The Architect’s Registration Board (ARB) has released its new strategy with a focus on improving safety and professional competence
The new ARB five-year strategy maintains the ambitions of the previous strategy, as well as builds on the reforms introduced by it.
The findings of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry continue to be a key focus in improving public safety and relations.
The strategy has four key targets
The targets are:
1. Raise standards of future architects
- The new education and training framework will be fully embedded, improving access to the profession and ensuring that all those who enter it are competent to practise.
2. Drive competence across the profession
- Use evidence and data to evaluate and enhance the impact of its new statutory continuing professional development (CPD) scheme, raising competence across the profession.
- Work collaboratively across the built environment sector to improve workplace culture, address discrimination and sexual misconduct, and ensure professional standards are understood and upheld.
- Make improvements to investigations and enforcement processes to ensure that those who fall below required standards are dealt with efficiently and proportionately.
3. Improve culture and behaviour
- Set clearer standards and accountability for the profession, and particularly for those in leadership roles.
- Take robust action on discrimination, sexual misconduct and unprofessionalism.
4. Deliver modern, effective and efficient regulation
- Harness new digital and emerging technologies to improve efficiency, transparency and accessibility.
- Review its regulatory framework to make sure it remains effective at delivering in the public interest.
“Our job is to make sure that architects are competent”
Chair of the Architects Registration Board, Alan Kershaw, said: “Architecture directly affects people’s safety and quality of life. Our job is to make sure that architects are competent, accountable and work in the public interest. This strategy sets out how we will raise standards, strengthen education and continuing professional development, and press on with our programme to modernise the way in which architects are regulated.
“We recognise that the profession has been subject to substantial change and continuing challenge, and the new strategy sets out how we will support the profession and enable learning providers to continue to innovate in the interests of trainees and architects of the future.”
It is expected that the ARB will continue to create international connections such as the ones made with the US , Canada, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Australia, in order to strengthen opportunities both for British Architects abroad and for international architects in the UK.
The new ARB five-year strategy, along with their Business Plan for 2026, can be read in full here.
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