PCIfA applicants must provide a statement outlining their employed or voluntary roles and say how their current role demonstrates the four areas of the competence matrix, see below. It is the most important part of your application as it informs the Validation committee about how your skills and experience demonstrate the criteria and helps them reach a decision.
You can use the Statement of competence template to upload or write directly into the boxes in the online form. Please note that incomplete new applications online cannot be saved and returned to.
For further information on how the competence categories apply in different areas of practice, please see our supporting specialist competence matrices. These can be used alongside the main competence matrix to see how your work fits into the criteria and help write your statement of competence.
If you have recently graduated with a CIfA accredited degree you need to apply in the same way and write your statement using the accredited degree matrix and guidance.
Employed or voluntary roles
Please give detailed information about your role and responsibilities for your current and most recent roles over the last two years. Use each heading of the competence matrix (below) as a guide. You should cover how you demonstrate the four areas - knowledge, autonomy, coping with complexity and perception of professional context - giving specific examples. You may find it easier to describe an example of a project you have done from beginning to end.
For any roles you’ve undertaken longer than two years ago, please give a brief description of the responsibilities held, including any career breaks where relevant.
If you have taken a career break, work part-time or have a portfolio career and can meet the evidence requirements to demonstrate competence in the four areas of the matrix, you are eligble to apply.
You can approach your statement of competence in different ways
- write it like a job application, describing your main responsibilities and how these fit into the four areas of the competence matrix
- use the four areas of the competence matrix as headings, write something for each and describe an example of where you did this
- write about a specific piece of work or project
Detailed guidance and examples of what you should include can be found in the performance criteria (PCIfA) (weblink)
Competence matrix for Practitioner (PCIfA)
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Knowledge
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Autonomy
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Coping with complexity
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Perception of professional context
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Good working knowledge of key aspects relevant to area of historic environment practice, and competence in its application, in accordance with relevant professional standards
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Some responsibility for achieving tasks using own judgement and autonomy, whilst working under general supervision. Collaboration with others is expected
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Appreciates complex situations within the role held and able to achieve partial resolution alone. Some activities are complex and non-routine
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Sees actions as a series of steps and recognises the importance of each role in the team
Demonstrates understanding of the ethical requirements of the Code of conduct and is able to apply to own work. Upholds the values of the Institute to work in the public interest
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Qualifications (where relevant)
Please list any relevant qualifications, including title, University and date of completion and a brief outline of the areas covered. If you work in academia, please provide a more detailed outline. Please upload a copy of your certificates, where relevant.
If you do not hold any qualifications, you are still eligible to apply.
Additional relevant information
Please include any additional information that may be useful for the Validation committee to take into consideration when assessing your application. A job description or CV can be uploaded to the online form but you must include a statement of competence (above).
If your experience has been gained outside the UK, please include some background information about how the profession operates in that country and how your role fits within the profession.
