New competence framework launched for project managers

Developed following the Grenfell Tower tragedy on 14 June 2017, the Act overhauls the way buildings are constructed and maintained in England, impacting all levels of the construction and building industry. It applies to all buildings of any size covered by the building regulations, with additional requirements for Higher Risk Buildings (HRBs). The Act has also led to the creation of the new Building Safety Regulator (BSR) to oversee the safety and standards of all buildings, and introduced new responsibilities and systems, many of which came into effect on 1 October 2023.

The Act is also introducing new practices to raise levels of competence, building safety and consistency. This places a legal duty on anyone in the wider construction and building industry to ensure those employed or appointed by them are competent, or are supervised by someone who is competent.

One of the ways this can be ensured is through occupational competence, as defined by a Working Group under the Competence Steering Group (CSG). The CSG was set up in the immediate aftermath of Grenfell by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Build UK, the Construction Industry Council and Construction Products Association and the National Fire Chiefs’ Council. The CSG identified 12 specialisms involved in construction and the built environment, and created a dedicated Working Group for each specialism to create and publish new competence frameworks, with Working Group 10 focusing on project managers.

The CSG’s mission has been to raise standards of competence across those working in the built environment and in doing so restoring confidence to residents and occupants that their buildings are safe. The third report from the CSG, A Higher Bar - Achieving a Competence-led Built Environment, published on 29 January 2024, sets out the significant steps being made across the built environment and fire sectors in improving skills, knowledge, and behaviours to drive culture change and improve the safety of buildings.

Framework

The competence framework for project managers developed by Working Group 10 was launched in January 2024. Project managers are defined as individuals with overall responsibility for planning, monitoring and controlling the delivery of a built environment project, ensuring the time, cost, quality and specifications of the project are met.

The project manager may appoint the Principal Contractor and/or Principal Designer, both new roles established under the Act, and is required to work with the individuals in these roles for the overall benefit of the project, meaning they must understand their roles and legal obligations. The project manager must also ensure that the client accepts their legal responsibilities before commencing work.

Project managers are not in a duty holder role and their aim is to support those who have legal responsibilities as duty holders under the Building Safety Act 2022.

The framework sets out two competence thresholds, one for those working on complex projects, for example those that have a high level of risk, uncertainty, interdependent stakeholders and a fast pace of change, and one for those working on HRBs.

Demonstrating competence

Up until September 2025, competence can be demonstrated to the regulator by achieving chartered status with CIOB, the Association for Project Management (APM), or the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and demonstrating relevant experience in the built environment. From September 2025 until 2027, project managers in the built environment will also be able to demonstrate competence by achieving certification against the new competence framework.

From September 2027, competence against the new framework can only be achieved through assessment against the new competence framework.

APM will be holding a webinar on 29 February 2024 to help project and programme professionals in the built environment understand the implications for their roles and potential impacts on future projects.