Quick Guide to...
Member (Professional Body Route)
A Member is a fully qualified civil engineering surveyor and a voting member of CICES. The institution
strongly encourages members and fellows of other professional bodies, where there is a close match in
the competency requirements, to apply for membership. These guidelines have been created to ease this
transition by simplifying the documentation that applicants have to produce, whilst maintaining the standard
of assessment. This route assumes that a rigorous assessment of the applicant’s competency has been made
by the original professional body.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
■ Be a member or fellow of an appropriate professional body.
■ Be able to demonstrate significant experience in the civil engineering or geospatial environment.
How to Apply
The Member application must include:
■ Online application or upgrade form with details of two sponsors.
■ Digital photograph.
■ Principal sponsor’s form.
■ A detailed CV.
■ A narrative.
■ Continuing professional development records for the last two years.
■ The appropriate fee.
■ A photocopy of the membership certificate of the existing professional body and of any relevant
qualifications.
Relevant Professional Bodies
Applicants should check if their professional qualification is acceptable for this route before making an
application. For example, members and fellows from the following professional bodies are currently accepted
for this route by the institution:
■ Australia: Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (AIQS), Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute (SSSI).
■ Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS).
■ Ireland: Society of Chartered Surveyors (SCS).
■ New Zealand: New Zealand Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NZIQS), New Zealand Institute of
Surveyors (NZIS).
■ Sri Lanka: Institution of Incorporated Engineers, Sri Lanka (IIESL).
■ United Kingdom: Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).
(There are separate membership routes for Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Royal Institution
of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) members and fellows.)
Construction Law Specialists
Applications are welcome from those with an active or advisory legal function, including lawyers and specialist
construction practitioners, who work primarily with civil engineering contracts in regard to the formulation
of contracts and settlement of claims and disputes. Competency is established by full membership of a
professional legal body.
Detailed CV
The detailed CV is an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge, understanding, range of skills and
experience on the basis of a whole career description. The CV should include colleges and universities
attended, qualifications gained as well as details of work experience. This should include any periods not in
employment or employed in non or semi-related fields. The detailed CV for applications via this route should
be 1,500-2,000 words long.
Narrative
Applicants should select six competencies that best suit their knowledge, skills and experience (please note,
applicants do not need to include any of the general competencies). A brief (minimum half-page) narrative per
competency to describe how, when and where the competency requirements were fulfilled should be included
with the application. The six competencies should all be from the same specialism and should include at
least two from the core and at least two from the specialist set. The remaining two can be taken from either
the core or the specialist set. Please note that for commercial management applicants, one of the chosen six
should be the Core 6 competency (techniques and technologies employed in civil engineering works). In those
specialisms with competencies that are not split into core or specialist sets, applicants should select any six
from within that specialism.
Continuing Professional Development Records
A record of continuing professional development (CPD) undertaken in the last two years. The records may
be submitted in any reasonable format including those required by other recognised professional bodies
(guidance on how to put together suitable CPD records is also available on the CICES website). CPD covers a
whole range of learning activities including new skills gained at work, workshops, seminars, training courses,
reading and mentoring.
Sponsors
Sponsors should read the application details in full as they are vouching for the accuracy of these details.
Sponsors may be members or fellows of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Royal Institution of Chartered
Surveyors, Chartered Institute of Building or other chartered construction sector UK professional body.
Members and fellows from overseas professional bodies which have signed a memorandum of association
or co-operation with CICES may also sponsor applicants. CICES may check with the sponsor and their
professional body to check their validity.
Member Review
The institution will undertake a desktop review of the application. After a successful desktop review, the
applicant will be called for a review interview.
The Education, Professional Development and Membership Committee confirms all applications before
release.
Applications should be submitted, with all requested documentation, electronically by logging into or creating
an online account (top right of the CICES website) and heading to your ‘Profile’ page.
Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors, Dominion House, Sibson Road, Sale, Cheshire M33 7PP United Kingdom
+44 (0)161 972 3100 www.cices.org
Version 3.1 11/22