Education

Competence Guidlines

Guidance Note on Maintaining Competence to Practise

Introduction

This guidance aims to provide architects and those intending to register under the Architects Act 1997 (the ‘Act’) with an understanding of the Architects Registration Board’s (the ‘Board’) approach to maintaining competence, as well as the steps that individuals may have to take in order to demonstrate that they are competent to practise as an architect.

1. Why should practising architects, or those intending to register, maintain competence?

The Board’s requirement for demonstrating competence on application for registration and throughout an architect’s time in practice (see Standard 6 of ARB’s Code of Conduct) provides the profession’s assurance to the public that those on the Register and in practice will carry out their work with the appropriate knowledge and skill.

From 1 January 2008, when existing architects in practice renew their annual ARB registration, they will automatically be deemed to have confirmed that they are competent to practise. 

2. What are ARB’s rules on maintaining competence?

Under the Act, architects must ensure that they are competent to practise.  This applies at the time of registration and throughout an architect’s working life. 

This is implemented through Section 9 of the Act, which is concerned with competence to practise.  In addition, Standard 6 of the Architects Code indicates that ‘Architects should maintain their professional service and competence in areas relevant to their professional work, and discharge the requirements of any engagement with commensurate knowledge and attention.’ 

The Board may prescribe the practical experience that must be gained for a person to be automatically retained, entered or re-entered onto the Register.  Architects, and those who intend to register, who can demonstrate that they have the prescribed practical experience are likely to be able to demonstrate that they are competent to practise.

In order to help architects and those who intend to register meet the practical experience requirements, the Board has defined ‘prescribed practical experience’ within Rule 20 of its General Rules. Rule 20 states that:

“This Rule applies to any person engaged in the practice of architecture who falls within one of the descriptions in Section 9(1)(a), (b), or (c) of the Act.

For the purposes of Section 9(1) the prescribed practical experience shall be that such a person shall have undertaken sufficient activities including continuing professional development and active engagement in the practice, or teaching or study of architecture, during the period of two years immediately prior to the application (or in the case of a person who falls within the categories described in Section 9(1)(b), the date upon which the retention fee is due), in order to maintain competence to practise in accordance with the Board’s guidelines which shall be published from time to time.

Where the Board is not satisfied that such a person has gained such recent practical experience, that person may be required to satisfy the Board of their competence to practice.”

The guidelines as to what might constitute ‘sufficient activities’ as referred to in Rule 20 are found in Section 4 below.

3. When does Rule 20 apply?

Rule 20 applies to those who are engaged in the practice of architecture and who:

Individuals who fall within one of the groups listed above must be able to demonstrate how they meet the Board’s requirements for maintaining competence. 

However, those applying for initial entry to the Register will also have to meet the Board’s requirements under Section 4 of the Act.  Refer to ‘ARB’s Routes to Registration’ document for further details.

Rule 20 will also apply to anyone who is not currently practising but is considering doing so.  Those returning to practice who are on the Register or who are seeking to be reinstated to the Register should bear in mind that they must be able to demonstrate how they have maintained their competence for the previous 2 years.

Rule 20 will not apply to those who are fully retired.  However, as noted above, anybody who has retired but who wishes to resume practice of any kind (including voluntary or pro-bono work) must also be able to demonstrate to the Board that they are competent to practise. 

4. What are the guidelines for maintaining competence?

This section of the Guidance represents the ‘Guidelines’ referred to in Rule 20 of the Board’s General Rules.

Before first admission to the Register, an individual will have attained minimum levels of awareness, knowledge, understanding and ability in areas relevant to practice.  These are defined in ARB’s current Criteria.  These levels are the minimum levels of competence that an architect must maintain.   

In addition, under Standard 6 of the Code, architects should maintain their professional service and competence in areas relevant to their professional work.  Those who offer more specialised services should also be competent in these areas.  

The Criteria referred to above may be found on ARB’s website (http://www.arb.org.uk/education/arb-criteria/contents.shtml).  Briefly, the Criteria are summarised under the following headings:

(Please note that this list is not exhaustive.  It is recommended that individuals refer to the full Criteria on ARB’s website for further details.)

In addition, and although it is not a separate heading under the Criteria, individuals are advised to refer to the sections of the Criteria relating to health and safety which expect architects to have an understanding of and ability to apply relevant health and safety legislation.

Much of the day to day work of an architect is likely to contribute to the maintenance of an individual’s competence.  Activities which are undertaken as part of a CPD scheme should also help to maintain competence.  Such activities are not limited to attending formal courses, lectures or seminars, but can include work-based learning, professional activities and self-directed learning.  Maintaining competence does not rely solely on CPD, but could include:

The RIBA has developed a core curriculum for CPD, with input from the Board, which substantially reflects the Board’s Criteria.  It is anticipated that anyone satisfying RIBA’s requirements is likely to satisfy the Board that they have maintained their competence.  RIBA’s core curriculum can be found on RIBA’s website at www.architecture.com.  Architects or those intending to resume practice may also find it helpful to participate in CPD activities organised by other professional bodies.  Such bodies include the Royal Society of Architects in Wales (RSAW), the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS), the Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA), and the Association of Consultant Architects (ACA).  (Please note that this list is not exhaustive.)

For those not wishing to follow a professional body’s scheme, the Board offers separate guidance at http://www.arb.org.uk/education/continuing-professional-development.shtml, which will achieve the same objectives as outlined above.

Assistance may also be sought from the Construction Industry Council (CIC), which has developed occupational standards for professional, managerial and technical occupations in the built environment – http://www.cic.org.uk/home/index.shtml

In future, the Board may require evidence that these guidelines have been followed and that competence has been maintained.

5. How does an architect, or an individual applying to register, demonstrate competence?

Each individual is best placed to know how to structure their own learning activities to maintain competence. It is important that they assess their own level of competence and identify where steps must be taken to address any deficiencies, i.e., that their basic competence is being maintained at the levels in the Criteria and that competence for their own chosen areas of practice are also maintained at the appropriate level. These steps should then be carefully planned, evaluated and subsequently recorded.

The way that an architect, or an individual who intends to register, chooses to maintain competence, and in particular the CPD they undertake in order to do this, will depend on their own learning needs and actual or expected areas of practice. 

For those returning to the Register after an absence or for those returning to practice after a period without practice, an individual may need to consider what resources are available to re-establish competence over the previous two years.  As well as supervised work, CPD, formal courses, lectures etc, professional bodies, such as the RIBA, may offer specialised courses for this particular purpose, which will help re-establish the individual’s competence.

6. How should activities relating to maintaining competence be planned and recorded?

Records as to how competence is maintained do not have to be in any particular format, neither do architects, or those intending to register, need to duplicate records that they maintain for other bodies, or for their employers.

Whatever form of planning and recording is chosen, it should aim to:

  1. Thoroughly review and evaluate the learning activities undertaken, identifying where future learning needs are required.
  2. Show that you have planned how these learning needs are to be met, including the activities to be undertaken, the necessary resources needed, the appropriate timescales, and how the successful outcomes will be recognised.
  3. Record and evaluate what activities have been undertaken, adding in any valid unplanned learning opportunities which have arisen.

Architects who decide to leave the Register are advised to record any activities they undertake whilst they are unregistered, in the event that they may wish to return to the Register at a future point. 

7. Will architects need to submit evidence of their competence to ARB?

The Board will be issuing guidance relating to those who may be asked to provide evidence of their competence in due course.

Frequently Asked Questions