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National Vocational Qualifications in Building Conservation

The IHBC has been closely involved with COTAC in the development of new National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) for building conservation at professional level. The standards for the three NVQs in conservation consultancy (Level 5), conservation control (Level 4) and building site management (conservation) (Level 4) were launched at the Heritage Forum in London on 22 June. Similar qualifications for Scotland (SVQs) have not yet been launched. IHBC members took the lead in developing the conservation control NVQ, which is the first qualification designed specifically for conservation officers. All the qualifications relate to the international standard of the ICOMOS training guidelines.

NVQs test competence in the workplace and are assessed on the basis of portfolios of evidence provided by the candidates. Each qualification comprises a set of units and elements, which form part of an industry-wide matrix. The conservation consultancy NVQ is for fully-qualified professionals wishing to add a specialist qualification in conservation; its units relate directly to the ICOMOS guidelines, and have been designed to be taken individually through continuing professional development. The conservation control NVQ has been designed to give those working in the field, but without a specialist qualification, the chance to become qualified in conservation. It provides a validated national standard for conservation officers’ professional competence; its units and elements are cross-referenced to the areas of competence required for IHBC membership. The building site management (conservation) NVQ is an adaptation, to reflect the specific needs of conservation work, of the existing site management NVQ qualification.

I can provide further background information on request, but please contact Edexcel (see below) for details of the qualifications. NVQs will be delivered through a series of assessment centres. Overall quality control of standards will be provided through COTAC on behalf of its members, which include the relevant professions. Standards and accreditation, including the NVQs, will be considered in IHBC’s 2001 annual school (5-8 April, in London).

BACKGROUND
Development of occupational standards for professions providing conservation of the built environment.
In the spring of 1994, the Conference on Training in Architectural Conservation (COTAC), a member of Construction Industry Standing Conference (CISC), was invited to investigate opportunities for the development of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) for building conservation. COTAC formed a multi-professional group of practitioners involved in the conservation of the built environment to consider the potential level of demand for occupational qualifications in conservation and to explore the range of work roles that such qualifications might cover. The conservation steering group produced an analysis of functions for those involved in conservation, agreed a key purpose statement for all concerned and further clarified the key roles and their interaction.

KEY PURPOSE
Action to secure the survival of a building/complex as a cultural artefact

  • Key functional roles in conservation:

  • Developing policy and strategy for action on conservation

  • Securing and controlling conservation quality

  • Analysing and advising on requirements for conservation

  • Managing conservation projects

  • Specifying requirement for conservation

  • Continuing conservation management

  • Carrying out conservation works.

The following key groups of occupational activities were developed in more detail:

Advisers on conservation strategy and practice – predominantly senior consultants with a background in architecture, landscape architecture, town planning, structural and building services engineering, building economics and building surveying.

Conservation officers – based at local and central government level and responsible for the development and implementation of conservation policies and controls.

Site managers and supervisors of conservation projects – working for specialist contractors or as employees on conservation sites.

The functional roles identified also include those related to managing sites and doing conservation work. Although outside the remit of this group, COTAC is working in close liaison with the Construction Industry Training Board and others on specialist qualifications to embrace many of the key aspects of work in these areas.

NVQ LEVELS
Level 5: Competences, which involve the application of skills and a significant range of fundamental principles across a wide and often unpredictable variety of contexts. Very substantial personal autonomy and often, significant responsibility for the work of others and for the allocation of substantial resources feature strongly, as do personal accountabilities for analysis and diagnosis, design, planning, execution and evaluation.

Level 4: Competences, which involve the application of knowledge and skills in a broad range of complex technical or professional work activities performed in a wide variety of contexts and with a substantial degree of personal responsibility and autonomy. Responsibility for the work of others and the allocation of resources is often present.

THE QUALIFICATIONS
Conservation Consultancy Level 5 (Q1052610)
This NVQ is designed to fulfil two alternative purposes: either as CPD units (which can be individually certificated) for those whose role in conservation is specialised or as the full Level 5 NVQ award for those who are already competent in a relevant discipline and whose main role is in providing advice at a strategic level on all aspects of conservation. These could include:

  • Building design.

  • Landscape design.

  • Structural engineering.

  • Urban design.

  • Town planning.

  • Surveying.

  • Environmental engineering.

  • Building economics

  • Building control.

This would require candidates to achieve all units in the proposed award. The units vary in the requirements for evidence that the candidate must produce. In all the units the product and process evidence must come from work on conservation projects and the knowledge evidence must reflect an understanding of practices, procedures and legislation within the context of work on conservation projects.

Core Units

  • Advise on conservation policy and plan.

  • Investigate and assess factors affecting conservation.

  • Advise on the selection of conservation schemes and processes.

  • Advise on conservation methods and project compliance with quality standards.

  • Advise on requirements for the continuing conservation and planned maintenance of property, systems and services.

  • Survey conservation sites.

  • Specify tests relevant to conservation and interpret data.

  • Document the conservation site.

  • Contribute to advances in the body of knowledge and conservation practice.

Conservation Control Level 4 (Q1052609)
The conservation control NVQ is the first qualification drafted specifically to meet the needs of those involved at national and local levels in the implementation of the law, guidance and policies relating to building conservation. It is a particularly significant development because:

(i) The people involved come from a variety of different academic backgrounds (including planning, architecture. archaeology etc as well as specific conservation qualifications),

(ii) Effective performance in the job depends on integrating a range of skills and knowledge which can only be truly tested in a work situation, and

(iii) Performance standards within employing organisations have not so far been well defined in relation to the professional role.

Improved definition of this role, and the standards involved, is essential in the light of developments such as the Best Value review process. This NVQ is therefore extremely significant as both standard and qualification.

The core units cover competence in:

  • Promoting policy through published guidance, advice and grants.

  • Development control and enforcement relating to the historic environment.

  • Assessing the site and context, and evaluating possible problems and solutions.

  • Assessing the brief and making recommendations on proposals and good professional practice including interpersonal skills.

The optional units allow candidates to demonstrate competence in two relevant activities from a range in which they may have had experience at this stage of their careers:

Developing and implementing, conservation policies (e.g. local plan policies, conservation area appraisals and enhancement).  Property management (economics of conservation, regeneration etc).

  • Preparing a brief for a conservation project.

  • Forming and briefing a project team.

  • Managing teams and individuals.

  • Buildings at risk.

  • Preparing and managing records (measured drawings, listed building records, electronic databases etc).

Building Site Management (Conservation) Level 4 (Q1052608)
The building site management (conservation) NVQ for Level 4 is designed for those building site managers who have the specialist skills required to manage works on building conservation projects ranging from regular maintenance contracts to major works of restoration and/or conservation on listed buildings, historic monuments and other sites of national cultural significance.

The documentation for this qualification has been developed with senior managers working in the conservation field and with those who have recently conducted the review of the building site management NVQ award at Level 4. There are eight units in the building site management (conservation) Level 4 NVQ and five of these units are common to the building site management Level 4 NVQ.

In all the units the product and process evidence must come from work on conservation projects and the knowledge evidence must reflect an understanding of practices, procedures and legislation within the context of work on conservation projects.

Core units

  • Plan the execution of conservation projects.

  • Implement works to meet project requirements.

  • Contribute to obtaining resources for conservation projects.

  • Monitor and control the conservation project.

  • Develop productive working relationships.

  • Establish and maintain relationships with customers and the community.

  • Maintain health, safety, welfare and risk control systems.

  • Facilitate meetings.

FURTHER INFORMATION
Contact COTAC for further details

for COTAC address, telephone number and e-mail number click here: 

JOINT AWARD BODY
These NVQs are offered by the joint award body partnership of Edexcel the Chartered Institute of Building (ClOB), the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), and the Conference on Training in Architectural Conservation (COTAC).

Conservation consultancy the standards (code N006036), centre guidance (code N006035): building site management (conservation), the standards (code N006033), centre guidance (code N006032): and conservation control, the standards (code N006045) and guidance (N006050) were all available from July 2000.

In all cases the dates of availability for the candidate log books are to be confirmed. A publications list with all current Edexcel publications can be obtained from the customer response centre. All available Edexcel publications can be obtained from Edexcel Publications, Adamsway, Mansfield, Notts NGl8 4LN, Tel: 01623 467467. Fax: 01623 45048.

John Preston, IHBC Education Secretary