Building and Facilities News is proud to feature The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) as its selected Professional Body of the Month.
The organisation was established back in 1868, where its roots can be traced back to the formation of the Surveyors Club. The foundations of the current organisation began to take shape when 20 surveyors (under the chairmanship of John Clutton) appointed a sub-committee to draw up resolutions, bye-laws and regulations in a bid to establish a professional association representing surveyors and the growing property profession. RICS was then established as professional body by royal charter in 1868 committed to setting and upholding the highest standards of professional excellence and integrity.
“The requirement for such an organisation was driven by the rapid development and expansion of the industrialised world,” explained Joanna Lindon, Head of Brand Marketing at RICS. “As infrastructure, housing and transport links continued to grow, so did the need for more stringent checks and balances. For more than 140 years, RICS professionals have worked to ensure that, whilst unlocking the inherent value held within the world’s physical assets and developing their potential, we don’t spoil the planet for future generations.”
RICS’ headquarters is situated in London, but it is a global organisation occupying offices around the world, with facilities in New York, Sao Paulo, Brussels, Dubai, New Delhi, Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo and Sydney. Accrediting 118,000 professionals in both property and the built environment, RICS promotes and enforces the highest professional qualifications and standards in the development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure.
The esteemed organisation accredits any individual or firm that is fully compliant with its quality assurance standards. Specific areas of expertise include property valuation and management, the costing & leadership of construction projects, the development of infrastructure and the management of natural resources (such as mining, farms and woodland).
“RICS provides access to the world’s most sought after professional status,” Joanna commented. “Our name promises the consistent delivery of standards – bringing confidence to the markets we serve. Not only does RICS provide prestigious professional qualifications, it also offers a genuine competitive advantage.
“Professional standards have never been more important. Clients around the world are demanding greater certainty and seeking professionals who work to the highest standards – there is global demand for our professional credentials underpinned by ethical principles and independent regulation.”
RICS has recently announced the launch of its Aspire to Lead campaign, designed to support professional facilities management education. It focuses on prompting FM professionals (in all stages of their careers) to aim for chartered status on their path towards becoming leaders in their respective fields. This involves the attainment of specialist qualifications (provided by RICS) which ensure that the market benefits from consistent standards of expert advice reinforced by ethical principles.
“Our organisation is always evolving and adapting to markets and the industry,” Joanna concluded. “RICS has a ‘Futures’ programme that sets out what we can do to improve the resilience and relevance of the profession in the future.” This agenda includes a concentrated focus on ethics, future business diversification, sustainability, new opportunities, technology and industry leadership.
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