What are the rules of Conduct?
5 Rules of Conduct
1) Act with Integrity – be honest and comply to personal and RICS obligations
2) Maintain Professional Competency – ensure individuals are competent and experienced
3) Provide good quality and diligent service
4) Treat others with respect – encourage diversity and inclusion
5) Take responsibility – be accountable for your actions and be prepared to act if necessary. Prevent harm and maintain public confidence
Where are the Mandatory Professional Obligations found
Mandatory Professional Obligations for RICS members
Mandatory Professional Obligations
RICS Regulated firms must:
1) Publish complaints handling procedure, inc. alternative dispute resolution and maintain a complaints log
2) Have adequate professional indemnity insurance (PII)
3) If a sole principal, make appropriate arrangements for their professional works to continue to the event their incapacity, death or absence
4) Cooperate with RICS
5) Promptly provide all necessary information reasonably requested by the Standards and Regulation Board
6) Designation on business literature that they are RICS regulated
7) Report to RICS any matter under Rules for the Registration of Firms
Rationale for developing new Rules of Conduct
Ethics Decision Tree
Disciplinary Procedures
A disciplinary procedure can be triggered by someone:
o Complaining to the RICS
o An allegation by a client or third party
o Information received or established by the RICS
What are the 3 Levels of Disciplinary Action
Disciplinary Procedures
If disciplinary action is required, one of the four actions will be considered:
1) Serve a Fixed Penalty Notice
o Procedure used for breaches of the rules relating only to the supply of information to the RICS by firms and members
2) Make a Regulatory Compliance Order
o Used for low level breaches of the Rules which could easily be corrected
o The compliance order is a written document which states terms which must be taken or desist from taking for a specified time period
3) CPD Sanctions
o Follow CPD requirements
4) Action by Regulatory Tribunal
o Used for more serious breaches of conduct
o Head of Regulation considers if the hearing is required under the discipline rules
o 50% of the panel are not RICS members
Penalties available to the Disciplinary Panel
1) Issue a Compliance Order
2) Unlimited fine per breach proportionate to the offence
3) Conditions on continued RICs registration
4) Expulsion
5) Publication of the results – RICS Modus Magazine, RICS website, local newspaper
Appeal Panel
Social Media: Guidance for RICS members, 2021
The RICS is likely to investigate concerns about social media posts where they involve:
If the most may damage public confidence or trust in the profession, may take disciplinary action
Fee Negotiations
What must TOE state
what is the 3 step process for TOE prior to commencing instruction
3 steps to follow:
1) Check professionally competent
2) No conflicts of interest or personal interests
3) Confirm Terms of Engagement in writing prior to the commencement of works
Why would you decline an instruction?
Use the RICS Ethics Decision Tree to consider whether to act for a client
What is conflict of interest?
Conflict of interest arises when a firm’s independence and impartiality is threated due to the existence of a conflict between two clients.
Examples include:
What is conflict avoidance
When you do not accept the instruction
What is conflict management?
When the instruction is accepted, and steps are agreed. Such as an information / ethical barrier.
What RICS guidance is there for conflict of interest?
RICS Global Professional Statement on Conflicts of Interest, 2017
what are the three types of COI
1) Party Conflict – relating to work on the same or related instruction for two different parties. Do not let personal interest interfere with your professional judgement.
2) Own Interest Conflict – relating to a personal interest (e.g. family member)
3) Confidential Information Conflict – relating to work between two parties that is confidential
All firms must keep a record of compliance
Can you move forward if there is a COI
Yes.
As long as Informed Consent is gotten.
This can only be given if the person explaining the position is entirely transparent about any material factors and is sure that the party affected understands what they are doing.
Surveyors should only seek informed consent if satisfied that all the relevant clients / parties will be best served by doing so.
How do you handle a COI
Three Step Process:
1) Conflict Avoidance
2) Written Advice to Both Parties
Nature of the conflict and circumstances
Be very clear so parties can make their own decisions
Request written confirmation (informed consent)
3) Conflict Management
Use of Information / Ethical Barriers
If both parties agree in writing your firm can act for both parties where a conflict of interest exists, then the information barrier must be operated as follows: