A mixed review of research on the competencies of built environment professionals in infrastructure delivery within emerging economies

This study employed a mixed-review approach that integrates bibliometric analysis with a systematic literature review (SLR) to synthesize evidence on the competencies required of built environment professionals in emerging economies. The method specifies the Scopus search strategy, inclusion and exclusion criteria, screening procedures, and quality checks, resulting in 59 eligible publications from an initial 185 records retrieved in May 2024. Bibliometric analysis (VOSviewer 1.6.20) identified publication trends, co-authorship networks, key keywords, and co-citation clusters, which informed the thematic focus of the SLR. The SLR synthesized findings into seven themes: (1) emerging critical skills, (2) competency-based curriculum, (3) technology infrastructure and assessment, (4) municipal competency training, (5) innovative skills for construction management graduates, (6) university–industry collaboration for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), and (7) pedagogical innovations and learning management systems. The study offers practical recommendations for curriculum developers, universities, and industry stakeholders and highlights the need for future empirical studies to validate the identified competency frameworks.