The ‘Survey Skills Pyramid’, which had been developed by Sarah Whild and Sue Townsend (©2003), separated biological survey skills into levels of competence. The competence levels covered all stages of experience from beginners to experts (such as national referees). The pyramid provided an effective guideline for the development of survey skills and provided details for the expected level of experience required to progress from stage to stage. The pyramid provided the CIEEM Training, Education and Career Development Committee with a framework that could be adapted in order to match the levels of field ecology skills competence to education and career progression. The outcome is the Field Ecology Skills Guide, which has been separated into two components; education and career progression.