Assessor Role, Professional Conduct and Online Assessment Tools
Professional obligations
A licensed BREEAM Assessor must act with integrity, competence, and independence. Candidates should understand conflicts of interest: an assessor should not assess a project where they have a material interest that could compromise objectivity, and any potential conflict should be declared. Confidentiality of client information and accurate record-keeping are core duties. The assessor must work within their competence and seek guidance where uncertain.
Online assessment tools
BREEAM assessments are managed through an online platform where projects are registered, issues are recorded, evidence is uploaded, and submissions are made to the scheme operator. Candidates should know the workflow: registering the project, populating the assessment with credit claims, attaching evidence, submitting for QA, and responding to queries. Familiarity with how the tool records version history and audit trails is valuable.
Traps in questions
Questions often test whether an assessor may also act as a designer or supplier on the same project - this raises conflict-of-interest concerns and must be managed or avoided. Another trap is assuming the online tool replaces the need for professional judgement; it structures the assessment but does not validate evidence. Confidentiality breaches and inaccurate submissions are professional conduct failures.
Worked example
An assessor is asked by a client to "just mark the credit as achieved" before evidence exists. The correct response is to refuse: credits require supporting evidence, and submitting unsupported claims breaches professional conduct and QA requirements.
Rule of thumb
When in doubt, declare, document, and verify. Transparency protects both the assessor and the client.