Ethics, Rules of Conduct and Professionalism Flashcards
Could you please name the 5 global professional and ethical standards?
Honesty, Integrity, Competence, Service, Respect and Responsibility.
When were the 5 Global and Professional Standards replaced?
2nd February 2022 with RICS rules of Conduct
What is the purpose of the RICS global professional and ethical standards?
Simpler Structure
Clear Examples
Focus on Respect, diversity and Inclusion
Tackling Global Challenges e.g. sustainability
When were the RICS PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS introduced?
2nd February 2022
What did you learn as part of the professional module?
The important of ethical behaviour within the property industry and how this can continue to improve.
What key topics were covered in the professionalism module?
Trust and trustworthiness.
Impartiality, objectivity, and conflicts of interest.
What triggered the update to the RICS rule of conduct?
To provide a simpler structure with clear example behaviours for members and firms
What are the professional standards expected from members and firms?
Honesty, Integrity, Competence, Service, Respect and Responsibility.
What is the RICS CPD policy?
Members = 20 hours of CPD in a calendar year with 10 being formal CPD
Why is CPD important?
CPD is important as RICS is a standard based organisation and its members operate in a constantly changing environment
Could you please name some of the differing boards within the RICS and explain their purpose?
Standards and Regulation Board = overseeing education and qualification, professional standards and regulatory policy
Management Board = to direct RICS affairs under delegated authority from Governing Council. The Board is comprised of non-members (independent), members of RICS
There are 17 specialist groups within the RICS covering property etc.
What kind of support do the RICS provide to firms and members?
Lionheart - wellbeing charity run by memebers.
Chartered Surveyors Training Trust - An apprenticeship route into the industry.
Other than undertaking a COI check, what other procedures would you follow prior to accepting an instruction?
Terms of Engagement
Due Diligence
Agree Fee
Ensure i was competent
What is a conflict of interest?
A conflict of interest would arise when a member or firm’s independence and impartiality is threatened due to the existence of a conflict e.g. a financial interest.
What are the different types of COI?
A party conflict (Same instruction for different parties)
Own Interest Conflict (a personal interest)
Confidential Information Conflict (confidential work between parties)
Why is it important that clients are aware of a conflict of interest?
To allow them to make an informed decision as to whether they wish to proceed with your involvement in the project.
What is your companies protocol relevant to COI’s?
In line with the RICS:
1) Conflict avoidance (impartiality compromised?)
2) Written Advice to both parties (Notify of conflict and request written approval to proceed)
3) Conflict Management (Information Barrier)
What is the difference between a professional standard and professional statement?
Professional standard is replacinga professional statement
What is a professional standard?
Mandatory to follow, Set requirements or regulations for RICS accredited firms a and members.
Could you please outline some of the key features within the RICS conflict of interest professional standard?
States a member must not advise or represent a client where doing so would involve COI or a risk of COI other than when consent is received.
What is the process that you would follow if a conflict of interest is flagged?
In line with the RICS:
1) Conflict avoidance (impartiality compromised?)
2) Written Advice to both parties (Notify of conflict and request written approval to proceed)
3) Conflict Management (Information Barrier)
Would you accept an instruction if a COI was present?
If I was sure that my impartiality was not compromised, I had received my clients informed consent and I thought an appropriate information barrier could be applied then I would proceed.
What was this ethics training you have attended?
Savills training of COI’s, Client due diligence
Why is regular training on topics such as ethics important?
It is a constantly evolving topic that can have substantial consequences if not in-line with latest information.
What is client due diligence?
Performing background checks, and screening to ensure they’re not involved in illegal activity.
- The contracting party and legal status
- Statutory directors (or equivalent)
- ID documents for directors and beneficial owners
- Ownership structure including the names of individuals owning or controlling more than 25% or more of the contracting party (beneficial owners)
Could you please provide some examples of suspicious activity and the process you would follow if you identified suspicious activity?
- Inability to provide identification documents
- Changes to parties involved in Transactions
- Payment of fees in strange currencies.
What gift did your client hand you during the festive period?
A relatively expensive bottle of wine.
What is your companies gift policy?
All gifts with a value of more than £50, meals where the value is more than £125 per head and entertainment or
hospitality with a value of more than £250 per head must be recorded in your business’ Gifts & Hospitality Register
Why is your client not currently undertaking work with you at the time relevant to you accepting the gift?
It helped me assess whether the gift was in exchange for a service and whether it was proportional to my involvement with them.
Would your actions be different if your client was undertaking work with your company?
I would still have declined the gift.
What are the offenses under the bribery act 2010?
- failure to prevent a bribe
- bribing a foreign official
- accepting a bribe
- bribing a uk resident
Did you feel as though your client was bribing you in this scenario?
No, however I did not feel as though the gift was proportional.
Why did this gift not make you feel comfortable?
Due to its high value making it feel unproportionable.
Did declining this gift offend your client?
No, I explained my feelings and they understood.
Could you have accepted this gift and registered on your companies gift register? If so, why didn’t you?
The gift was in excess of £50 and therefore would have needed to be logged in the company gift register. I didn’t accept as I felt the gift was not proportionate.
How did the client go about requesting a fee from yourself?
The client sent an RFP to myself, I reviewed this and felt as though I was competent to undertake the work.
Did you issue any other documentation when submitting your fee to the client?
Companies terms of engagement and a copy of my PII certificate.
What was the clients reasoning for challenging the level of fee provided?
They noted to me that they had received lower fees from my competitors.
What is a resource schedule?
A table showing my hourly involvement within a project and the fee associated with this hourly involvement.
What was your hourly involvement for the project where your client challenged your fee level?
12 hours a week
How did you go about working out the necessary hourly involvement for the project where your client challenged your fee?
Reviewing the RFP, my understanding of the client, visiting the building.
Could you not have altered the scope of your involvement to lower your fee instead of declining to lower your fee when asked by the client?
This would have impacted my ability to provide a good quality and diligent service to my client.
What was the result of not lowering your fee, did you win this instruction?
I still won the instruction, I provided my client with adequate justification for my fee level incl. high quality service, PII,
What is the current Governance Structure of the RICS?
Privy Council
Governing Council
Standards and Regulation Board
Management Board