Background – In order to ensure that the qualifications and practical training experience UK graduates need for registration as an architect are appropriate, the Board has established Criteria and Procedures.  The Board uses these documents to prescribe or recognise qualifications in architecture. These are reviewed regularly and are updated as necessary. In July, we reported that we would be undertaking one of these ‘business as usual’ Reviews of our Criteria and Procedures.

The Pre-Consultation – During the early part of the autumn we undertook a pre-consultation to seek views from our stakeholders before commencing our Reviews. We wanted to involve our audiences early on so that they could feed into the project. We established two Task and Finish Groups to analyse the information gathered through this process.

The Reviews – At its recent meeting, the Board looked at the outcomes of the pre-consultation exercise and considered the recommendations made by the Task Groups. Subject to a discussion with the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Board has decided to progress its Reviews in accordance with the groups’ suggested objectives and recommendations.

The Task Groups will now focus on revising the Criteria and Procedures in line with the Board’s objectives and the Task Groups’ recommendations.  They will aim to bring back revisions to the Board for consideration in the spring. The Board will then consult on the suggested changes.

Discussion with the RIBA – In relation to the Criteria Review and in parallel, the Board has also decided that we should hold further discussions with the RIBA. We want to determine whether our respective positions can be aligned and whether the Criteria can continue to be held in common by both organisations. To do so remains an objective of the Board as we believe it provides clarity for stakeholders.

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