From 1 August 2018, all of the RICS Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) guides will be updated. From this date candidates have a choice to make – should they continue to declare under the old pathway guide or should they move to the new system?
This article will explore the differences between the old and new pathway guides for two real estate pathways:
■ Valuation
■ Commercial property
Why have the APC pathways changed?
The property profession is dynamic. It is subject to economic, demographic, political, environmental and technological changes. The world is changing and these changes to APC are the RICS’ response, to make sure RICS professionals have the right skills to competently advise their clients.
You have probably noticed modernisation within the APC process. It has been hard to ignore the behemoth that is the assessment resource centre (ARC). The streamlining of the process via ARC takes submission and assessment preparation online.
In addition to this, the RICS professional groups have worked with the education standards board in a huge project to clearly articulate and update the competencies in order to be fit for the modern world.
The new pathways are the result of a widely consulted review and may be selected by candidates for final assessment at session 2 2018: (see www.rics.org/uk/apc/pathway-guides-from-august-1)
The new pathways will be compulsory for all candidates enrolling onto APC after 1 August 2018.
Changes to mandatory competencies
All candidates must achieve the defined level of the mandatory competencies. These competencies are necessary for all RICS professionals.
Level 3
■ Ethics, rules of conduct and professionalism
Level 2
■ Client care: Includes elements of the technical competency “analysis of client requirements”, which has been deleted
Communication and negotiation: Includes elements of the technical competency “cross cultural awareness in global business”
■ Health and safety
Level 1
■ Accounting principles and procedures
■ Business planning
■ Conflict avoidance, management and dispute resolution procedures
■ Data management: Includes elements of the technical competency “property records/information systems”, which has been deleted
■ Diversity, inclusion and team-working
■ Inclusive environments
■ Sustainability
Mandatory competencies may also appear in some pathways as technical competencies. If so, this will be shown in the technical core and/or optional competency lists for the pathway and will need to be achieved to a higher level.
Key changes
1. The number of mandatory competencies: there are now 11 (formerly 10).
2. An entirely new competency – inclusive environments.
3. The removal of a couple of old technical favourites from optional lists – analysis of client requirements and property records. These have been subsumed into mandatory competencies.
4. Some name changes. For example, teamwork now includes diversity and inclusion and rules of conduct; ethics and professional practice has become ethics, rules of conduct and professionalism. This illustrates the growing importance of ethics and diversity to the profession.
Inclusive design
The new competency is described as follows:
“This competency is about the principles and processes that deliver accessible and inclusive environments, recognising the diversity of user needs and the requirement to put people (of all ages and abilities) at the heart of the process.”
Level 1
Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and processes that deliver accessible and inclusive environments, recognising the diversity of user needs and the requirement to put people (of all ages and abilities) at the heart of the process.
In doing so, have regard to the legal, economic, sustainable and social case for making inclusion the norm not the exception..
Valuation pathway requirements
The core competencies are unchanged:
Level 3
■ Inspection
■ Valuation
Level 2
■ Measurement
The optional list is updated and expanded. The competency descriptions are amended to make clear the application of conflict avoidance competency and legal and regulatory compliance competency to this pathway.
For example – presenting valuation evidence to a valuation tribunal as an expert witness is mentioned explicitly in conflict avoidance level 3.
The requirements are:
■ Three to Level 3 or two to Level 3 and two to Level 2. Candidates planning to specialise in residential survey and valuation must choose building pathology to Level 3 as part of their optional competency requirements.
■ Valuation pathway now has an optional plus – an additional Level 2 from the full list of technical competencies. This welcome flexibility will make life easier for valuers.
■ Most useful and interesting is the entirely new competency of loan security valuation.
Loan security valuation
This is described as covering “valuation for the specific purpose of loan security in accordance with valuation standards (the Red Book) for residential or commercial property”.
Assessors
If you are an assessor you will need to be ready to assess loan security valuation competency. Anecdotal industry evidence suggests this will be a popular competency adopted early by valuation specialists. Some graduate schemes have already made changes to incorporate training in this competency.
Commercial real estate pathway
This is not a misprint! The name of the commercial property pathway has changed to commercial real estate.
The core competencies are unchanged, and the confusing valuation Level 3 option remains:
Level 3
■ Inspection
Level 2
■ Measurement
■ Valuation (or Level 3 – If valuation is taken to Level 3 the requirements are as follows; from the optional competency list you must select two at Level 3 and one at Level 2, plus from the full list of technical competencies you must select one to Level 3 or two at Level 2).
Optional competencies
As with valuation, the optional list is expanded and updated:
■ Three to Level 3
■ Plus one to Level 3 or two to Level 2 from the full list of technical competencies, including any not already chosen from the optional list
Key changes
Corporate real estate competency has been deleted and replaced by four new competencies:
■ Business case
■ Business alignment
■ Performance management
■ Workspace strategy
The optional list also include the new loan security valuation competency.
Data competencies
All pathways have a new focus on data and technology. This is reflected in some new competencies which candidates involved in a lot of analysis should consider.
In addition to this, candidates concerned about the removal of property records should be comforted by the selection of data competencies which may fit their experience and can be selected as an optional plus if not on the optional list. These are:
■ Big data
■ Open data
■ Smart cities and intelligent buildings
Choose wisely
The changes to the pathways will present opportunities and challenges to assessors and candidates alike.
Think about the best fit for your experience and play to your strengths.
Kate Taylor FRICS is an APC chair and a DeLever APC coach. Follow Kate Taylor and Jon Lever on Twitter: @katetay73593006 and @deleverapc
Useful resources
■ APC Taylor Made
Kate Taylor’s online portal: www.apctaylormade.co.uk/
■ Commercial Property Quick Start Revision Guide 2016, by Kate Taylor FRICS
www.apctaylormade.co.uk/
■ APCeye magazine
Critical APC information in a free monthly magazine from DeLever.
■ APC presentation
Online masterclass discussing key elements of the APC final assessment interview. Hints and tips on best practice.
www.delever.com
■ APC mock interviews
Practice your APC final assessment interview, including your presentation and specific competency-based questioning. www.delever.com
■ APC final assessment competency revision workshop
Understand everything you need to know for the APC plus useful resources. www.delever.com
■ Free supervisor and counsellor APC training
Get key tips on how to manage and support your candidates. www.delever.com
■ Free APC explained masterclass
Understand what needs to be done to achieve the APC, including a walk-through of the DeLever APC process timeline: www.delever.com
Top tips for APC candidates
■ Make sure you understand the competency descriptions and use the key words from the descriptions in your summary of experience and case study.
■ Don’t be afraid of the new pathways, and ask yourself is it the best fit?
■ When you submit into ARC make sure you select the appropriate button for your chosen pathway. They are likely to be distinguished by date – pre- and post-August 2018.
Advice for supervisors and counsellors
■ Familiarise yourself with the new pathways and ensure your candidates select on the basis of competency examples.
