Practice Management - 03 Professional Standards

03. Professional Standards and Codes

What is the role of the ARB:

·       The Architects Act 1997 created the ARB as the statutory regulatory body set up to protect the interests of those who use architectural services so has a very strong public interest focus.  Its is mainly concerned with setting minimum standards regarding architectural education and professional behaviour

Main responsibilities:

·       Primary role – public protection

·       Maintains the register of architects

·       Prescribes the qualifications

·       Prosecutes those who misuse the title

·       Issues code of conduct and operates disciplinary process

·       Independent of government and profession

ARB Code of Conduct

Standard 01 - Honesty and Integrity

Standard 02 - Competence

2.1 competent to carry out work you undertake to do and that those you employ are competent and adequately supervised

2.3 You are expected to ensure that the necessary communication skills and local knowledge are available to you to discharge your responsibility

Standard 03 - Honest promotion of your services

3.1 You are expected to promote your professional services in a truthful and responsible manner

3.4 You are expected to ensure that all architectural work is under the control and management of one or more architects

Standard 04 - Competent management of your business

4.1 You are expected to have effective systems in place to ensure that you practice is running professionally and that projects are regularly monitored and reviewed

4.2 provide adequate professional financial and technical resources wen entering into a contract

4.4 expected to ensure that before you undertake any professional work you have entered into a written agreement with the client.

Standard 05 - Considering the wider impact of your work

Standard 06 - Carry out professional work faithfully and conscientiously and with due regard to relevant technical and professional standards

6.1 You are expected to carry out your work promptly and with skill and care and in accordance with the terms of your engagement

Standard 07 - Trustworthiness and safe guarding clients’ money

Standard 08 - Insurance arrangements

Standard 10 - Deal with disputes or complains appropriately

Standard 11 - Co-operation with regulatory requirements and investigations

Standard 12 - Respect for others

RIBA Code of Professional Conduct

1. Integrity

2. Competence

3. Relationships

Guidance Notes

1. Integrity, Conflicts of Interest, Confidentiality and Privacy, Corruption and Bribery

2. Competition

3.  Advertising

4.  Appointments

5.  Insurance

6. CPD

7. Relationships

8.  Employment and Equal Opportunities

9.  Complaints and Dispute Resolution

Explain the key differences between the RIBA and the ARB.

·       The purpose of the ARB is to protect the consumer, therefore its primary role is public protection.  It does this by making sure that Architects are fulfilling a statutory function.  It is also concerned with minimum standards

·       The purpose of the RIBA is it is to be a professional body, therefore its primary roles is to protect the profession.  It promotes architecture and supports its members through services and activities agreed by the governing council.

What is the difference between Unacceptable Professional Misconduct and Serious Professional Incompetence?

·       Unacceptable Professional Misconduct is to do with Ethics, which falls under the category of Honesty and Integrity – Standard 01 of the ARB code of conduct.  Failure to reach the minimum requirements set out in this standard could be related to working fraudulently, dishonestly or receiving a criminal record for something.

·       Serious Professional Incompetence relates to the competence a professional has to carry out its service.  These minimum requirements are set out in Standard 02 of the ARB code of conduct.  An architect must carry out their duties with skill and care, and if they are found to fail to do this, in comparison to peers of an average standard, then they could be found guilty of Serious Professional Incompetence

 

RIBA Plan of Works 2013

·       The RIBA Plan of works provides a shared framework for design and construction that offers both a process map and management tool. It can be used as a method of designating stage payments and identifying team members responsibilities when assessing insurance liabilities and reference to the plan of works commonly appear in contracts and appointment documents.

·       The aim of the recent change to the plan of works in 2013 had the aim of creating more flexibility, with stages such as planning permission and procurement being movable and reflects increasing requirements for sustainability and BIM.

Stage 0 – Strategic and designation of project.

·       Defining the clients requirements through development of the brief

·       Initial consideration for assembling the project team

·       Pre-application discussions

·       Review past applications / discussions

·       Strategic Brief

Stage 1 – Preparation and Brief

·       Develop project objectives ie. quality / outcomes

·       Prepare project roles

·       Pre-application discussions

·       Handover strategy and risk assessments

·       Advising the client on procurement

Stage 2 – Concept Design

·       Prepare Concept design, including outline proposals for structural / services design

·       Preliminary cost information

·       Agree final project brief

Stage 3 – Developed Design

·       Prepare Developed Design, including co-ordinated and updated structure / services design

·       Outline cost information

·       Project strategies in accordance with Design programme.

Stage 4 – Technical Design

Stage 5 – Construction

Stage 6 – Handover and Close Out

Stage 7 – In Use