Building standards performance framework: April 2021

2. Perspectives and Themes

The main principles of the three perspectives of the national performance framework are set out below.

1. Professional Expertise and Technical Processes

• Verifiers should have the necessary professional expertise to efficiently and effectively undertake all technical aspects of building standards verification, and have contingencies for when they are not available in-house;
• Verification services should understand customer needs, be compliant at all times with relevant legislation and be underpinned by risk-based protocols and quality assurance procedures.

2. Quality Customer Experience

• Verifiers should provide services to customers of the highest quality and standard, underpinned by clear and transparent communications and an understanding of different customer and stakeholder types and their differing needs;
• Insights and actions taken in response to customer feedback should bring about continuous improvement of the customer experience, which will be regularly measured and assessed.

3. Operational and Financial Efficiency

• Verifiers should manage the building standards verification operations and finances in the most efficient and effective way possible;
• Verification services should be underpinned by efficient utilisation of funds and resources, high levels of productivity and fit-for-purpose infrastructure such as IT systems.

The perspectives are supplemented by three cross-cutting themes. These cover all aspects of building standards verification including strategy, operational delivery, internal and external relationships:

1. Public Interest

• Verifier actions in alignment with the performance framework are in the best interest of the general public; building standards verification is undertaken in a consistent way regardless of verifier organisation or region; and building standards verification will always seek to protect the public interest through compliance with building regulations.

2. Continuous Improvement

• Verifiers are committed to 'raising the bar' and ensuring a consistent effort to improve building standards verification across the performance framework.

3. Partnership Working

• Verifiers are committed to collaborative working to underpin greater consistency and seek solutions to issues in the public interest.