It’s now two weeks since we launched the consultation and evidence gathering phase of ‘Defining our Future’, RICS Governing Council’s strategic review on RICS’ priorities for the future.

I’m delighted so many of you have already taken time to share your views on the consultation, either by submitting your feedback on our strategic themes, or by signing up to join one of our forthcoming virtual roundtable sessions. It’s vital we hear from as many members and stakeholders as possible, and that we hear from all the many voices that make up the diversity of our global profession, so I encourage all of you to have your say.

As mentioned in my previous update, your elected Governing Council members want to ensure that RICS’ long-term strategy and resilience is built on a foundation of evidence and insight. This needs to be developed with transparency, through collaboration and co-creation with you, and the many stakeholders who enable RICS to support your work to the public advantage.

The formal consultation is the main route for sharing feedback, but I wanted to highlight that there are a number of ways you can contribute that are quick and easy to complete. Here is a reminder of the many ways you can get involved with whatever time you have to spare.

Kath Fontana FRICS zoom_in

Kath Fontana FRICS

Kath Fontana FRICS gives an update on activity to date

Join a virtual roundtable

There are many virtual roundtable sessions due to take place in the coming weeks. Where possible, a member of Governing Council will join these 1.5 hour sessions, giving you the opportunity to ask questions and share your views directly in an open environment. They are being held on a regional basis to help ensure we capture and reflect the diversity of experience across the profession and in the many different areas you deliver.

Sign up to a roundtable here

Respond to the consultation in your preferred language

Remember, as well as submitting your response to the formal consultation in English, you can also view the consultation documents and respond in French, German, Simplified Chinese or Spanish. Just make sure you submit your feedback before the consultation closes on 9 April 2021.

View the consultation in your preferred language

Complete our Survey of the Profession

This Wednesday (17 March), we launch our annual Survey of the Profession. As ever, this research helps RICS to understand your thoughts on your membership of the profession. Crucially, this year, the information gathered will also inform the outcomes of this strategic review, so do please take 10 minutes to complete the survey. Look out this week for an email containing the relevant link from Savanta, a third-party research agency that RICS has appointed to conduct the survey.

However you choose to respond, and however detailed the level of feedback you wish to give, I can’t stress enough how important your contribution will be. We will analyse every written response received - together with all the feedback from the survey, virtual events and meetings - and report the findings to Governing Council in May.

This will provide the basis for Governing Council to review its strategy and RICS’ priorities for the future, so I hope you will take the time to contribute, to help shape the future of RICS’ support for you.

We can only build the sustainable future we want to see if we shape it together. Once again, thank you to everyone who has contributed to ‘Defining our Future’ so far, and if you are yet to take part, please take this opportunity to ensure your voice is heard.

  • Kathleen Fontana FRICS, RICS President, and Managing Director, Mitie Projects

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