
Source: The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (1998)

The Educational Advisory Committee and the Educational Standards Committee of the South African
Council for Quantity Surveyors (SACQS), agreed on ten outcomes of an accredited quantity surveying
tertiary educational programme at a two-day workshop in September 1999, in Port Elizabeth. These
outcomes were seen as domiciled in five fundamental knowledge domains: Economics, Law, Management,
Science and Technology. Within these five domains, the following ten general outcomes were adopted as
prerequisites and specialised competencies leading to registration with the SACQS as a quantity surveyor or
quantity surveyor-in-training:

Analysis and problem-solving

Commerce, entrepreneurship and management
Communication
Information Technology
Interdisciplinary teamwork
Law
Numeracy
Quantification
Research
Technology

Although the taxonomy in Table 1 is readily recognised by quantity surveyors, it was felt that additional
competencies relevant to work in a developmental context could be derived through a qualitative survey.
Furthermore, the importance of these and traditional competencies could be established in a quantitative
survey.

METHODOLOGY
The descriptive survey method (Leedy, 1997) was adopted for the study. A preliminary research approach
comprising a qualitative method of data production was used to confirm some of the competency themes
identified in the literature and to generate new themes from the target population. This approach comprised
the use of non-standardised scheduled preliminary interviews of a convenience sample (Zikmund, 1997) of
ten practising quantity surveyors in the Gauteng province of South Africa. The subsequent quantitative
method of data production comprised the design, pre-testing and administration of a structured
questionnaire nationally among members of the target population selected on the basis of a proportional
stratified random sampling. The sampling approach is fully described in Nkado (1999).
The target population was registered quantity surveyors and quantity surveyors-in-training members of the
Association of South African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS). The mailing list of 2,450 registered quantity
surveyors and quantity surveyors-in-training of the ASAQS was obtained and used as the target sampling
frame. A representative sample size of 613 was obtained within the parameters of stratified random
sampling and appropriate sample sizes (Krejcie and Morgan, 1970), and allowing for non-response
(Zikmund, 1997). The support of the ASAQS and SACQS was obtained in the form of a covering letter
expressing support for the study and encouraging members to respond to the questionnaire.

QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN
The research questionnaire was designed to include only those competencies that were mentioned by three
or more interviewees, as deduced from a content analysis of the preliminary interviews. The validity of this
questionnaire design was tested in a pilot survey of seven quantity surveyors in practice. The questionnaire
covered the demographic background of the respondents, specifically those aspects that were likely to
influence their ratings of the competencies, and contained 23 competency headings with an addendum
enumerating the range of outcomes covered by each heading. The competency headings with a summary of

the related outcomes are presented in the Annexure. The demographic characteristics covered in the
questionnaire were: age, experience (years) in practice, highest qualification, gender, professional status,
size of firm, status in the firm, and respondents career intentions in the built environment. The competency
headings were listed in alphabetical order for ease of cross-referencing to the addendum. Respondents were
requested to rate on a Likert Scale 1 to 5, the level of importance of each competency for a career as a
quantity surveyor at present and in the foreseeable future, from Not Important (rated 1) to Very
Important (rated 5).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Response
Table 2 presents the response rate achieved after nine weeks of initial and follow-up mailing, with enclosed
Freepost return envelopes and a request form for the summary of the research findings. The low but
acceptable 25% response rate falls within the response range of similar postal surveys of professional quantity
surveyors (Atkin et al., 1993; Procter, 1997).
No potential for bias in the respondent sample was detected by an inspection of the respondents
demographic characteristics and career intentions. A chi-square goodness-of-fit test of Table 2 at the 0.05
significance level, however, suggests that quantity surveyors in-training are significantly under-represented
in the respondent sample. As the nation-wide survey was based on a probability sample and the
respondents characteristics fall within all the classes of the listed demographic variables, the sample was
assumed to be representative of the target population.
Table 2: Analysis of respondent sample

Target Sample

Respondent
Sample

Male
Female
Total
% of Total
Male
Female
Total
% of Total

Membership of the ASAQS

QS in% of
Total
training
Total
176
564
92
19
49
8
195
613
100
32
100
31
136
91
5
14
9
36
150
100
24
100

Registered
member
388
30
418
68
105
9
114
76

Response
rate (%)
22.2
2.3
24.5

Re-scaling of ordinal data

A common error in the analysis of Likert scale responses is to treat the ordinal ratings as interval data
(Bendixen & Sandler, 1995). However, correspondence analysis can be used to re-scale the Likert scale
responses from ordinal to interval data. This is achieved by calculating the Euclidean distance between
scale points on the first two explanatory axes and apportioning these distances to recalculate the numerical
values of the scale points between 1 and 5. Bendixen & Sandler (1995) have clearly documented this
procedure which is essential for parametric manipulation and interpretation of the raw data.
The conversion of the Likert scale was performed separately for each set of ratings of current and future
importance of the competencies. Table 3 illustrates only the conversion of ratings of important
competencies based on a correspondence analysis of the ratings received for the 23 competencies. The rescaling shows that any assumption that the original ratings were interval in nature would be questionable.

Table 3: Re-scaling of 5-point Likert scales for rating of important competencies

Likert scale for Importance

1
2
3
4
5

Axis 1
Axis 2

Eigen Value
0.172616
0.031923

Axis 1
co-ordinate

Axis 2
co-ordinate

Euclidean
distance

Adjusted 5point scale

0.968
0.803
0.265
-0.178
-0.441

-0.496
-0.257
0.186
0.097
-0.157

1.39537
2.79721
1.17688
1.55618

1
1.806
3.421
4.101
5

Not Important
Important
Very Important

Cum. Percent retained

77
91

Relative importance of competencies

The importance of competencies for current career success was ranked by computing the means of the rescaled respondents ratings and converting these to percentages on the basis of the maximum rating of 5.
Table 4 presents the importance rankings and shows that three of the traditional core competencies of
quantity surveyors, namely: procurement and financial management, economics of construction, and
construction contract practice (RICS, 1992) are among the five most important competencies currently
required of quantity surveyors. The outcome further supports the contentions of Male (1990) and Leveson
(1996) that the principal competencies of measurement, and financial and contractual control of
construction projects underpin the practice of quantity surveying.
Table 4: Competencies ranked in terms of importance

Computer literacy and information technology

Procurement and financial management
Economics of construction
Construction contract practice
Measurement
Professional practice
Marketing
Personal and interpersonal skills
Development appraisal
Advanced financial management
Leadership and general management skills
Project management
Skills to work with emerging contractors
Skills in managing a business unit
Construction technology and environmental services
Arbitration and other dispute resolution procedures
Law
Property investment funding
Management of joint quantity surveying appointment
Mapping
Macro-economic perspectives
Facilities management
Research methodologies and techniques

Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21

62.3

22

57.5

23

Above Important rating

Percentage
Importance
90.0
89.8
88.9
88.1
85.6
85.4
81.8
81.5
79.6
77.9
77.9
77.3
77.2
77.1
74.2
74.0
73.5
72.8
71.0
68.1
67.7

Below
Important
rating

Competency heading

The analysis shows that respondents consider up to 19 competencies as important. Four of the listed
competencies are rated at below average importance. Facilities management and research methodologies
are the two lowest ranked competencies, probably due to the larger resource capacity required to exercise
such competencies, which the profession in South Africa currently lacks. The highest rankings for
computer literacy and information technology, and measurement suggest that these should be included
among the core competencies, as defined by the RICS (1998), of quantity surveyors in South Africa. It
should be noted that three of the skills that obtained above average ratings are relevant in a developing
economy. These are: skills to work with emerging (local) contractors, skills in managing a business unit,
and management of joint quantity surveying appointments, generally involving established, white-owned
and newer, black-owned practices.
Since normality tests (Hintze, 1995) showed that the distribution of the ratings of the competencies were
not normally distributed, the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U non-parametric tests were used to assess
whether respondents ratings of the competencies in terms of current importance were influenced by
demographic variables. At 0.05 significance level, only two out of a possible 184 (or one percent)
significant differences were found. The notable difference was that the female respondents ranked
management of joint appointments significantly higher than their male counterparts, suggesting that a
greater sensitivity to this aspect of practice is required among the male practitioners. Management of joint
appointments is one of the unique competencies required of quantity surveyors in South Africa.
The ranking in Table 4 can be said to be generic to the quantity surveying profession in South Africa.
These 23 competencies therefore define the body of established knowledge and techniques which the
quantity surveyor can apply to practical problems, as argued by Willis et al. (1994) and, in principle, Hassal
et al. (1996).

FACTOR ANALYSIS
Factor analysis is a data reduction technique that is used to discover patterns among the variations in
values of several variables. This is done essentially through the generation of artificial dimensions (factors)
that correlate highly with several of the real variables and that are independent of one another (Babbie,
1998 p418). Babbie (1998), however, sounds a note of caution on the use of factor analysis as the
technique essentially generates a hypothesis that is not disconfirmable by always producing factor solutions
no matter what data are input. Nevertheless, the benefit of this technique for research in the social sciences
is well recognised, especially given credible input data.
Factor analysis was applied to the ratings of the importance of the 23 competencies in the questionnaire.
The factor analysis was carried out on the re-scaled data. An emphasis in factor analysis is parsimony, i.e.
the fewest meaningful number of factors. Too many factors will lead to difficulty in the interpretation of
results and too few factors may result in important factors being missed. The key criteria of eigenvalues
greater than one, scrutinising the knee of the scree plot (see Fig. 1) and minimum percentage retention
(generally above 35%) were applied to the choice of a four-factor solution, which explained 56% of the
inertia. After varimax rotation to simplify the interpretation of the factors, the competencies associated
with the various factors as well as the relative importance of these factors were derived as follows.

10

Eigenvalue

0
1

10

11

12

13

14

15

F acto rs

Fig. 1: Scree plot of eigen values

Table 5 presents the competencies associated with Factor One. The variables that load onto this factor mostly
relate to the economics of proposed or existing property and related research. The Cronbachs Alpha score for
this factor is 0.8696 (0 1) indicating a very high degree of internal consistency. This factor could be
described as Competencies for Existing and Proposed Property Economics, Law and Research or labelled
Property economics, law & research. It is observed, however, that the competencies loading onto this factor
are generally the lowest ranked in terms of current and future importance. It is felt that this factor supports
Factor Two which encompasses competencies with higher importance ratings.
Table 5: Competencies loading onto Factor One
Variable
CI8
CI2
CI21
CI5
CI11
CI1
CI20
CI6
CI9

Loading

Competency heading

-0.7993
-0.7070
-0.5826
-0.5807
-0.5652
-0.5485
-0.4882
-0.4811
-0.4386

Facilities Management
Arbitration & Dispute Resolution
Research methods & techniques
Construction Technology and Environment
Macro-economic Perspectives
Advanced Financial Management
Property Investment Funding
Development Appraisal
Law
Average of ranks

Rank:
Importance
22
16
23
16
21
10
18
9
17
16.9

Rank: Future
Importance
20
17
23
18
19
7
8
10
16
15.3

Table 6 shows that Factor Two comprises most of the classic core competencies of the quantity surveying
profession as well as competencies relevant to practice in a developing economy. These competencies
essentially refer to the realisation of intra- and inter-corporate objectives in the built environment. The
Cronbachs Alpha score for this factor is 0.8183 indicating a very high degree of internal consistency. This
factor could be described Competencies for the Delivery of Corporate Built Environment Asset, Financial
and Developmental Objectives or labelled Built environment objectives. Since the majority of the
competencies loading onto this factor are highly rated in terms of current and future importance, this factor
is seen as representing the principal competencies of the quantity surveying profession and is depicted as
such in the model in Fig. 2.

Variable
CI17
CI7
CI23
CI4
CI18
CI22
CI12

Loading

CI19

-0.4567

-0.7074
-0.6415
-0.6116
-0.5561
-0.5152
-0.5010
-0.4907

Table 6: Competencies loading onto Factor Two

Competency heading
Rank:
Importance
Procurement & Financial Management
2
Economics of Construction
3
Skills with Emerging Contractors
13
Construction Contract Practice
4
Professional Practice
6
Skills in Managing a Business Unit
14
Management of Joint Quantity Surveying
19
Appointments
Project Management
12
Average of ranks
9.1

Rank: Future
Importance
2
3
14
9
11
12
21
4
9.5

The competencies that load onto Factor Three (Table 7) cover the technical skills of the quantity surveyor
in measurement and use of scaling instruments, i.e. mapping. Interestingly, Computer literacy and
information technology (IT) is identified with this factor, thus recognising the essential role of IT in the
technical functions of the quantity surveyor. The Cronbachs Alpha score for this factor is 0.5836 indicating
a moderate degree of internal consistency. This factor is labelled IT-driven technical competencies. With
the exception of computer literacy and information technology, both measurement and mapping declined in
future importance ratings compared with their current importance ratings, thereby suggesting that this factor
will decline in overall importance in the future.

Variable
CI15
CI13
CI3

Loading
-0.8267
-0.5605
-0.5076

Table 7: Competencies loading onto Factor Three

Competency heading
Rank:
Importance
Measurement
5
Mapping
20
Computer literacy & IT
1
Average of ranks
8.7

Rank: Future
Importance
15
22
1
12.7

Table 8 identifies the competencies that are associated with Factor Four as those that are relevant in
building and maintaining relationships both within the firm and with external clients. The Cronbachs Alpha
for this factor is 0.6899 indicating a moderately high degree of internal consistency. This factor could be
described as Competencies for Initiating and Sustaining Relationships or labelled Relationships. The
aggregate rankings suggest an overall increase in the future importance rating of this factor.

Variable
CI10
CI14
CI16

Loading
-0.7585
-0.6543
-0.6347

Table 8: Competencies loading onto Factor Four

Competency heading
Rank:
Importance
Leadership/General Management Skills
11
Marketing
7
Personal & Interpersonal Skills
8
8.7
Average of ranks

Rank: Future
Importance
13
5
6
8.0

An aggregation of the average ranks of the current and future importance rankings of the factors was used
as an alternative indication of the relative importance of the four factors. Table 9 reveals that Factor Four
is, on aggregate, the highest ranked of the four factors. This echoes Levesons (1996) suggestion that
general management orientated competencies will become more important for the future business success
of quantity surveyors and aligns with the views of Brandon (1990) and Davis Langdon & Everest (1991).

Factor
Factor Four
Factor Two
Factor Three
Factor One

Table 9: Importance ranking of the four factors

Aggregate of average current and future
Relative importance
importance rankings
8.3
Most important
9.3
10.7
16.1
Least important

Roles of key players

The respondents were requested to suggest roles that could be played by various parties to enhance the
competencies of the quantity surveyor. Tables 10, 11 and 12 summarise the five separately identifiable
roles with the highest frequencies of mentions suggested for academic institutions, the Association of South
African Quantity Surveyors (ASAQS) and individual quantity surveying firms, respectively. These roles,
ranked in order of mentions, respectively represent cumulative 64%, 78% and 81% of all suggested roles.
Table 10: Suggested roles for academic institutions
Role
Mentions (No. & %)
Incorporate more practical / fieldwork in curriculum
30 (23%)
Offer flexible degrees (sandwich or part-time programmes)
15 (12%)
Maintain high academic standards
14 (11%)
Improve link with industry
12 (9%)
Offer business orientated programmes
11 (9%)
Table 11: Suggested roles for ASAQS
Role
Conduct relevant CPD seminars and short courses
Protect ethics, professionalism and members interests
Market the profession to clients and the wider public
Disseminate latest developments to promote future opportunities
Accredit programmes offered by institutions

Mentions (No. & %)

29 (23%)
22 (18%)
18 (14%)
17 (14%)
11 (9%)

Table 12: Suggested roles for individual quantity surveying firms

Role
Mentions (No. & %)
Provide in-house, on-site or external training for younger staff until
42 (33%)
registration and beyond
Use mentoring system to build knowledge capacity
20 (16%)
Work professionally for project success
14 (11%)
Keep abreast of current developments
14 (11%)
Encourage staff development through research, further studies and
13 (10%)
freedom to apply innovative ideas
The suggested competency-enhancing roles of academic institutions, the Association (ASAQS) and
individual firms in Table 10, Table 11 and Table 12 echo the recommendations of Davis Langdon &
Everest (1991). To support a competency-based improvement of the profession, academic institutions are
expected to offer more flexible degrees and improve their links with the industry. The ASAQS is expected
to provide or sponsor more relevant CPD seminars or short courses, promote professionalism and ensure
that minimum standards are maintained in academic institutions through accreditation. This agrees with
Thompsons (1968) viewpoint on professional institutions roles in sustaining professionalism, expanding
recognition of the profession by the general public and expanding the business opportunities of their
members. Individual firms are overwhelmingly expected to provide in-house or external training to
enhance the proficiency of their staff in addition to what the training or academic institutions have

inculcated. The high recognition of this role suggests that an effective partnership could be formed between
academic institutions, the ASAQS and individual firms, as indicated in the model in Fig. 2.

INTEGRATIVE MODEL
An integrative model (Fig. 2) shows the four factors as interdependent and interacting. The model shows
that Factor Two, which encompasses competencies for delivery of built environment objectives, is
supported primarily by Factor Four (Relationships) and further by Factor One (Property Economics, Law &
Research) and Factor Three (Technical skills). Overlaying and influencing the synergistic interactions of
these factors are the outcomes of the interrelationships among the ASAQS, academic institutions and
individual quantity surveying firms. These interrelationships are in turn influenced by the forces in the
local and global built environment.
This model not only simplifies a competency-based assessment of quantity surveyors but highlights and
emphasises the critical importance of effective partnerships between the principal role players, namely the
ASAQS, institutions and practices, in shaping the future of the professional quantity surveyor. The model
attempts to show that initiating and sustaining relationships is critical to achieving the core outputs of
quantity surveying services. This model also simplifies the assessment of existing and proposed academic
and training courses for quantity surveying. A useful course should meet the outcomes objectives
represented by at least one of the four factors.

CONCLUSION
Quantity surveyors in South Africa have identified as important for current and future practice, six
competencies which are not given a similar recognition in international literature. These are, in order of
importance: marketing, advanced financial management, leadership and general management, effective
working relationships with emerging (small, local) contractors, managing joint quantity surveying
appointments and macro-economic perspectives. Marketing is rated among the first five future important
competencies and advanced financial management among the first ten future competencies required of
quantity surveyors. Factor analysis of the rated competencies suggests a four-part categorisation of the
competencies required by quantity surveyors to meet the needs of built environment clients in a developing
economy. Whilst the most important category is management orientated, the second significant category
incorporates competencies that are contextually relevant in a developing economy.
Since management orientated competencies will become more important for the future business success of
quantity surveyors, project management, marketing, and personal and interpersonal skills should be
included as a matter of priority in the academic and training curricula of quantity surveyors. The
competency model has depicted how the competencies of individual quantity surveyors can be assessed and
reinforced on a sustainable basis. Current, complimentary research is being conducted into the views of
clients and other end users on the competencies required of quantity surveyors.

ASAQS

Academic
institutions

Individual firms

Competencies of Individual Quantity Surveyors

IT-driven technical competencies

Competencies for initiating and

sustaining relationships

Competencies for existing and

proposed property economics,
law and research

Competencies for the delivery of corporate

built environment asset, financial and
developmental objectives

Fig. 2: Competency model for quantity surveyors in South Africa

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ANNEXURE: COMPETENCY HEADINGS AND SUMMARY OUTCOMES

Competency Heading
Advanced financial management
Arbitration and dispute resolution
skills
Computer
literacy
and
information technology
Construction contract practice
Construction technology and
environmental services
Development appraisal
Economics of construction
Facilities management (FM)
Law
Leadership/general management
skills
Macro-economic perspectives
Managing of joint quantity
surveying appointment
Mapping
Marketing
Measurement
Personal and interpersonal skills
Procurement
and
financial
management
Professional practice
Project management
Property investment funding
Research methodologies and
techniques
Skills in managing a business
unit
Skills to work with emerging
contractors

Summary of Abilities
Interpretation of financial statements, business positions, sources and uses
of funds; application of accounting principles
Understanding of and ability to advice on arbitration and other dispute
resolution procedures including the relevant law
Understanding and use of current information and communication systems,
basic and specialist software and the Internet
Knowledge of, distinctions between, and advise on forms of contract
Understanding of the organisations and practices in the construction
process, execution of construction technology, principles of health & safety
Understanding and execution of development appraisal; identification,
assembly and use of relevant data
Determination and control of construction costs and risks
Understanding and application of the principles of FM including strategies,
processes and systems
Awareness and understanding of, and ability to apply relevant law
Understanding and ability to apply leadership, decision-making, teamwork
Reflection of global economic data in economic & business analysis
Understanding the dynamics of joint appointments; negotiating and
managing potential or actual conflicts for win-win collaborative outcomes
Understanding of reference systems, scale, two-dimensional drawings
Understanding of quality service delivery and marketing principles
Understanding and accuracy of measurement of construction works
Communicating effectively; self management and people skills
Documentation and administration of project procurement process
Recognition of the significance of property, ethics of professional practice,
role of the professional associations, applicable legislation for practice
Managing the delivery of projects with appropriate tools & people skills
Understanding the importance and alternative sources of real estate finance
Demonstrating familiarity with, and sources of data, and manipulation
techniques; application of analysis & interpretation to client requirements
Recognition of client needs and cost-effective uses of appropriate resources;
quality control and assurance
Demonstrating an awareness of and ability to deal with special needs of
small local contractors with limited managerial skills