The Competency Standard for Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Survey, Assessment and Management provides a structured framework for professionals working across freshwater ecology, environmental assessment, conservation, water management and habitat restoration. It defines the knowledge, skills and experience expected of practitioners involved in the survey, identification, assessment, interpretation and management of aquatic macroinvertebrates and their habitats.
The framework supports consistent standards of professional practice, helping individuals, employers, regulators and clients understand the competencies required to undertake aquatic macroinvertebrate work confidently, safely and effectively.
Purpose of this Framework
This competency standard has been developed to:
- Promote high standards of professional practice across the freshwater ecology sector.
- Support career development and progression for aquatic macroinvertebrate practitioners.
- Provide a benchmark for competency assessment and professional recognition.
- Encourage consistency in survey design, fieldwork, laboratory analysis, reporting and environmental management.
- Ensure practitioners understand their responsibilities relating to legislation, health and safety, biosecurity and environmental protection.
- Support robust ecological evidence for decision-making, impact assessment and habitat management.
Raising Standards
Understanding what good practice looks like and how to develop your competence in different areas of ecological survey, management and mitigation is fundamental to professional development and progressing your career.
CIEEM has been working with volunteer members to develop taxa-specific competency standards that tell the practitioner what they need to know and what they should be able to do in order to demonstrate increasing levels of competence. These competency standards are derived from the CIEEM Competency Framework and have also drawn on the Ecological Competences: Skills and Process document published by Atkins in 2019.