RIBA President, Chris Williamson,\u202foutlines his thinking behind a competence-led approach to\u202fregulation\u202f<\/p>\n
My recent decision not to renew my ARB registration was\u202fnot\u202fan\u202feasy\u202fone to make, but\u00a0I\u00a0think\u00a0\u202fit\u00a0has been an opportunity to provide a moment of clarity\u202fin a confused and confusing regulatory environment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For too long, our regulatory framework has been obsessed with protecting a title rather than ensuring the quality of the work performed. In a post-Grenfell world, that is not good\u00a0enough.\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n
RIBA\u2019s\u202fcore\u202fproposition is simple\u202f-\u202fthe future of the built environment lies in a competence-based approach to regulation. We need to move beyond administrative box-ticking and toward a system that\u202fensures\u202fprofessional capability\u202fthat\u202fcan be readily understood by architects,\u202fother\u202fprofessionals,\u202fclients\u202fand the public. \u202f\u202f<\/p>\n
This is also an opportune time to look holistically about the role of the architect, particularly looking forward to an AI dominated world. For too long, we have concentrated on design, which – whilst important – represents a fraction of our work. We need to nurture and promote all our specialisms and allow all our members to curate their own careers. Our education system has, for too long, concentrated on producing good general practitioners rather than encouraging wonderful specialisms.<\/p>\n
RIBA\u202fis championing a fundamental shift on professional regulation through\u00a0 our\u202f\u2018Repeal,\u202freserve,\u202fregulate\u2019\u202fcampaign.\u202f<\/p>\n
First, we need to\u202frepeal\u202fthe Architects Act 1997.\u202fThis legislation is a relic\u202ffrom a bygone era.\u202fIt protects the\u202ftitle\u202f”architect” but does nothing to stop an unqualified individual from designing a\u202fbuilding\u202fof any type.\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n
We need\u00a0to\u00a0replace\u00a0the\u202flegislative\u202fframework\u00a0with one\u00a0that\u202fidentifies\u202f”reserved\u202factivities”\u202f-\u202fcritical tasks that directly\u202fimpact\u202flife safety, building quality\u202fand sustainability\u202f-\u202fwhich can only be signed off by proven, competent professionals.\u202fThis is how things are done in many other parts of the world, and there is existing precedent in the UK in the form of the Legal\u202fServices\u202fAct.\u202f<\/p>\n
Then, we need to\u202fregulate\u202fthrough a Built Environment\u202fCouncil.\u202fWe\u202fbelieve that the professional charter bodies are the right organisations to regulate those with responsibility for\u202freserved\u202factivities.\u00a0However,\u00a0there needs to\u202fbe\u202fproper\u202findependent scrutiny of the\u00a0standards set by the charter bodies and the systems for assessing competence.\u00a0This would be the role of the Built Environment Council and again, we have an existing example\u202fin the form of the Engineering\u202fCouncil.\u202f<\/p>\n
A\u202f\u00a0competence-based model delivers two things the current system\u00a0lacks:\u202fpublic\u202fprotection\u202f-\u202fso ensuring that those responsible for\u202fthe critical design decisions in our\u202fbuildings have the specific, tested skills\u202fand competences\u202frequired\u202ffor the\u202ftask, and\u202fclarity\u202fand\u202faccountability\u202f- with\u202freserved\u202factivities,\u202fthere\u202fwill\u202fbe no ambiguity about who\u202fis responsible for\u202fwhat.\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n
RIBA is\u202falready leading by example.\u202fRIBA Chartered Members must now pass our health and life safety mandatory competence test if they act\u202fas designers under CDM and\/or Building Regulations on projects in England.\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n
I am against any form of protectionism. \u202fI think clients\u202fhave the\u202fright to commission designs from\u202fanyone\u202fthey believe will fulfil their aspirations, but there are\u202fimportant issues\u202fof safety,\u202fethics\u202fand compliance which we need to ensure are addressed.\u202f This\u202fisn\u2019t\u202fabout\u202fcreating\u202fa closed shop;\u202fit\u2019s\u202fan\u202finvitation\u202ffor a much-needed industry conversation, and there are some\u202fhard questions\u202fstill to be answered. For example,\u202fwhat defines a \u2018competent individual\u2019?\u202f Who else joins us? How should\u202f’reserved activities’\u202fbe defined in detail and who should hold the right to perform them?\u202f<\/p>\n
The\u202fbiggest professional shake-up\u202fin decades is already underway, but its success depends on collaboration.\u202fAs I said, this isn\u2019t just about architects. Planners, engineers and surveyors may also wish to undertake this work \u2013 but whoever does so must be competent and able to prove it. We will work with government, Parliament, and built environment professionals to ensure that the new regime drives competence and reflects the changing needs of a 21st century profession.<\/p>\n