Building standards - digital competency assessment system: options appraisal

2. Research

2.1 Research Methods

1. We interviewed Building Standards Managers and Team Leaders from various local authority verifiers. We investigated how each local authority conducted the CAS, what they liked and disliked about the CAS process (including the handbook and toolkit), and what technical features would they like to see in a Digital CAS.

2. We spoke to a Local Authority Building Standards Scotland (LABSS) consultant and Building Standards Hub Director to understand their needs and how learning and development can be integrated into a Digital CAS.

3. In order to get a deeper understanding of some of the technical requirements, we spoke to the following Scottish Government representatives:

• Building Standards Digital Transformation Lead
• Digital Planning Solution Architect
• Head of Identity Services

4. Additionally, we also spoke to the Head of Digital Public Services (Improvement Service) and a consultant for the Building Standards Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) vendor, Learning Pool.

2.2 Research Outcomes

What did Building Standards Managers like about CAS?

1. There is support and understanding of why the CAS process is needed. Building Standards Managers reported the CAS produces a comprehensive review of the skills gap​ in the building standards profession. In particular, they liked the consistent approach to assessing verifiers' competencies on an individual level, as well as across the wider Building Standards team. It has been noted the CAS benefits individuals with less experience more than individuals further in their career. It is especially beneficial for those wanting to develop their skills for job progression.

What did Building Standards Managers dislike about CAS?

2. Whilst Building Standards Managers understood the importance of having the CAS process, there are areas they do not like. All Managers reported the entire process takes too long, especially evidence collection by the job holder to prove their competency level. Building Standards Managers highlighted that many members of staff were put off completing the CAS as they found it intimidating, daunting and demotivational.

3. Furthermore, staff had issues with the spreadsheet toolkit. They found the spreadsheet difficult to use, navigate and populate and found cross referencing between the handbook and toolkit to be time-consuming. Individuals with a lack of Excel knowledge or confidence particularly struggled with the spreadsheet aspect of the CAS process. Depending on the job role, the types of projects verifiers are working on, and the location of the local authority (e.g. urban vs rural), certain parts of the CAS are deemed as irrelevant.

4. A potential solution to address this is the option to bypass whole sections. This would reduce the time needed to complete the CAS, however a governance process would need to be implemented. Governance rules would need to be established to ensure that only specific people can bypass sections of the CAS in specific circumstances. For example, if a verifier attempts to skip a section, it will need manager approval to ensure only the right people can skip sections for the right reasons.

Areas of improvement for CAS

5. Building Standards Managers identified other areas of improvement for the CAS. These include reviewing the CAS implementation process (as there is significant variation between LAs), simplifying and shortening processes, reviewing the contents of the handbook and toolkit to reduce duplication, and considering other ways to assess competencies of more experienced members of staff. However, it is worth noting the comprehensive nature of the CAS is necessary in order to thoroughly assess the verifier's competency skills, and all verifiers need to be assessed routinely to ensure any skills are maintained.

6. Whilst the CAS can identify skills gaps, it does not support the user in recording next steps of how to improve on identified skill gaps. Future improvements to solve this problem could be to provide direct links to training materials and training opportunities. This would reduce time for both the job holder and the Building Standards Manager as there would be no need to spend time to develop an appropriate learning plan and manually finding training materials. The CAS would be improved further by recording which training courses have been completed, suggest similar training modules, and provide links to external training providers.

7. Building Standards Managers would benefit from the ability to generate reports on an individual level and for their team to get a detailed understanding of skill gaps and prioritise training. Building Standards Hub would benefit from the ability to generate reports on a national level across Scotland to get a widespread understanding of skill gaps. Building Standards Hub would be able to use this reporting function to make decisions on the prioritisation of training modules on the VLE.