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.  A pre-consultation exercise was undertaken throughout September and early October 2017 and Task and Finish Group members in addition to an independent Chair were appointed to lead on the reviews.  The Task and Finish Groups’ initial recommendations were presented to the Board in November 2017 and in January 2018 a joint working group was set up with the RIBA to try and ensure we retained a set of Criteria in common.

Latest developments
At its meeting on 11 May 2018, the Board considered a paper on the Criteria review to date.  In summary, the joint working group’s first meeting took place in February 2018 and opinions on the structure and content of the revised Criteria were discussed.  At the meeting it was agreed that both parties would continue to work on proposals and the RIBA subsequently provided suggestions for Criteria at Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 which were passed to the Task and Finish Group for review.

After careful review the Task and Finish Group felt that the RIBA’s proposals would not fulfil the review’s objectives, but upon reflection felt that its own original proposals could also be improved upon.  The Group therefore proposed alternative approaches to the structure and content of the Criteria be explored.  RIBA expressed disappointment in the Group’s initial feedback and indicated they would re-engage with the Criteria review once there was a set of draft Criteria at Parts 1, 2, and 3 for them to consider.

The Board noted the progress of the Criteria review and the position of the RIBA and there was much discussion about the work of the Task and Finish Group and stakeholders’ positions.  Ultimately the Board:

• Agreed the Task and Finish Group should continue to develop Criteria that would satisfy the review’s objectives as agreed in July 2017
• Advised that the Task and Finish Group should focus on developing Criteria at Part 1 and 2 levels using the 11 points of the Professional Qualifications Directive and other relevant amplifications in order to differentiate between each level.  As part of this, the Board requested that the Group should review whether programme level qualification descriptors, for example, were an appropriate way of differentiating between the Criteria at Part 1 and Part 2 level
• Agreed that the Group should continue its review of the Part 3 level Criteria

It was also agreed the Task and Finish Group should provide an initial draft of their revised Criteria to the Board and, once considered by the Board, ARB should re-engage with the RIBA as requested.

We post updates on this project on our website here and additional updates can also be found via our social media channels – follow @ARBUK1997 on Twitter to keep up to date.