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This apprenticeship is in revision
This revised version of the occupational standard and end-point assessment plan has been agreed and is available for information only pending a decision on the funding.
Proposal approved
Occupational standard approved
End-point assessment plan approved
Funding approved
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This occupation is found in a range of organisations including ecological consultancy, local authorities and non-governmental organisations, government agencies and in the private sector. Work is likely to take place in the field or site, whether terrestrial, inland waters or at sea, as well as in an office environment.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to research the relationships between plants, animals, people, and their environment, and the balances between these relationships. Commercially, some aspects receive more attention than others due to policy and legislation. Ecologists have an important role to play in balancing potentially conflicting demands between economic development and the environment to ensure biodiversity net gain and reduce negative impacts, climate change adaptation and mitigation. They have the ability to understand, interpret and apply appropriate law, planning, policy and legislation relevant to environment, biodiversity and protected species.
Ecologists typically undertake a significant proportion of practical work on site as part of their job as well as being in the office and, or a laboratory. They will be proactive in identifying problems and areas of business improvement and will propose innovative ideas and solutions. They will work safely and ethically in all contexts and many companies operate under highly regulated conditions related to health and safety and stakeholder confidentiality. Project management and communication skills are integral to this role.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation is likely to interact with private companies, local authorities, government departments, other ecologists and consultants, commercial partners as well as any other interested stakeholders. They will be required to show effective written and verbal communication skills, both within their immediate teams and across disciplines and stakeholders.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for a range of technical and scientific activities, which may include significant field-based investigations and, or analysis and interpretation of data generated by fieldwork. They will analyse, interpret and evaluate relevant scientific information, concepts and ideas and use these to plan and implement surveys or investigations, write reports and propose solutions to problems. They will apply their knowledge of underlying scientific principles to implement new processes based on existing knowledge, published guidance or input from senior team members and provide advice. This may include providing advice during the planning of developments from small residential to major infrastructure scale. They will be able to provide and implement solutions meeting the needs of the growth agenda while minimising adverse impact on the environment. Ecologists, whether working as consultants, scientists or in the policy arena will be able to work both autonomously and as part of a wider team, taking responsibility for the quality of the work that is undertaken, to deliver scientific value to their organisation.
Consultant Ecologist; Ecological Scientist or Landscape Ecologist.
Ecological Scientist: typically, these would work in academia, a research organisation or statutory agency and would produce, review, analyse and disseminate data and information.
Consultant Ecologist: these would be located either in a specialist consultancy or a large multi-disciplinary organisation requiring ecological skills for their core business. Typically, these would liaise directly with the client, carry out field-based site investigations, interpret the findings and report these back to the client, and develop mitigation strategies to minimise adverse impacts on habitats and species while also seeking to identify opportunities for ecological enhancement to a site.
Landscape Ecologist: these would typically work in a multidisciplinary team, such as a Local Authority, or a non-government organisation (NGO), using ecological and other data to develop strategies and policies.
Ecological scientist
Landscape ecologist
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Duty 1 Plan and manage ecological projects in accordance with legislation and statutory guidelines. |
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Duty 2 Ensure safe working practices are adopted in the office and on-site for example, by conducting risk assessments and adhering to appropriate health and safety guidelines. |
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Duty 3 Collate, record and evaluate data to derive and communicate relevant information. |
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Duty 4 Apply relevant digital packages to facilitate research and critically analyse academic and grey literature. |
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Duty 5 Apply innovative thinking to propose ecological solutions to environmental challenges. |
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Duty 6 Promote and apply appropriate quality standards. |
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Duty 7 Collate and record accurate data from field surveys and prepare calculations, for example to meet the requirements for Biodiversity Net Gain and ongoing habitat monitoring. |
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Duty 8 Conduct field surveys, such as Preliminary Ecological Appraisals, Phase 1 Habitat surveys, basic botanical surveys as required, for example, for the UK Habitat Classification. |
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Duty 9 Recognise when a project specific protected species licence is required. |
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Duty 10 Carry out statistical analysis of research and data. |
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Duty 11 Conduct evaluations such as modelling and prediction to inform recommendations. |
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Duty 12 Lead on research using existing and emerging data source to inform plans, projects and strategies. |
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Duty 13 Use Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to record habitat and environmental observations. |
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Duty 14 Perform spatial analysis to produce appropriate scale information to inform plans, projects and strategies. |
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Duty 15 Produce digital maps to communicate information to stakeholders. |
K1: The business environment in which own organisations operates including personal role within the organisation, ethical practice and codes of conduct.
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K2: Internal and external policies and procedures, for example those relating to safe practice, lone working, professional conduct, record keeping, traceability and confidentiality.
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K3: How to identify and critically review sources to identify advances in technology, inform research projects and enhance good practice.
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K4: Investigation techniques and processes including current best practice guidelines and when and how to seek input from colleagues and other specialists.
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K5: Project management techniques and their suitability for different working environments and multidisciplinary team members.
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K6: Sector specific external regulations and legislation that relate to specific species, protected areas and habitats.
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K7: Biosecurity protocols and when to apply them.
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K8: Communication techniques and how to adapt them for technical and non-technical audiences.
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K9: Land use planning legislation which applies to all habitats and wildlife, including those with protected status.
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K10: Requirements of licensing procedures for works affecting protected species.
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K11: Conflict resolution tools for stakeholder management.
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K12: Evidence-based management, mitigation, restoration and enhancement plans including climate resilience.
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K13: Modelling and prediction techniques, for example those used in population modelling and scenario evaluation.
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K14: Management of large data sets and appropriate methods of storage, analysis and representation.
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K15: Statistical analysis packages for ecology including how and when to use them.
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K16: Current software and analytical techniques for viewing, editing and analysing geospatial data to enable identification of for example, ecological enhancement potential.
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K17: The role of spatially represented material in effective communication to both technical and non-technical audiences.
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K18: Drivers for regional, rather than single site based research for long term planning, policy and strategy formulation.
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S1: Use verbal and written communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences.
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S2: Work safely in the office and on site, preparing and adhering to external and internal risk management, biosecurity and health and safety systems.
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S3: Perform standard ecological techniques such as desk study, Preliminary Ecological Appraisal, species and habitat management and monitoring plans according to good practice guidance.
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S4: Perform analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of scientific data gathered from existing sources and primary data.
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S5: Apply quality standards when report writing and communicating.
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S6: Manage projects by planning and prioritising tasks, reviewing and evaluating progress against stakeholder objectives, and preparing appropriate reports.
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S7: Manage and develop stakeholder relationships and expectations such as, seasonal restrictions.
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S8: Use standard digital packages and current software for recording and analysing data and for communication.
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S9: Use conflict resolution tools to solve conflicts of interest between the client aims and statutory requirements according to the context of the situation.
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S10: Communicate research findings to non-technical audiences, both in reports and direct presentations.
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S11: Design and conduct field surveys, with basic botanical identification skills to the standard required to enable recognised techniques, such as Phase 1 Habitat surveys, UK Habitat classification and calculations using the Defra Biodiversity Metric for Biodiversity Net Gain.
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S12: Assess potential for protected species to be using a site and apply survey techniques to determine presence or likely absence and so whether a specific project license will be required.
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S13: Identify and collect project specific data and conduct appropriate analysis.
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S14: Identify appropriate analytical tools and statistical packages to transform data into ecologically relevant information.
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S15: Identify ecological knowledge gaps and research opportunities and design methods to address these.
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S16: Identify and implement protocols to investigate specific issues, such as determining water quality or soil conditions.
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S17: Apply Geographic Information System (GIS) software including QGIS.
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S18: Identify credible sources of existing data and prioritise this according to designations, such as IUCN red list or protected species status that can contribute to and contextualise specific projects.
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S19: Perform spatial analyses and produce maps that communicate data effectively.
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S20: Uses information systems and social media in line with business codes of conduct including confidentiality processes.
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B1: Takes personal responsibility for minimising environmental impact during site-based investigations and for the safety of themselves and others, both in the office and on site.
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B2: Adaptable, taking personal responsibility and works independently as well as interacting efficiently within a professional team environment.
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B3: Respects confidentiality on work related and personal matters and demonstrates good judgement in the use of social media and information systems.
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B4: Cognisant of the impact of work on others , especially where related to diversity and equality.
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B5: Commitment to continual professional development and keeping up to date with advances in science and technology relevant to the area of specialisation.
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Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the End-Point Assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. A British Sign Language (BSL) qualification is an alternative to the English qualification for those whose primary language is BSL.
This standard aligns with the following professional recognition:
| Version | Change detail | Earliest start date | Latest start date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revised version awaiting implementation | Not set | Not set | |
| 1.0 | Approved for delivery | 28/06/2019 | Not set |
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