Why professionalism matters! Cranfield University, Oct 2012

RICS – why professionalism matters!

Introduction - James Kavanagh MRICS C.Geog – Director Land Group

RICS & the surveying/real estate industries

Professionalism

Ethics

New markets / old issues

Careers

RICS & the surveying/real estate industries

• RICS

• Professionalism, ethics and regulation

• Professional Groups & forums

• Standards & Specifications

• Professional and technical membership

Professionalism

“For the benefit of the public at large the Institution’s mission is to be the publicly recognised authority on all aspects of surveying and the ownership, occupation, development and management of property in the United Kingdom and to expand its recognition world-wide.”

Corporate objectiveTo advance and enforce standards in land, property and the built environment, and to promote the usefulness of the profession.

‘RICS – over 163,000 members

across 140 countries and

55,000 regulated firms’

Professionalism & Ethics

•Observe Code of Professional Conduct, bye laws

•Continuing Professional Development - LLL

•Professional Indemnity Insurance

•Ethics https://training.rics.org/

•Best practice, practice notes and guidance

•Assessment of Professional Competence - training

Professionalism & Ethics

The Five Ethical Standards

• Act with integrity

• Always provide a high standard of service

• Act in a way that promotes trust in the profession

• Treat others with respect

• Take responsibility

Professionalism & Ethics

“Conduct Unbefitting”

•What does it mean?

•In whose opinion?

•Value statement of the profession

•Would you want others to know of your behaviour?

Professionalism & Ethics

Recent Plagiarism Case

Case studies submitted for the assessment of professional competence had been copied

RICS Disciplinary Panel found that the student member “did not act with integrity” or “avoid actions or situations that were inconsistent with [their] professional obligations”

Student member expelled and order to pay costs of almost £4,000

Professionalism & Ethics – examples scenarios

2. Your firm has a clear policy on receiving gifts: you must not acceptany gift that could compromise your impartiality and professionalism.You give a presentation at a conference. After you have finished, the organisers present you with a bottle of wine. What should you do?

a) Refuse to accept it because it is unethical to do so

b) Accept it because it isn’t a particularly expensive bottle of wine

c) Accept and share it with colleagues the next day

d) Accept it, then record the gift in the firm’s register of gifts

e) Accept it and give it to your Director.

Professionalism & Ethics – example scenarios

3. You were advised by a potential client that lowering your original quotefor a job would lead to beating a competitor and gaining thecommission. Despite some doubt, this is agreed. There are nowconcerns that you may not be able to carry out the job satisfactorilyfor this fee. What should you do?

a) Complete the job despite incurring a loss, even if this is not of long-term

benefit to your firm.

b) Withdraw from the job, despite the risk of letting down your client and damaging the reputation of your firm.

c) Adjust your accounts and attempt to cover up your mistake of accepting

the commission for a lower fee.

d) Cut all possible corners to complete the job within the agreed quote.

e) Try to renegotiate with the client retrospectively and make good the loss.

Professional standards - Language

Professional information, guidance and standards

• Practice Notes – mandatory for all members

• Guidance Notes – best practice, legal protection, technical excellence

• Information papers – latest technologies and practice issues, updating member skillsets and future needs

• Client Guides – aimed at clients, engineers, architects, planners

• Public Guides – aimed at public

Generic route to becoming

a RICS member

School leaver

Undergraduate/post graduate

APC assessment (2 years)

Qualify as RICS member (MRICS)

Become a Fellow (FRICS)

Language

• Terminology – blinding them with science

• The lessons from GIS – lack of data / too much data

• Geographic landscape vs economic landscape

• Consistency, currency

Language

New markets / old issues – Scanning to BIM

• The BIM – CAD – GIS concept

• BIM as infrastructure

• Scanning into BIM

• The BIM workflow diagram

New markets / old issues – Geo - economics

• Recent study of UK geo - information market

• UK market worth £1.2 billion

• http://www.consultingwhere.com/reports.html

Conclusions

• Give the customer what they need, in a format they want, in a language they can understand – bespoke

• Think about other global industries – commercial property, extractive industries for instance - http://graduate.savills.co.uk/apply/what-we're-looking-for/

• Become an essential part of the ‘workflow’ rather than a ‘nice to have’

• Stay up to date, be aware of technological, social and political advances

• Differentiate yourself! Your skills are needed..

RICS – Contact details

James Kavanagh MRICS C.Geog

Director Land Group (Environment, Geomatics, Minerals & Waste, Planning & Development, Rural) RICS 12 Great George Street, Parliament Square Parliament Square, London SW1P 3AD T: +44(0) 207 695 1598 Web: http://www.rics.org/land Email: jkavanagh@rics.org

Generic route to becoming

a RICS member

School leaver

Undergraduate/post graduate

APC assessment (2 years)

Qualify as RICS member (MRICS)

Become a Fellow (FRICS)