Ethics, rules of conduct and professionalism

Question 1

What is the role of RICS?

Answer 1

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is a global professional body that represents and regulates professionals working in property, construction, land, and infrastructure. RICS plays a key role in setting standards, promoting ethical practices, and advancing professional knowledge within the built and natural environments. Its members, known as chartered surveyors, work in various sectors such as real estate, construction, valuation, planning, and property management.

Key Roles and Responsibilities of RICS:

1. Setting Professional Standards
   
   • RICS develops and maintains high professional standards through codes of practice, guidance notes, and technical standards. These help ensure that members work to a consistent and high level of competency across various sectors.
   • Standards include topics like building surveys, valuation practices, project management, and property law.
2. Regulation and Accreditation
   
   • RICS regulates its members by enforcing a code of ethics that all members must adhere to. This ensures that professionals act with integrity and are committed to maintaining public trust.
   • RICS also accredits educational programs, ensuring that they meet the required standards for those wishing to become chartered surveyors.
   • Members are required to complete Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to ensure they stay up to date with industry changes, regulations, and best practices.
3. Promoting Ethical Practice
   
   • RICS advocates for high ethical standards within the property and construction sectors. Members are expected to maintain integrity, transparency, and fairness in their work, whether dealing with clients, contractors, or the public.
   • The institution helps resolve disputes and ensures that professionals uphold a duty of care to clients and the wider public.
4. Education and Professional Development
   
   • RICS offers education and training opportunities to individuals looking to pursue careers in surveying and related fields. This includes accredited degrees, postgraduate courses, and training programs.
   • The institution also provides resources, mentoring, and networking opportunities to support career development for professionals at all stages.
5. Advocacy and Representation
   
   • RICS represents the interests of its members and the surveying profession in policy-making, industry developments, and governmental consultations.
   • The institution advocates on behalf of the profession and provides expert advice to governments, regulators, and industry stakeholders on key issues, such as property law, housing policy, sustainability, and infrastructure development.
   • RICS also works to raise the profile of the surveying profession and enhance its influence in national and international policy discussions.
6. Global Presence and Standards
   
   • While RICS is based in the UK, it operates globally, with members in over 140 countries. It promotes international standards for real estate, construction, and land management practices, helping to ensure that the built environment is developed in a sustainable, efficient, and effective manner worldwide.
   • RICS members are recognized internationally, and the institution’s qualifications and certifications are respected across the globe, facilitating the mobility and recognition of professionals.
7. Client Protection and Confidence
   
   • RICS offers a level of assurance to clients by ensuring that professionals who are chartered under RICS adhere to rigorous standards and ethical practices.
   • The institution helps to ensure that projects are managed effectively, risks are minimized, and work is carried out in compliance with legal, regulatory, and safety standards, ultimately enhancing client confidence in the professionals they hire.
8. Innovation and Thought Leadership
   
   • RICS is involved in research and innovation, driving new thinking in areas such as sustainable construction, smart cities, technology integration in property management, and climate change adaptation.
   • It produces reports, white papers, and research findings that contribute to the evolution of the built environment, helping shape industry practices and policy.

Key Areas of Work for RICS Members:
- Property Valuation: Determining the value of land and buildings for investment, sale, insurance, and lending purposes.
- Building Surveying: Inspecting and assessing the condition of buildings, providing reports, and recommending repairs or maintenance.
- Project Management: Overseeing construction projects from initiation to completion, ensuring that projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to specification.
- Land Surveying: Measuring and mapping land boundaries, topography, and development potential.
- Quantity Surveying: Managing costs in construction projects, ensuring projects stay within budget and adhere to contract specifications.
- Environmental and Sustainability Consulting: Advising on sustainable construction, energy efficiency, and environmental impact.

Conclusion:
RICS plays a vital role in ensuring that professionals working within the property, construction, and land sectors are highly skilled, ethical, and operating to consistent standards. By setting guidelines, accrediting professionals, and advocating for the industry, RICS helps maintain trust and professionalism across the global built environment. Whether in real estate, construction, land management, or infrastructure, RICS members are trusted to deliver expertise, integrity, and quality across all stages of a project.

Question 2

Why do you want to become a member of RICS?

Question 3

What are the key functions of RICS?

Answer 3

ummary of RICS Key Functions:
Setting and maintaining professional standards
Accrediting professionals and education programs
Promoting ethical practices and conduct
Advocating for the profession in policy-making and regulation
Providing global recognition and international standards
Offering education, training, and knowledge resources
Facilitating dispute resolution and mediation
Promoting sustainability and technological innovation
Producing thought leadership and industry research

Question 4

What is a Royal Charter?

Question 5

Who is the current RICS president?

Question 6

What do you understand by the term self-regulation?

Question 7

Can you tell me what you understand by the principles of better regulation?

Question 8

What is a Bye-Law? and give an example

Question 9

Explain to me the new RICS Rules of Conduct - what do they replace?

Question 10

When do they take effect?

Question 11

Who do they relate to?

Question 12

What are the ethical principles that the Rules of Conduct are based on?

Question 13

What are the 5 Rules?

Question 14

Give an example behaviour for each.

Question 15

What are the core professional obligations of firms and members to RICS?

Question 16

What disciplinary procedures can the RICS impose?

Question 18

How did you determine that rescinding your appointment as the Adjoining Owner’s surveyor was the ethically correct decision? What factors influenced your decision to advise that there was no dispute and that an award was not necessa

Question 19

Roof
When the client requested that you amend a previous site inspection report to falsely state the roof’s condition as good, how did you communicate your refusal?
Can you explain how you balanced maintaining a professional relationship with the client while upholding ethical standards? How did you ensure that your response to the client’s request aligned with the RICS ethical standards of acting with integrity and promoting trust in the profession?