• The technical standards to which work must be performed will be set with clear reference to compliance with current established guidance. This creates a clear expectation as to the standard of work to be performed.
• The capability of individuals undertaking the respective diverse tasks within the project will have been checked. This ensures that individuals do not inadvertently undertake responsibilities for which they are not fit to perform.
• The factual information and interpretations of the data will have been critically assessed and audited using an agreed and defined checklist/audit process. This ensures that any deficiencies can be clearly identified and challenged.
• The SQP signing off the work is required to make a clear declaration of compliance. This is significant as the signatory is “vouching” for the suitability of the product which has implications for both “professional status” and “professional indemnity insurance”.
• Liability for any residual environmental problems will always remain legally with the problem holder and in the unlikely event that regulatory intervention is still required all powers of enforcement are retained.

The NQMS scheme focuses on the concept of using capable individuals to provide defined products that may be considered of reasonable quality by following established good practice and requiring a rigorous process of auditing/checking. It then places the responsibility for the adequacy of that product on the SQP. Such products are produced by multi-disciplinary teams.

There are a number of existing or proposed registers of individuals, the purpose of which is to enable the consumer to identify capable people in different fields. The NQMS scheme provides a process to control the quality of the product and an umbrella under which professionals from all these different fields can operate together as part of a team. A person registered for a particular purpose (eg. SiLC, SoBRA risk assessor, CL:AIRE QP or ROGEP) can be regarded as being pre-assessed as being “capable” of performing in a particular field and will be able to thereby readily demonstrate this competence to the SQP.

The new scheme does include a register, but it is about getting people with the right skills to perform specific activities within a defined process. The aim is ensure the adequate management of land contamination issues. The existing registers help in identifying individuals with some (but not necessarily all) of the required skills needed to undertake the land contamination management process. The intention is to draw in and utilise those individuals within the new NQMS scheme as either candidates for SQP or recognised practitioners/reviewers in their own specialist fields.

The SiLC register was set up on behalf of a range of professional bodies/institutions (ICE, RICS, IEMA, CIWEM, Geol Soc, RSC, REHIS, CIEH and AGS) and provides a list of pre-assessed “capable” individuals who would be well placed to fulfil the role of SQPs under the Quality Mark scheme. However the NQMS goes beyond accreditation of an individual and defines specific tasks (auditing and verification) which are necessary to ensure that individual products may be considered of sufficiently good quality. Existing SiLCs would require additional training in order to fulfil the role of SQPs as defined by the scheme administrator. Depending upon the final form of the SoBRA risk assessor scheme, it is envisaged that any proposed register of risk assessors would provide an ideal source of pre-assessed “capable” individuals for undertaking tasks associated with risk assessment under the scheme and that some of those individuals will also be capable of performing the role of SQP. However the NQMS goes well beyond accreditation of an individual in relation to a specific subject area and imposes specific tasks (auditing and verification) which are necessary to ensure that individual products are fit for purpose.

CL:AIRE hold a register of qualified persons for the purpose of implementing the Development industry Definition of Waste Code of Practice. This register is of people who have a knowledge of materials management issues but not necessarily those who undertake land contamination management. However there will undoubtedly be individuals on this register who would be eligible to perform tasks as specialists within the project team or who could fulfil the duties of SQP subject to appropriate examination and training.

The declaration does not  necessarily have to be sent to the regulator (EA or LA).  When asked to confirm the distribution of this document, if the SQP ticks the box that says "Not sent", they will be asked to provide a reason.  The 'Not sent' option is there because not all declarations are produced for planning - e.g. if they are prepared for mergers and acquisition etc. 

CL:AIRE does retain all the data that is captured on the declaration, which would be available for auditing/disciplinary procedures.

An 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.

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.

The competency of the SQP is measured in line with the definitions set out in the National Brownfield Skills Framework (NBSF).

With professional status comes a commitment to an ethical code of conduct and the ability for a respective professional body to take action against those who behave inappropriately. For any scheme to be trusted by the Regulator(s) there must be a credible threat of sanctions against those who may be tempted to abuse the system.

In stepping back from scrutinising individual projects for regulatory compliance the Regulator(s) should be assured that the work will have been carried out to appropriate standards and that those checking or auditing the products can be trusted.

No.  From Autumn 2016, SiLC amended their training course and exam to incorporate the requirements of the NQMS.  Therefore if you are successful sitting the exam set by SiLC you would automatically become an SQP.  A separate exam would not be required. Those candidates that are successful for undertaking the examination will be offered to use SQP, SiLC or both.  For further information visit www.silc.org.uk

The awarding body (currently SiLC) will inform you that you have been successful and you will be directed to NQMS website and CL:AIRE (the NQMS Administrator) will award you your individual SQP number.

CL:AIRE will provide you instructions on how the Declaration Process will work. Please visit the SQP Declaration Process page.

The NQMS is designed to be operated within existing quality management systems (often accredited such as ISO140001) which rely upon the concept of peer review/checking and sign-off. It works best if the SQP has an intimate knowledge of both the project in question and the staff undertaking the work. The administering body ensures that there is an external “independent” element that can be relied upon to police the process.

How can an SQP sign off a report and give it the National Quality Mark if it contains historical data collected before the scheme and its quality controls came in to operation?

The quality mark applies to the individual product being prepared (and the team preparing it). The SQP has to consider the reliability of any data collected in vouching for the reasonableness of any conclusions drawn from that data. Any critical uncertainties have to be identified as part of the process.

All current SQPs will be listed on the NQMS SQP register.

Please click here to view an example PDF  

Yes an SQP from one company can sign off from another company.

The SQP needs to have satisfied themselves of the competencies of those that have undertaken the work which they can obviously do through CVs, company skills frameworks, SoBRA accreditation scheme etc etc.  

The important thing would be for the SQP ideally to be involved from the outset of the project to ensure that things are correct from the outset and guides what they consider is good practice.  The risk of using someone from another company is that they may not agree with the conclusions as they have not been involved earlier enough.