Governance
The Architects Act 1997
ARB was established by the Architects Act 1997; our role is to regulate architects in the UK. We are an independent, public interest body and our work in regulating architects ensures that good standards within the profession are consistently maintained for the benefit of the public and architects alike.
Our sponsoring Government Department is the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). We have an agreed Framework Agreement which sets out how we will operate in conjunction with one another, including how and when ARB must seek guidance from the DCLG. The Agreement sets out the responsibilities of DCLG, along with the responsibilities of the Board members, the Board’s Chair, the Registrar and the senior staff of ARB.
To read the Agreement please click here.
The Board
ARB is governed by a Board which is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the organisation and oversees the organisation’s performance. In 2015, the Board was led by Beatrice Fraenkel as Chair, and Richard Parnaby as Vice Chair. The Board consists of 15 members, eight of whom are appointed lay members; seven of whom are architects elected by their peers. Board members are eligible to serve two consecutive terms of four years under the provisions within the Act. In late 2015, we launched an election for the seven architects positions which were due to become vacant on 1 April 2016, in line with the Board’s electoral scheme. The DCLG also launched a recruitment process in late 2015, with a view to filling three lay positions which were due to become vacant in 2016. We will report further on the election and appointment processes in our 2016 Report, as these were both concluded in early 2016.
Board Effectiveness Review
Opportunities to reflect on and improve its performance are central to the Board. The Board now has an established process reviewing its performance on an annual basis, and 2015 was no exception to this. The Board undertook its annual effectiveness review at the end of the year. Board members, including those serving on and/or advising its committees undertook a questionnaire regarding the operation of the committees as well as the Board itself. ARB’s Operational Management Team also completed a separate questionnaire. The review highlighted several areas where improvements and enhancements to the operation of the Board and its committees could be made and the Board agreed a series of action points in early 2016.