Why is the ICC consultation on managing competence so important?

The Industry Competence Committee (ICC)- a statutory committee under the Building Safety Act- has published their consultation on how organisations should manage competence. They are looking for feedback on the common elements and principles that seek to support industry in the development of competence management processes.

Why is this work important?

For the last seven years, industry and professional bodies have commenced developing competence frameworks for individuals so that people can execute their individual roles to benchmark standards. After all, a key feature of the Dame Judith Hackitt work, the Building Safety Act and the Grenfell Inquiry reports, is that competence needs to be driven up across the built environment so that safer homes and buildings can be provided for all.

Early on, and after the delivery of BS 8670-1:2024 - Competence frameworks for building safety. Core criteria: Code of practice, (relating to individual competence criteria), it was recognised that it’s all very good driving up individual competence, but if the organisations within which people work, do not recognise that they have a responsibility to create the appropriate conditions for people to behave competently on an ongoing basis, then individuals will not be able to against building safety outcomes. It’s for that reason that secondary legislation started to talk about the need for organisational capability.

Competent individuals may have all the right skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours, but if their organisations don’t let them do the right thing- because they don’t have enough people to do meet all duties and obligations, or they ask them to do tasks beyond their competence, or ask them to do something that is unethical, etc., then the benefit of individual competence is compromised. While many will be familiar with the broad concept of organisational capability, the ICC work is focusing on what good looks like when organisations are managing individual competence effectively – which means having the right management policies, procedures, systems and resources in place to do just that- enabling individuals to be competent on an ongoing basis.

APS engagement

Because the ICC principles are pitched at a high level of ‘what’ is expected of organisations in this area, the consultation document also notes “further industry standards are being developed that follow these principles and may help organisations understand in detail how to put in place policies, procedures, and processes to meet them.”

This is where APS comes in. For some time, our President Mark Snelling and Deputy CEO Sofie Hooper have been engaged in bringing consensus around the organisational competence piece. Back in June, the Association brought stakeholders across the sector together to talk about how we could support industry further, by developing a complementary practical document that speaks to the practical ‘how to’ of delivering the high-level ICC principles.

APS’ Deputy CEO chairs the Industry Task and Finish Group, and Sofie Hooper is also chairing the Steering Group of representatives – a diverse group of 21 built environment technical experts that are steering the document to the finish line. To ensure that the work of the Industry Task and Finish Group is fully aligned with the ICC work, APS’ Deputy CEO has also been co-opted on the ICC’s Task and Finish Group.

Where can you find out more next?

The Industry Task and Finish Group is due to publish their consultation later in October, and a webinar will take place on 30th October where both the ICC and the Industry Task and Finish Group documents will be presented. Until such time, APS wants to encourage everyone to engage with the ICC document, and hopefully you can join us on 30th October. Joining information will be shared through the collaboration shortly.

Consultation Document: The ICC document is available for consultation until 6th November – the document can be accessed and shared using this link. APS and other Task and Finish Group members will publish the

Full membership of the Industry Task and Finish Group:

• ABCA • A Door Ability • APM • APS • ARL • ASFP • BAFSA • BPF • BRE Group • BSA • BSI • BSR • Build UK • CABE • CPB/1 • CIAT • CIBSE • CIC • CIH • CIOB • CPA • CSCS Alliance • ECA • Engineering Council • FIS • FMB • ICE • ICC • ICSG • IFE • IMechE • ISSG • IStructE • IWFM • LABC • Miller Insurance • NHF • RIBA • RICS • Total Flow • TPI • UCEM • UKAS