The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is a global
professional body
A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) usually seeks to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that profession, and the ...
for
surveyors
Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...
, founded in London in 1868. It works at a cross-governmental level, and aims to promote and enforce the highest international standards in the valuation, management and development of
land
Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various islan ...
,
real estate
Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...
,
construction
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and com ...
and infrastructure.
Founded as the Institution of Surveyors, it received a royal charter in 1881, and in 1947 became the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. With a London HQ and regional offices across the United Kingdom, plus international offices, it serves a 134,000-strong membership distributed over nearly 150 countries. The RICS is linked to other national surveying institutions, collaborates with other professional bodies, and, in 2013, was a founder member of a coalition to develop the
International Property Measurement Standards
International Property Measurement Standard (IPMS) is a standardised and globally applicable method for measuring property. It aims to address current inconsistencies in the way property of all types is measured from one market to the next, imp ...
(IPMS). It also produces cost information and professional guidance on valuation and other activities.
In September 2021, an independent review exposed poor governance practices at the highest levels of the RICS organisation, prompting the resignations of the president, chief executive, interim chair of the governing council, and chair of the management board, in addition to the earlier resignation of the chief operating officer. The report was labelled an "appalling advert for our profession on the world stage". A subsequent review published in June 2022 demanded a "transformation of the institution carried out at pace".
History
RICS was founded in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, England, as the Institution of Surveyors after a meeting of 49 surveyors at the Westminster Palace Hotel on 15 June 1868. The inaugural president was John Clutton (who founded
Cluttons
Cluttons LLP is an International firm of chartered surveyors and property consultants based in Central London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a pop ...
, a property firm still in business today). The organisation has occupied headquarters on the corner of Great George Street and Little George Street since then.
It received a
Royal charter
A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...
as The Surveyors' Institution on 26 August 1881,
The charter required RICS to "promote the usefulness of the profession for the public advantage in the UK and in other parts of the world."
The Surveyors' Institution became the Chartered Surveyors' Institution in 1930. In 1946,
George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952. ...
granted the title "Royal" and in 1947 the professional body became the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
![Side+view+of++RICS+HQ+](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Side%2Bview%2Bof%2B%2BRICS%2BHQ%2B.jpg)
The RICS (with the
CIOB,
CIBSE
The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE; pronounced 'sib-see') is an international professional engineering association based in London, England that represents building services engineers. It is a full member of the Co ...
,
IstructE
The Institution of Structural Engineers is a professional body for structural engineering based in the United Kingdom.
The Institution has over 30,000 members operating in over 100 countries. The Institution provides professional accreditation ...
and
RIBA
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...
) was a founder member of the Building Industry Council, today the
Construction Industry Council
The Construction Industry Council (CIC) is the representative forum for professional bodies, research organisations and specialist business associations in the United Kingdom construction industry.
History
The first proposals for a Building Indus ...
, in 1988.
International presence
RICS headquarters is in London with its main support functions in
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
. There are regional offices in the United Kingdom, across mainland Europe, in China, Singapore, Australia, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, North America and Brazil.
In 2018, there are RICS-qualified professionals in nearly 150 countries. RICS accredits 134,000 (as of September 2021) qualified and trainee professionals worldwide.
The majority of accredited individuals are still based in the United Kingdom with large numbers also in mainland Europe, Australia and Hong Kong. There is now a strong growth globally, particularly in China, India and the Americas.
RICS has close links with many national surveying institutions and is a founding member association of the
International Federation of Surveyors
International Federation of Surveyors (abbreviated FIG, after the french: Fédération Internationale des Géomètres) is the UN-recognized global organization for the profession of surveying and related disciplines. It was established in 1878, (FIG). Within RICS the primary areas of practice represented at FIG are
geomatics
Geomatics is defined in the ISO/TC 211 series of standards as the " discipline concerned with the collection, distribution, storage, analysis, processing, presentation of geographic data or geographic information". Under another definition, it ...
(land and hydrographic survey), environment, planning, construction and valuation.
RICS works in close collaboration with other professional bodies, central banks and international organisations such as
The United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
,
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...
and
The European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
.
International standards
In 2013, RICS was a founder member of the coalition to develop
International Property Measurement Standards
International Property Measurement Standard (IPMS) is a standardised and globally applicable method for measuring property. It aims to address current inconsistencies in the way property of all types is measured from one market to the next, imp ...
, which launched its first standard – for measuring office space – in November 2014. It launched its second standard, for measuring residential buildings, in September 2016. In 2014 RICS was a founder member of the coalition to develop International Ethics Standards, standards designed to add greater consistency to developing and reinforcing professional ethics globally – these launched in December 2016.
To add greater consistency to the benchmarking, measuring, and reporting of construction project costs, International Construction Measurement Standards were published in July 2017. The coalition for International Land Measurement Standards – aiding consistency of interpretation and documentation of tenure – launched in June 2016. In each case, coalition member bodies are committed to implementing the new standards through training and guidance for professional practitioners.
The RICS is a founder member of the
International Valuation Standards Committee
The International Valuation Standards Council (IVSC) is an independent, not-for-profit, private sector standards organisation incorporated in the United States and with its operational headquarters in London, UK. IVSC develops international techn ...
.
Membership
Entry to membership of RICS is via four main routes: academic; graduate; technical; and senior professional. RICS has links with
universities
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
worldwide, with whom they have accredited approved courses which satisfy part of the qualification requirements to become trainee surveyors. RICS also offers expedited routes to membership for qualified professional members of some partner associations.
RICS requires members to update their knowledge and competence during their working life through
Continuing Professional Development
Professional development is learning to earn or maintain professional credentials such as academic degrees to formal coursework, attending conferences, and informal learning opportunities situated in practice. It has been described as intensive ...
. Professionals holding RICS qualifications may use the following designations after their name:
*AssocRICS (Associate); previously members at this level were known as Technical Members and used the designation "TechRICS"
*MRICS (Member); previously members at this level were known as Professional Associates and used the designation "ARICS"
*FRICS (Fellow)
*HonRICS (Honorary members)
Those with the designation MRICS or FRICS are also known as
Chartered Surveyor Chartered Surveyor is the description (protected by law in many countries) of Professional ''Members'' and ''Fellows'' of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) entitled to use the designation (and a number of variations such as "Charte ...
s and variations such as "Chartered Building Surveyor", "Chartered Valuation Surveyor" or "Chartered Quantity Surveyor", depending on their chosen specialist qualifications and field of expertise.
Both AssocRICS and MRICS require the collation of a candidate's training and work experience to be assessed by RICS trained assessors, although some may be eligable for direct entry based on international qualifications. MRICS has a higher technical bar to entry and there is an academic prerequisite which does not exist for AssocRICS. MRICS applications are also subject to an Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) interview, held by a panel of Chartered Surveyors where the candidate's experience, knowledge and technical skill is assessed during the interview. FRICS is the highest accolade awarded and demonstrates the professional achievements of an individual. It is an honoured class of membership awarded and an international measure of excellence. Only those who hold the MRICS designation are eligible to apply for FRICS and they must meet the required number of professional characteristics.
Professional groups
RICS specifies areas of specialism, each with its own professional group, clustered into Land, Property and Construction. Within each professional group there may be further specialisms.
Specialist accreditations
RICS aims to cover, among its practising members, property and construction related expertise generally. Specialised areas of practice expertise for which accreditation is available include:
*
Building Information Modelling
Building information modeling (BIM) is a process supported by various tools, technologies and contracts involving the generation and management of digital representations of physical and functional characteristics of places. Building informatio ...
(BIM) Manager Certification
*Building Conservation
*Chartered Environmentalists
*Dispute Resolution
*ECO Assessor Certification
*Fixed Charge Receivership Scheme
*Valuer Registration.
RICS Matrics
The junior branch of RICS, known as Matrics (pronounced "matrix"), provides educational support, charitable and networking activities for surveying students, trainee surveyors (of any age) and Chartered Surveyors with ten years or less post-qualification experience. It comprises some 40 local groups across the United Kingdom. Established in 1889 as the Junior Committee, it became the "Junior Organisation" ("JO") in 1928 and was re-branded as ''"RICS Matrics"'' in 2003. It also has links with the Young Chartered Surveyors in the Republic of Ireland.
Governance
The RICS is governed by a governing council, to which report a management board, a standards and regulation board, and an audit committee.
2019-2021 governance review
In January 2021, the RICS reversed a decision to suppress a 2019
BDO report critical of the organisation's financial
governance
Governance is the process of interactions through the laws, social norm, norms, power (social and political), power or language of an organized society over a social system (family, tribe, formal organization, formal or informal organization, a ...
. According to the ''
Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, whi ...
'', four non-executive directors had expressed concerns about the report's findings, but were dismissed in November 2019 by then president Chris Brooke.
Following a letter from four past presidents, the RICS initially rejected an independent review,
but, after the ousted directors also wrote a letter, then said its governing council would "revisit" the issue,
and on 22 January 2021 announced it would initiate an independent inquiry into the affair.
In 2019, RICS finances were reported to have been in a difficult position, the organisation having made a pre-tax loss of £4.7m on £91.3m of income from fees and commercial activities. It subsequently made 140 people redundant.
In February 2021, the RICS president Kathleen Fontana said that, in addition to the independent review into the audit report, the governing council was agreeing a strategic review into the institution's governance and member engagement. ''
Building
A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and fun ...
'' reported member views that expensive membership fees did not reflect the benefits they receive, and that RICS' international expansion had been "at the expense of its core UK membership, which feels disengaged and neglected".
In April 2021, Peter Oldham, the chair of the independent review of RICS's governance resigned "for professional reasons", to be replaced by
Alison Levitt
Alexander Charles Carlile, Baron Carlile of Berriew, (born 12 February 1948) is a British barrister and crossbench member of the House of Lords. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Montgomeryshire from 1983 to 1997.
Early life and career
...
QC with completion delayed to June 2021
– later pushed back to mid-August 2021.
On 4 June 2021, ''Building'' reported the "surprise" resignation and immediate departure of RICS' chief operating officer Violetta Parylo amid "a storm of calls" from members for reform.
The RICS review of its purpose and relevance had been published in May 2021. Based on 9,000 responses, it reported members' trust in the RICS had plummeted by nearly a third, while satisfaction with membership had fallen to a historic low of 43%.
Levitt review
Levitt's governance review was delivered to the RICS in early August but not immediately made public, prompting calls for its full publication;
the report was first reviewed by a five-strong subgroup of RICS's 26-member governing council.
''
Property Week
''Property Week'' is a UK business-to-business magazine which reports on the worldwide commercial and residential property market. It reports news, features and analysis and the latest information from the industry - from development opportuniti ...
'' columnist Peter Bill said "a private tiff has ballooned into a crisis of confidence in the 130,000-member institution" with a defensive management facing a small but powerful group of disaffected members.
After the August departure of RICS managing director Matthew Howell, RICS CEO Sean Tompkins resigned on 9 September 2021,
when the full Levitt Review was published; Tompkins also forfeited a £190,000 bonus payment.
In light of the Review findings, RICS president Kathleen Fontana, the interim chair of the governing council Chris Brooke, and management board chair Paul Marcuse also resigned,
and RICS terminated its relationship with London law firm
Fieldfisher
Fieldfisher LLP is a multinational law firm headquartered in London. The firm has 25 offices across Europe, China and the United States (Silicon Valley). It advises national and multinational corporations, financial institutions and governments.
...
, criticised by Levitt for being "demonstrably and inappropriately partisan."
Levitt said the RICS had made it "as difficult as possible" for people to contact the review; "RICS management and others on occasion" gave an "impression of reluctant acquiescence" during her investigations, she said.
Her 467-page report concluded that the four non-executive board members had been wrongly dismissed and that sound governance principles were not followed.
The CEO and COO thus operated with little effective scrutiny and become resistant to challenge amid "a power struggle". Levitt recommended "a wide-ranging external review of purpose, governance and strategy, led by an independent reviewer", plus interim recommendations relating to governance, executive remuneration,
whistle-blowing
A whistleblower (also written as whistle-blower or whistle blower) is a person, often an employee, who reveals information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe or fraudulent. Whi ...
and legal advice. The RICS governing council committed to apologise to the dismissed non-executive directors, and to implement all the report's recommendations.
On 30 September 2021, ''Building'' reported on a "grovelling public apology" from the RICS to the wrongfully dismissed non-executive directors, and said an external review of the institution's future purpose was set to start within weeks.
The ousted non-executive directors welcomed the formal apology but said it was "difficult to accept it as a statement of genuine contrition".
Gleeds chairman and ''Building'' columnist Richard Steer called the governance scandal an "appalling advert for our profession on the world stage" and said RICS needed to undergo a "complete restructuring".
Paul Roberts, MD of global law firm Secretariat, said all 21 members of the RICS's governing council should be removed and replaced with new blood elected by the RICS membership.
In October 2021, the RICS refused a request by 40 former and current employees to launch an investigation into how the institution selected staff to be furloughed during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. The employees group alleged that some staff were furloughed as RICS had considered them too supportive of the institution’s membership, and sought a review of RICS's
human resource procedures, but RICS refused, considering the matter closed.
The
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for supporting the prime minister and Cabinet. It is composed of various units that support Cabinet committees and which co-ordinate the delivery of government objecti ...
provided advice on suitable individuals to lead the review of the RICS's future purpose.
In December 2021, the RICS announced former senior civil servant
Michael Bichard
Michael George Bichard, Baron Bichard (born 31 January 1947) is a former public servant in the United Kingdom, first in local and then as a civil servant in central government. He was director of the Institute for Government, currently serves a ...
would lead a six-month review into its governance and future purpose, with three objectives set by the RICS's governing council: to "create clarity" about the RICS' purpose, to propose how the organisation could be a "beacon for best practice" in governance, transparency and accountability, and to ensure that governance is "fit for today" and could remain relevant in future.
Bichard review
The 68-page Bichard review, recommending sweeping reforms, was published on 21 June 2022.
It said the future success of the organisation would "require nothing less than a transformation of the institution carried out at pace"; the need for change was "urgent" and "unarguable". Bichard's recommendations included: a renewed and increased focus on the public interest remit of RICS, including amending the Royal Charter and creating a public interest panel to advise the RICS's Governing Council; maintaining self-regulation, through greater independence for regulatory functions; increased focus on diversity and inclusion; empowering and enabling members through greater support for regional boards, alongside increased member engagement, with renewed focus on younger members; an independent review of RICS's governance and effectiveness at delivering against its Charter for the public advantage once every five years; a new simplified, clear, accountable governance structure; and greater leadership on major society issues such as sustainability and climate change.
Bichard also said the RICS should seek to continue to increase its influence overseas - a policy that was "very contentious" among the institution’s 140,000 members.
Bichard said: "My aim has been to help create a new sense of purpose and direction so that RICS can once more stand tall as an exemplar professional institution, capable of tackling the challenges which will shape the way we all live our lives in the years to come. Issues such as climate change and sustainability, improving the built environment and building safety all sit within the remit of RICS and will benefit from the contribution which a revitalised RICS could make."
Nick Maclean, interim chair of RICS's governing council, said: "The Bichard RICS Review represents a watershed moment for the institution, and a key point in time which sets out a path for permanent improvement. Implementation of the recommendations will provide a solid accountable structure to effectively support our professionals and work in the public interest. RICS governing council strongly endorses the recommendations, and will implement these proposals."
McLean was set to stand down on 5 October 2022, his role being abolished as part of Bichard's recommendations; the chief executive role would also be replaced by a new director general.
In August 2022, Bichard was appointed as interim senior independent governor through to 31 December 2023, responsible for scrutinising the actions of the RICS' governing council and committees.
In December 2022, the RICS announced the establishment of a new board to oversee day-to-day operations and deliver the governing council's strategic plan. It is to be chaired by former
CBRE Group
CBRE Group, Inc. is an American commercial real estate services and investment firm. The abbreviation CBRE stands for Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis. It is the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2021 reven ...
director Martin Samworth. He will also review proposed changes to constitutional documents, including the RICS's Royal Charter, recommended in Bichard's review.
Governance review over fire safety
In January 2022, the
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), formerly the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for housing, communities, local government ...
was reporting to be planning legislation to enable regular reviews of the RICS's governance. Ministers were said to be frustrated by a RICS decision in December 2021 to maintain its valuation advice requiring External Wall System forms (EWS1s) on blocks under 18m high.
Richard Collins, the RICS's interim CEO, publicly questioned the need for the proposed new law to monitor RICS's governance.
Presidents
The first president was John Clutton, who was elected in 1868. The first female president was Louise Brooke-Smith, who was elected in 2014.
Guidance
BCIS
BCIS, the Building Cost Information Service, was established in 1962 and provides independent cost and price information to the construction industry and others needing comprehensive, accurate and independent data.
Isurv
Isurv is an online information service for expertise in natural and built environments. Launched by the RICS in September 2003, it provides insight from verified legal experts and industry practitioners relating to construction.
Rental valuation of public houses, bars, restaurants and nightclubs in England and Wales
The primary RICS professional guidance on this subject is covered at VPGA 4 Valuation. It provides practical assistance to valuers dealing with public houses which are valued and assessed in a completely different way other commercial businesses.
Public houses are valued by the profits method of valuation, often referred to as Fair Maintainable Trade Or Turnover (FMT). The FMT method applies to tens of thousands of commercial properties in England and Wales and is the basis of rateable valuation by the Valuation Office Agency, who also follow this method. RICS guidance ('The Red Book') emphasises that a valuer specialising in such valuations are regularly involved in the market, as practical knowledge of the factors affecting the market is essential to analysis of comparable transactions.
Charitable works
Lionheart is the benevolent fund for past and present RICS members and their families. The charity was established in 1899 and provides financial support, health and well-being packages, and work-related counselling and befriending support. RICS also supports the Chartered Surveyors Training Trust, which helps young people enter the profession through apprenticeships; Charity Property Help, which provides property advice to charities and voluntary organisations, and The Chartered Surveyors' Voluntary Service (CSVS), a registered charity providing free property advice to people who would otherwise struggle to access professional assistance.
RICS
See also
*Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors
The Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors or CICES is a professional association in the field of civil engineering surveying. CICES is recognised as a leading chartered professional body for civil engineering surveyors. CICES memb ...
*Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society
The Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society (RSPSoc) is a British learned society devoted to photogrammetry and remote sensing.
It is the UK's adhering body of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.
RSPSoc resulte ...
Notes
References
External links
RICS website
AIQS website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Institution Of Chartered Surveyors
1868 establishments in the United Kingdom
Housing in the United Kingdom
Interested parties in planning in the United Kingdom
Organisations based in London with royal patronage
Organisations based in the City of Westminster
Organizations established in 1868
Chartered Surveyors Chartered Surveyor is the description (protected by law in many countries) of Professional ''Members'' and ''Fellows'' of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) entitled to use the designation (and a number of variations such as "Charte ...
Professional valuation organizations
Real estate valuation
Real estate-related professional associations
Surveying organizations
Grade II listed buildings in the City of Westminster
Home inspection