New RICS document categories

RICS is in the process of reviewing its standards portfolio because the Standards and Regulation Board wants to ensure that RICS standards and advice documents are up-to-date and easy to use.

We have simplified our document structure so that all documents fit into two categories:

  • Professional standards

These are the documents which set requirements for competent and ethical practice e.g. our existing professional statements and guidance

  • Practice information

These documents provide advice or practice support to RICS members and firms.

An exercise is currently underway to review all standards and guidance documents and place each title into one of these categories. This review will also identify documents that need to be updated or archived. We will consult members about any substantive changes to documents in line with our usual standards procedures.

As well as developing its own standards, RICS works collaboratively with other bodies at a national and international level to develop documents to aid professional practice such as cross-sector codes, guidance and standards. The application of these collaborative documents by RICS members will be defined either within the document itself or in associated RICS-published documents.

All RICS standards documents include information about whether and how their content might be used in court proceedings or for regulatory purposes and this will continue as our documents are re-categorised.

Document definitions

Document type

Definition

RICS professional standards

Set requirements or expectations for RICS members and regulated firms about how they provide services or the outcomes of their actions.

RICS professional standards are principles-based and focused on outcomes and good practice. Any requirements included set a baseline expectation for competent delivery or ethical behaviour.

They include practices and behaviours intended to protect clients and other stakeholders, as well as ensuring their reasonable expectations of ethics, integrity, technical competence and diligence are met. Members must comply with an RICS professional standard. They may include:

  • mandatory requirements, which use the word ‘must’ and must be complied with, and/or
  • recommended best practice, which uses the word ‘should’. It is recognised that there may be acceptable alternatives to best practice that achieve the same or a better outcome.

In regulatory or disciplinary proceedings, RICS will take into account relevant professional standards when deciding whether an RICS member or regulated firm acted appropriately and with reasonable competence. It is also likely that during any legal proceedings a judge, adjudicator or equivalent will take RICS professional standards into account.

RICS practice information

Information to support the practice, knowledge and performance of RICS members and regulated firms, and the demand for professional services.

Practice information includes definitions, processes, toolkits, checklists, insights, research and technical information or advice. It also includes documents that aim to provide common benchmarks or approaches across a sector to help build efficient and consistent practice.

This information is not mandatory and does not set requirements for RICS members or make explicit recommendations.