Competency standards or competency codes

Summary

On 30 April 2021, the British Standards Institution (BSI) published BSI Flex 8670 v3.0 2021-04, a freely available code of practice titled “Built environment. Core criteria for building safety in competence frameworks.” This flexible standard aimed to define core competence principles for professionals involved in building safety and contributed to the development of three related Publicly Available Specifications (PAS):

• PAS 8671:2022 – Outlines the competence requirements for Principal Designers, especially those working on higher-risk buildings (HRBs). It covers behaviour, legal compliance, and management of design safety.
• PAS 8672:2022 – Focuses on the competence of Principal Contractors, detailing necessary skills, knowledge, ethics, and additional requirements for HRBs.
• PAS 8673:2022 – Defines competence for managing safety in residential buildings, including guidance for assessing individuals responsible for building safety.

To operationalise these standards, several professional bodies introduced competence certification schemes and registers:

• In October 2023, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) launched the RIBA Principal Designer Register.
• In April 2024, the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) introduced the Principal Contractor Competency Certification Scheme (PCCCS).
• In May 2024, the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) launched its Principal Designer Register after releasing a competency framework in April.
• In June 2024, the Association for Project Safety (APS) introduced the APS Principal Designer Building Regulations Register.

On 30 May 2024, BSI Flex 8670 was officially withdrawn and replaced by BS 8670-1:2024, a formal British Standard that is now chargeable (with discounts for BSI members). However, PAS 8671, PAS 8672, and PAS 8673 remain freely available (with registration) and had not been withdrawn as of June 2025.

On 11 January 2022 a BSi proposal 'Built environment. Core criteria for construction product competence. Code of Practice' was opened, which ended one month later. The BSi website as on 6 June, 2025 said:

"This British Standard gives recommendations for core criteria and competence thresholds for individuals using or otherwise working with construction products. It also gives recommendations for applying these criteria to sector-specific competence frameworks in a uniform approach. This British Standard is designed to be applicable to all construction products in the built environment. It is not limited to construction products contributing to structure, fire systems or other performance attributes.

This British Standard is designed to work alongside BS 8670 to provide additional core requirements for the competence of persons using or otherwise working with construction products in the built environment. Where applicable, both should be used together to map against competence frameworks. It is intended that further development will be required from the different industries of the built environment to make the core criteria specific and appropriate to individuals’ functions, accountabilities and responsibilities.

The standard is applicable to competence frameworks for individuals performing functions across the entire built environment with all construction products, including but not limited to those:

• Developing, marketing or selling construction products

• Providing technical support for construction products

• Specifying construction products or designing with construction products

• Procuring construction products

• Handling or installing construction products

• Supervising, managing, inspecting or verifying other functions or projects involving construction products

• Exchanging information about construction products

• Owning, maintaining or decommissioning construction products

It is not limited to those working on HRBs.

This British Standard is intended for use by those with responsibility for the development, maintenance or application of industry-specific or organisation’s competence frameworks for roles, functions, activities or tasks undertaken by individuals where these are critical to and directly influence decisions about construction products in built environment projects. This includes competence frameworks for technical and non-technical roles, and for individuals either working under their own authority or under the supervision of other competent individuals.

The standard might also be relevant to regulated, dutyholding or statutory roles such as (but not limited to):

Principal Designers;

Principal Contractors;

Designers;

Contractors;

Building control professionals; and

Accountable persons for buildings in occupation.

Persons with accountability for building safety, or acting as clients for building work, might also find the recommendations of the standard of use. This standard is not intended to replace existing professional, technical or vocational training or competence frameworks, which continue to reflect the full range of competences required for particular disciplines, roles, functions, activities or tasks. This standard does not cover organisational and team competence, third-party assessmentschemes or the process of product testing.

Purpose

This British Standard is being proposed following publication of the CSG WG 12 white paper on construction productcompetence. The purpose of the standard is to help ensure that individuals using or otherwise working with construction products are competent to do so and can demonstrate their competence to others. The standard is expected to describe five levels of core criteria that should be achieved, demonstrated and maintained by all individuals making choices concerning construction products at all levels in the built environment sector. It is also expected to include a methodology of application to define how those core level criteria can be mapped by industries within the built environment sector consistently to their competence frameworks.

The standard is intended to be used, in conjunction with BS 8670, by all industries in the built environment sector to mapagainst their existing training and qualifications to demonstrate the construction product competence of the individuals in their work force. They may also use it to identify any gaps in their training and qualifications."

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