A SQP is an experienced professional in the field of land contamination.   The SQP must be capable of assessing whether a document meets the requirements of the scheme.  Although the SQP may delegate the peer review process of individual components of the work to other individual specialists, they retain responsibility for ensuring that those individuals are capable to undertake those tasks.  

Eligibility criteria for suitably qualified persons

SQPs must be: 

• A Chartered person who has been assessed by a professional body/institution and is bound by the professional code of conduct of that professional body/institution.
• Of sufficient experience in the sector to have a good overview of what is required to effectively assess a site and remediate it to a suitable condition (and thereby meet the requirements for regulatory signoff).
• Capable of recognising their own limitations and those specialist skills required of others in a multidisciplinary industry.
• Aware of the requirements of the regulatory regimes under which the work is being undertaken.
• Bound by their professional bodies to undertake continuing professional development (CPD) and to maintain awareness of changing legislation, guidance and standards. 
• Awarded SQP status by the relevant awarding body (currently SiLC).

 Responsibilities of the Suitably Qualified Person (SQP)

The specific duties of the SQP are to:

a. Assess the capability of the Team responsible for gathering, processing or interpreting the data with reference to The Brownfield Skills Framework. In doing so the SQP may rely upon any relevant capability assessments that may have been performed and verified by recognised institutions or organisations (e.g. SiLC, ROGEP, SoBRA, CL:AIRE).

b. Ensure that key aspects of the relevant reports are either checked/audited by themselves directly OR verify that these key aspects have been signed off by other delegated individuals with a requisite level of capability within the team. 

c. Ensure that the regime under which the report has been produced has been considered and the objectives of the report understood.

d. Ensure that any conclusions or recommendations made within the reports are in line with and comply with the requirements of the NQMS scheme regarding accuracy and reasonableness and that any limitations are clearly identified.

e. Sign a declaration form for each report to confirm that the relevant aspects of the scheme have been complied with. The declaration form should be incorporated into or attached to the report in question, which may then bear the Quality Mark.

To become an SQP, please visit www.silc.org.uk