The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Architects Registration Board (ARB) both require to validate courses, programmes and examinations in architecture in accordance with their respective responsibilities as defined from time to time and have agreed to cooperate in the obtaining of reports and recommendations from boards of visitors to relevant educational establishments.

The objectives of each Visiting Board are:

1. to report on and recommend to the RIBA the recognition of courses, programmes and examinations in Architecture and related subjects for exemption from the RIBA Examination in Architecture and in pursuit of the Institute's Charter;
2. to report on and recommend to the ARB the recognition of examinations for the purposes of admission to the Register of Architects;
3. to report to ARB whether qualifications satisfy the requirements of Articles 3 and 4 of the European Commission Architects Directive for the purpose of recognition by Member States in accordance with Article 2 of the Directive,

Both RIBA and ARB intend to maintain Visitors Panels from which nominees for each Visiting Board will be selected. Each organisation will consult the other as to proposed appointments to its Visitors Panel. Each Visiting Board will contain the same number of nominees from RIBA and ARB comprising in total two architects, two educationalists, one lay person and one student. RIBA and ARB will each appoint an architect and an educationalist and will then seek to agree the appointment of a lay member and student. If agreement is not reached the Visiting Board may be expanded by, if necessary, the appointment by both RIBA and ARB of a lay member and a student.

RIBA and ARB will agree the appointment of a secretary to each Visiting Board as soon as it is nominated but in the absence of agreement the RIBA and the ARB will be entitled to nominate the Secretary to the Visiting Board on an alternating basis from one Visiting Board to the next. Both RIBA and ARB will designate members of their respective Visitors Panels as Visiting Board Chairs and each organisation will in consultation with the other and all of the proposed members of the Visiting Board seek to agree a Visiting Board Chair but in the absence of agreement the RIBA and the ARB will be entitled to nominate the Chair on an alternating basis from one Visiting Board to the next.

RIBA and ARB will seek to appoint sufficient individuals to their respective panels to ensure adequate numbers of appropriately experienced individuals are available for Visiting Boards. It is intended that the composition of the panels will change over time by regular retirements and appointments. Individuals will be appointed on a yearly basis for a maximum of 5 years.

RIBA and ARB will organise joint training for Visitors although either organisation may supplement this with training of its own. In particular joint training will be organised for those members to be designated and available for appointments as Visiting Board Chairs.

The ARB will appoint, in consultation with RIBA, an Advisory Group of ten members drawn from the Visitors Panels. The Advisory Group will be an ongoing forum for the review of validation issues including the consistency of reporting. ARB will, in consultation with RIBA and the Advisory Group, appoint a chairman or chairwoman of the Advisory Group. Subject to the prior written consent of ARB the group may be assisted by such individual academics, practitioners, lay members and student members from time to time as the Group requires provided no more than four such individuals in total may attend any particular meeting of the Advisory Group.

The ARB Reporting officer will act as Secretary to the Advisory Group. The RIBA Validation Co- ordinator will attend these meetings as an observer. The RIBA Validation Co-ordinator and the ARB Reporting Officer will alternate as Secretary to the Visiting Boards. Where the RIBA Validation Co-ordinator or the ARB Reporting Officer is not the Secretary, the other will be entitled to attend visiting boards as an observer..

The ARB may reimburse the expenses of individuals serving on the Validation Panel. Further details are available from RIBA and ARB.

The ARB will not make any charges to schools and/or institutions for the provision of initial or re- validation services. Charges, to cover expenses, will only arise in respect of:

• visits concerned with new courses, and
• re-visits following initial or re-validation visits, within the standard five year period.

Individuals in the ARB pool will be expected to attend two visits per annum, as far as is practicably possible. Nominations to Visiting Boards will seek to maintain, where possible, continuity with previous visits. Individuals would be expected to declare any possible conflicts of interest. The RIBA and the ARB will nominate and reach agreement on Board composition (in accordance with section 2.1.3). Schools and/or institutions will be allowed to comment on the composition to both the RIBA and the ARB. Individuals may serve for a maximum of five years. Recruitment will take place by open advertisement where necessary to maintain at least 20 members in each panel.

The Advisory Group membership would be drawn equally from each of the RIBA and the ARB panels. Nominations will be invited, and individuals will serve on this group for three years. Individuals may be re-nominated for additional terms.

The secretary to the Visiting Board will be RIBA Validation Co-ordinator or ARB Reporting Officer on an alternating basis.

The ARB has a Code of Conduct which it expects all of the members of its panel to adhere to. Additionally ARB Visitors will be expected to attend a minimum of two visits per year as well as training sessions (maximum of two days per year).

The Advisory Group will receive secretarial support from the ARB Reporting Officer and will meet at least 5 times a year. Its principal focus will be the maintenance of standards in reporting and evidence interpretation. The Group will also view draft reports prior to despatch to schools and will be asked to feed comments back to the appropriate Visiting Board Secretary.

In the event that the RIBA declines or fails to nominate individuals to any proposed Visiting Board in relation to a particular school or, if pursuant to its statutory responsibility, it appears to the ARB necessary to constitute its own Visiting Board then the ARB may, in consultation with the RIBA, do so.

In the event that the ARB declines or fails to nominate individuals to any proposed Visiting Board in relation to a particular school or if it appears to the RIBA necessary to constitute its own Visiting Board then the RIBA may, in consultation with the ARB, do so.