scaf workshop accreditation... · • it provides a means of satisfying some of the requirements of...

The following presentation was given at:

SCAF Workshop

“Recruitment, Retention and Professional

Development”

Tuesday 13th June 2017

The Conference Centre, Ribby Hall Village, Preston

www.scaf.org.uk/library Released for distribution by the Author

http://www.scaf.org.uk/library.html

Professional Accreditation

ACostE Accreditation

A Member of the International Cost Engineering Council

The Association of Cost Engineers

Agenda – Topics for Discussion

• What is the Association of Cost Engineers?

• Benefits of Accreditation

• Tiered Accreditation (For Individuals)

• Company and Course Accreditation

• The Assessment Service Centre (TASC)





What is the Association of Cost Engineering?

Ref: © 2017 Association of Cost Engineers 12/06/2017 2





What is Cost Engineering?

Cost Engineering is the science, art and application of professional skills,

knowledge and judgement to the estimation and management of financial and

material resources and to facilitate the creation of products and services that

meet the customer need at a cost that ensures value for money and return on

investment.

Objectives of the AssociationInclude …

• The promotion and development of Cost Engineering, Estimating, Planning

/ Scheduling and Project Control as a recognised discipline of engineering

technology

• A means of developing, sharing and disseminating standards, methods and

data relating to Cost Engineering

• The provision of recognised standards of attainment in the practice of Cost

Engineering

• The provision of opportunities for continuing professional development





Benefits of Professional Accreditation





Employers may ask themselves:

• How good is my team?

• Do they have the right knowledge and

competence level I need them to have?

• Am I helping them to develop?

Employees may wonder:

• Do I have the right skills to do the best job

I can today?

• What skills will I need to develop to

enhance my career?

Clients may challenge their suppliers:

• How good are your teams’ skills?

• How good are your suppliers’ skills?

Training Providers should want to know:

• Is my course delivering the right

knowledge to allow attendees to develop

their skills appropriately?


World Class Engineering

Companies require World

Class skills in:

• Cost Estimating

• Cost Engineering

• Planning / Scheduling

• Risk Management

How do we measure how

proficient we are?


may have the answer for you




6

Benefits of Accreditation to the Business

Provides a level of Quality Assurance

• External accreditation provides a ‘quality assurance’ measure in

relation to staff competence, and promotes professionalism

• It provides assurance that the employee has satisfied a rigorous

assessment of their competence in the activities in which they are

engaged

• It provides a means of satisfying some of the requirements of Quality

Management Systems standards such as ISO 9001:2008

• By promoting and supporting accreditation of professional staff,

businesses are improving their technical credibility with customers

• Creates a level of confidence in the calibre of a supplier’s staff from a

customer / client perspective




7


Continuous Improvement

• Stimulates the sharing of knowledge and best practice across

organisations by reference to defined standards

• Brings an external perspective on the skills required across other

sectors and industries

Investment in Ongoing Staff Development

• Defines the standards expected of how of our staff operate – now and

in the future

• Provides recognition of a person's ability to perform at an accepted

standard

• Provides a competency road map for future development




8


Resource Planning, Recruitment and Retention of Staff

• Provides visibility of the depth and distribution of skills across the

business – aids capacity and workload planning

• Provides an independent measure of competency as an aid to

recruitment

• Can be an aid to recruitment as it signals that the business values the

development of its staff

… and may also improve staff retention

• Indicates where staff have transferable skills to support other roles

(cost estimating, cost engineering, planning and project controls)




9

Benefits of Accreditation to the Individual

Self Esteem

• Raises the profile of Estimators, Cost Engineers, Planner / Schedulers

and Project Control Professionals within the businesses in which they

work

• Provides parity with other professions such as Finance, Project

Management and Engineering who have well-established accreditation

programmes

Career Development

• Provides recognition of a person's ability to perform to an agreed

externally recognised standard

• Encourages personal development and widens the choice of career

pathways open to an individual





ACostE Tiered Accreditation


A flexible, staged route to full Professional Accreditation

No, examinations involved!

Evidence-based Vocational Competence Assessment only




Tiered Accreditation

• Anyone can join the programme if they are working in a Cost

Estimating, Cost Engineering, Planning/Scheduling or Project

Controls role, and are Members of the Association

• Entry Level is dependent on prior qualifications and experience

• Development Programmes can be agreed to allow individuals to

progress to higher levels of accreditation

11

Co

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Enrolled Cost Engineer

CertifiedProfessional

Cost Engineer

IncorporatedCost

EngineerRegisteredCost

Engineer




Tiered Accreditation

12

Tier Target ProfileTypical Experience &

Minimum Qualifications

Enrolled Aimed principally at “learners”

or “trainees”

Limited experience (nominally

two years) often undergoing an

approved training programme

Registered Trained Practitioner who works

under some supervision

Vocational qualification and a

minimum of 3-5 years on-job

experience

Incorporated Senior Practitioner who can

work independently or may

supervise others

Bachelors degree or significant

on-job experience (7+ years)

Certified

Professional

Senior Practitioner who

provides strategic leadership

or is a Technical Specialist

Masters degree or extended

experience including 5 years in

a senior role




Candidate Application &

Induction

Candidate

Benchmarking

Board Review &

Decision

Continuing Professional

Development

Full Evidential

Units of AssessmentPractice Paper

13© 2017 Association of Cost Engineers

Professional Interview(ICostE & CPCostE)

Assessment Process and Options

CPCostE option onlyDevelopmental Route

CPCostE & ICostEECostE & RCostE




14

Assessment Process

Application

• Candidate applies to be benchmarked at a particular tier / level

• Accreditation Board reviews application and advises the applicant

whether the tier / level appears appropriate, and the assessment

options available

• Accreditation Board issues an Accreditation Commencement Notice

Benchmarking

• Candidate completes Benchmarking Level Park (Qualifications,

Experience and Competence Questionnaires)

• Accreditation Board reviews Benchmarking Level Pack and advises

candidate (ECostE and RCostE only) of the outcome




15

Assessment Process

Professional Interview (ICostE and CPCostE only)

• Candidate attends a Professional Interview structured around the

Benchmarking Level Pack

• Interview is nominally 2.5 – 3 hours with 2-3 Senior Practitioners from

the Association

• Candidates are advised of the outcome at the end of the interview

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

• To maintain the Accreditation award, accreditées must complete annual

statement of Continuing Professional Development

• CPD requirement will be considered “met” for any accreditées who are

working towards the next level / tier




16

Other Options for Entry or Ongoing Development

Practice Paper Option for CPCostE

• Instead of relevant qualifications, or in order to demonstrate specialist

knowledge and experience in lieu of leadership competences, there is

an option to write a “Practice Paper” of between 5000-8000 words on

the development and implementation of a “practice change project”

• Paper must be of a “publishable” standard

Units of Assessment (UoA)

• Demonstration of competence may be required against an agreed

number of Units of Assessment, if Benchmarking highlights some

outstanding development needs for the tier being assessed

• Typically, 5 UoAs are required to progress between tiers

That doesn’t mean that it will have to be published




17

Tiered Accreditation – Current Fees

Tier / LevelApplication

FeePractice Paper

BenchmarkingLevel Pack

Professional Interview

Units of Assessment

Enrolled

£50(one-off,

any Level)

N/A £150 Not Applicable

£40 per Unit

Max of 5 Units per

Level

Registered N/A £150 Not Applicable

Incorporated N/A £150 £300

Certified Professional

£150 £150 £300

It may appear to be expensive, but it is less costly than many other

Professional Bodies charge




Tiered Accreditation – Alignment with Engineering

Profession

• Tiered Accreditation has been benchmarked against the

Engineering Council’s Accreditation:

• ECostE no equivalent

• RCostE EngTech

• ICostE IEng

• CPCostE Ceng

• For those with a suitable Engineering qualification and

experience, the ACostE can also provide a route to Chartered

Engineer (CEng) status as an affiliate of the Engineering Council

18




19

Units of Assessment – National Occupational Standards

• Units of Assessment mirror the National Occupational Standards (NOS)

in Cost Estimating, Cost Engineering, Scheduling and Project Controls

• The National Occupational Standards cover 40 different elements of

competence in seven different groups:

• Cost Estimating, Management and Control

• Scheduling / Planning, Management and Control

• Engineering related skills

• Commercial Support activities

• Working with People

• Managing your own Personal Development

• Other general professional practices e.g. Ethics





Unit Title

1Oversee the application of information technology (IT) to Estimating, Planning & Cost

Engineering

3Identify, analyse and evaluate risks, opportunities and uncertainties, and evaluate

options for their control

5Monitor and evaluate the implementation of risk, opportunity and uncertainty control

measures

6 Assure and control the quality of Estimating, Planning & Cost Engineering activities

9 Acquire and handle information needed for Estimating, Planning & Cost Engineering

10 Provide advice and support to maintain progress

11 Manage the team – agree objectives with teams and individuals

12 Manage the team – allocate work

13 Manage the continuing development of your personal and professional skills

15 Develop the skills of your professional team members

Example Link: http://www.ukstandards.org.uk/PublishedNos/ECIPC1.pdfECIPC1

List of National Occupational Standards (for reference only)

http://www.ukstandards.org.uk/PublishedNos/ECIPC1.pdf





Unit Title

16 Develop and maintain effective working relationships

18 Observe and apply professional ethics and values

19Plan and implement the continuous improvement of your Estimating, Planning & Cost

Engineering operations

20 Determine the requirements for Estimating, Planning & Cost Engineering

21 Estimate the cost of resources

22 Develop the project schedule including requirement definition

23 Establish project procurement requirements

27Establish Estimating, Planning & Cost Engineering procedures, methods and

systems

29 Develop commercial control procedures

30 Develop the breakdown coding structures






Unit Title

31 Establish budgets for control purposes

32 Establish schedules for control purposes

35 Monitor, control and report on exposure commitment and expenditure

37 Monitor, control and report on progress

39 Select potential suppliers and obtain estimates, bids or tenders

40 Evaluate bids or tenders and make recommendations on potential suppliers

41 Prepare the commercial aspects of bid or tender offers

42Conclude contractual arrangement for the supply of sub-contracts, goods, materials

and services

43 Forecast the cost of resources used

44 Forecast and review schedule achievement






Unit Title

47 Evaluate the information and prepare claim submissions

48Provide commercial, estimating, planning or cost engineering support to the

agreement of claims

49 Identify and quantify emerging changes

50 Ensure the completion of Estimating, Planning & Cost Engineering tasks

51 Evaluate Estimating, Planning & Cost Engineering performance, information and data

52 Analyse and interpret statistical data

54 Develop and calibrate learning curve models for recurring tasks

56 Identify and promote cost or time savings during the concept and definition phases

58 Optimise the production or construction method

60 Apply financial controls and techniques






Company and Course Accreditation





An opportunity to compare your organisation’s ability to develop the competence

of its staff in relation to Cost Engineering and related disciplines

1. Occupational Skills Framework (Linked to NOS)

2. Skills Development Delivery process

3. Associated courses, training and other development support

4. Level of Framework Maturity across sites

5. Level of Framework Maturity with respect to the Supply Chain

6. Level of Process Maturity in relation to Management Change

7. Project Control, Estimating, Planning or Cost Engineering

Credentials (Qualifications, Experience, Continuous Professional

Development)

8. Professional Body Profile

25

Company Accreditation




Company Accreditation Framework

Occupational Skills standards

Framework

Role Requirements The Organisation identified the Skills and Competences required and provides a means of identifying Development Needs

National Occupational standardsSkills framework maps the skills to the National Occupational Standards – NOS (Recognised internationally by ICEC)

The process recognises the common/mandatory units and the job specific units that can be selected to reflect job role

Business Specific Knowledge and skillsSkills framework maps the business specific skills needed to ensure the practitioner understands the skills required for their role

in the business

Delivery process

Presentation/clarity All practitioners in the function understand what is required of them , and their understanding of the framework

Grading structure There is a means of identifying the skill and competency levels required for each given career level and role in the function

Practitioner Capability assessmentThere is a means of capturing the skill levels of each practitioner with respect to their career level and role in the function and

adequate frequency of assessment

Practitioner Review and developmentThere is a routine process to look at the practitioner gaps against current role, and future roles and assign & agree development

targets for the next year and longer term

Development implementationThere is a process that takes into account the needs of the practitioner and the business to give optimum opportunity to the

practitioner within the constraints of the current business objectives and strategy.

Assessor QualityThere is a process that ensures Assessors are of the right calibre and are committed to the skills review process what is the

selection process

Career PathAll practitioners understand the career path and levels, and the related skills levels required to achieve the role levels and the

distinct roles within the career path.

Associated courses, training and

other development support

Mentoring and Coaching There is an effective process which aligns suitably experienced mentors and coaches are available to support all practitioners

Internal courses, workshops and seminars Appropriate internal learning opportunities are available to support skills development

External courses and seminars - visibility/

availabilityAppropriate external learning opportunities are available to support skills development

Level of maturity across sites Maturity of Skills Development Process Processes are well established, understood, embedded and aligned across the business

Level of maturity with respect to

supply chainMaturity of Supply Chain Skills Development

The organisation specifies or flows down standards or processes for skills development to its major suppliers, and has means of

verifying compliance

Level of maturity of processes and

management

Maturity in relation to a Change in

LeadershipProcesses are well established, reviewed regularly, and maintained as appropriate under configuration control

Project Control, Estimating, Planning

or Cost Engineering Credentials

Qualifications Qualifications are relevant to the job role/grade

Experience Vocational experience is relevant to the job role/grade,

Continuous Professional DevelopmentManagement/Leadership Development is ongoing

All practitioners undergo continuous professional development

Professional Body Profile

Professional Membership All respondents belong to a relevant professional body

Continuous Professional Development (CPD)All respondents are undertaking CPD either as part of a professional body or a routine requirement carried out by the employer

All respondents actively support a relevant professional body


No, I don’t expect you to

be able to read this !





The ACostE can also offer Accreditation programmes to employers

and training providers:

Company

AccreditationOf an Organisation's

Skills Development

Framework

Platinum

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Eff

ecti

ven

ess

Course

AccreditationOf

Academic or Vocational

Training Courses

Platinum

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Eff

ecti

ven

ess

National Occupational StandardsIn Project Control, Estimating, Planning and Cost Engineering

… also underpinned by

Course

Accreditation

will be

similar in

principle to

Company

Accreditation

with a clear

emphasis on

the NOS

New





ACostE TASC.pptx





Summary and Questions






Enrolled Cost Engineer

CertifiedProfessional

Cost Engineer

IncorporatedCost

EngineerRegistered

Cost Engineer

Co

mp

ete

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Professional

Recognition by

a Professional

Body

The ACostE can offer individuals stepping stones to full Professional

Accreditation:Personal Tiered Accreditation

Entry level based on Qualifications and Experience

Level 2 Level 5

Vocational Qualifications

Level 3

Intrinsically

aligned with

National Occupational StandardsIn Project Control, Estimating, Planning and Cost Engineering

… all underpinned by

Join at the level appropriate to you

Develop through

the Tiers at your own pace

Range of Academic

or Vocational

Qualifications are accepted

<< For example

Engineering Technician

Incorporated Engineer

Chartered Engineer

Engineering

Accreditation

Where appropriate

we can provide the

option to become a Chartered Engineer

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