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The Estimator analyses available information to support investment decisions for portfolios, programmes, or projects. They determine the cost, time required, and likely carbon impacts of delivery. Estimators also verify quotes and estimates from third parties and provide insights that inform commercial negotiations. They work closely with project and programme managers, commercial and finance officers, and suppliers.
| Responsibility | Detail |
|---|---|
| Estimation | Leads the production of low-complexity estimates for cost, duration, and carbon for a defined scope and solution/design/approach. Ensures estimates comply with industry and departmental standards. Contributes to creating more complex estimates. |
| Quote/tender assurance | Analyses third-party quotes and tender documents, and reports findings to programmes and projects to support negotiations with third parties. |
| Estimating model management | Supports the preparation, testing, and implementation of estimating models for cost, duration, and carbon that meet specific criteria for a project or programme. Helps maintain existing estimating models. |
| Data analysis and data management | Assists in identifying, collecting, benchmarking, and managing relevant data on time, cost, and carbon. Supports the development and use of information and insights from available data sources. Helps identify themes and trends from the data. |
| Risks and opportunities | Identifies risk and opportunity drivers for projects or initiatives. Facilitates the collection of comprehensive risks and opportunities from stakeholders. Analyses and quantifies the impact of risks or opportunities on a project based on factors like scale, proximity, probability, and severity. Ensures estimating models accommodate risk factors. |
| Uncertainty | Identifies uncertainty drivers for projects or initiatives. Highlights the potential impact of uncertainty and advises projects on ways to reduce or mitigate it. Ensures estimating models accommodate uncertainty factors. |
| Stakeholder engagement | Provides briefings, advice, and guidance to stakeholders on specific estimates for programmes, projects, or other initiatives. Supports stakeholders in preparing business cases. Advises on estimating topics and specific modelling methods, techniques, and calculations. |
| Quality management | Identifies opportunities for continuous improvement and participates in related activities. |
| Governance | Completes assigned tasks in line with relevant processes and standards. Presents deliverables for peer review and contributes to reviewing others' work. |
| Digital and data | Uses digital tools for accurate cost estimation and forecasting. Analyses data to anticipate challenges and devises strategies to mitigate risks. |
Suitable for individuals with some experience in cost planning, estimating, or equivalent services in a project environment.
Suitable for individuals with awareness of estimating, analytical, commercial, or cost control disciplines gained in non-specialist estimation roles. Also suitable for those with some experience in these disciplines in relevant industry sectors.
None: No knowledge and no experience.
Awareness: Basic knowledge and limited or no experience. You understand how it can be applied. You can describe the benefits and importance. You may have applied it in a low complexity project under supervision or assisted others in delivering it.
Working: Working knowledge and practical experience. You have a good understanding of this competence. You have applied this independently in low complexity projects and/or under supervision in more complex projects.
Practitioner: Detailed knowledge and significant experience. You have a deep understanding of this competence. You have applied this independently in medium and/or highly complex projects. You advise and may supervise others in the delivery of this competence. You can adapt your approach to meet the requirements of the project.
Expert: Expert knowledge and experience. You are considered an expert within government and in the wider profession. You have applied this competence in multiple complex projects. You have been responsible for developing unique variations to suit specific situations. You champion capability development in this area.
| Competency area | Level |
|---|---|
Commercial and procurement
The ability to work with commercial colleagues to procure goods and services and manage contracts effectively to deliver the work.
|
Awareness |
Requirements management
The ability to capture stakeholder needs, assess, define and justify those needs to arrive at an agreed schedule of requirements for the work.
|
Awareness |
Solutions development
The ability to identify, document and analyse the various delivery options and select the optimal solution for the work.
|
Awareness |
Planning
The ability to define the fundamental components of the work in terms of its scope, deliverables, time scales, resource requirements and budget. It also includes the production of broader plans incorporating risk and quality to provide a consolidated overview of the work.
|
Awareness |
Budgeting and cost management
The ability to estimate costs, produce a budget and control forecasts and actual spend against budget.
|
Working |
Risk and issue management
The ability to systematically identify and monitor risks and issues, planning how to mitigate or respond to those risks and issues and implementing the responses.
|
Working |
Quality management
The ability to plan, develop, maintain and apply quality management processes to ensure adherence to those standards throughout the lifecycle of the work.
|
Awareness |
Governance
The ability to clearly define roles, responsibilities and accountabilities and establish controls and approval routes appropriate to each stage of the work to monitor progress and compliance.
|
Awareness |
Frameworks and methodologies
The ability to identify and amend appropriate frameworks and methodologies to enable a consistent and efficient approach to delivery at all stages of the lifecycle.
|
Awareness |
Stakeholder engagement
The ability to systematically identify, analyse and communicate with stakeholders, using appropriate channels, to ensure all those impacted by the change are engaged, taking account of their levels of influence and particular interests.
|
Awareness |
Assurance
The ability to establish, plan and manage reviews at appropriate points through the life cycle to provide confidence that the work can be delivered to the agreed outcomes and benefits within time, cost, quality, and other constraints.
|
Working |
Business case development
The ability to prepare, develop, commission and update business cases to justify the initiation and continuation of projects in terms of benefits, value for money and risk.
|
Awareness |
Benefits management
The ability to identify, value, plan and track benefits to justify investment and ensure the expected outcomes and social value are realised.
|
Awareness |
Knowledge management
The ability to identify, share and promote best practices and lessons learned to create a culture of learning and good practice that supports continuous improvement to optimise project delivery.
|
Awareness |
Digital and data
The ability to effectively leverage digital tools and data analytics for better project delivery outcomes. Combining an understanding of digital technologies with the ability to manage, interpret and utilise data to make informed decisions, improve efficiency and achieve outcomes and benefits.
|
Working |
Sustainability
The ability to incorporate environmental and social considerations into the strategic objectives of the work and to effectively identify, assess and manage these throughout the lifecycle, seeking to maximise benefits and mitigate negative impacts.
|
Awareness |
None: No knowledge and no experience.
Awareness: Basic knowledge and limited or no experience. You understand how it can be applied. You can describe the benefits and importance. You may have applied it in a low complexity project under supervision or assisted others in delivering it.
Working: Working knowledge and practical experience. You have a good understanding of this competence. You have applied this independently in low complexity projects and/or under supervision in more complex projects.
Practitioner: Detailed knowledge and significant experience. You have a deep understanding of this competence. You have applied this independently in medium and/or highly complex projects. You advise and may supervise others in the delivery of this competence. You can adapt your approach to meet the requirements of the project.
Expert: Expert knowledge and experience. You are considered an expert within government and in the wider profession. You have applied this competence in multiple complex projects. You have been responsible for developing unique variations to suit specific situations. You champion capability development in this area.
| Competency area | Level |
|---|---|
Visible leadership
The ability to engage, motivate and coach others. To act as a role model and inspire and empower others. Aligned to the leadership Civil Service behaviour.
|
Awareness |
Credible action
The ability to promote the wider public good in all actions and to act in a morally, legally and socially appropriate manner at all times. Challenges unacceptable behaviour. Aligned to the leadership Civil Service behaviour.
|
Awareness |
Working with ambiguity
The ability to work in an environment of uncertainty and continual change. Able to feel comfortable making decisions and setting direction without having the full picture and re-focus as details emerge. Can apply knowledge and techniques to reduce ambiguity. Aligned to the making effective decisions Civil Service behaviour.
|
Awareness |
Collaboration
The ability to establish and develop productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders, bringing people together to benefit the project. Aligned to the working together Civil Service behaviour.
|
Working |
Influencing
The ability to influence, change and impact decisions with both internal and external stakeholders. Aligned to the communicating and influencing Civil Service behaviour.
|
Awareness |
Conflict resolution
The ability to recognise, anticipate and effectively deal with existing or potential conflicts at an individual, team or strategic level. Aligned to the working together and leadership Civil Service behaviours.
|
Awareness |
Resilience
The ability to adapt to changing circumstances and adverse situations whilst remaining calm, reassuring others and maintaining performance. Aligned to the delivering at pace Civil Service behaviour.
|
Awareness |
This role profile is for an estimator at HEO grade. It could also be advertised as an estimating officer.
Hiring managers should refer to the standardised job titles framework for guidance on which titles to use for recruitment.