RICS Professional Competency Mapping Framework for Programme Appraisal and Benchmarking

Over the years QS education has evolved from being rather technical in nature into fully fledged honours degrees with greater orientation towards commercial management, cost, contracts and project management. The current network of Quantity Surveying Degrees grew from the early 1970’s with the move from Diploma to Degree level qualification for entry to the profession. This transition from diplomas to university degrees was in cognition with the general transformation of the higher education sector of the British education system. The majority of these degrees were delivered by the former Polytechnics, the most of which, in turn, became New Universities in the early 1990’s or thereabouts. With the conversion to University status came their right to validate and award degrees (previously validated by and awarded under the auspices of the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA), to whom the former Polytechnics were answerable).During this period the construction industry has undergone many changes and is currently facing a double dip economic recession which has a severe impact on opportunities for graduate employment within the sector. Construction industry employers have been vocal in reporting their perception of a lowering of employability of graduates. A recent study investigating views on both industry and academia concluded that there are significant levels of dissatisfaction with the quality of graduates (Perera & Pearson, 2011). It identified the root cause of the issue as graduates produced from different RICS accredited degree programmes having significantly different competency levels, often far below what the industry expects. This research following from the recommendations of the above report, aims at developing a competency mapping framework for programme appraisal and benchmarking.