Statement from Governing Council on review into RICS strategic direction

RICS Governing Council met on Wednesday, 10 February 2021 and initiated a review into the strategic direction and priorities of RICS. Recognising that the world in which its 133,000 members work has evolved significantly since the last strategic review of 2018, and having listened to views recently expressed by a wide range of members and stakeholders, the Governing Council believes that the time is right to review the key pillars of its business plan.

The review will assess the progress of existing strategic activities, focusing on member experience, membership value proposition, attracting diverse talent to the profession, enhancing the reputation of RICS globally, governance, thought leadership and embedding RICS standards. In addition, it will consider how best to maintain stakeholder and public trust in RICS and the profession, while ensuring RICS remains a sustainable professional body. It will also seek to investigate how the purpose and ambitions of RICS can be aligned to further reinforce its relevance to all its membership and relevant industry sectors, wherever they are in the world.

Governing Council has agreed that the review will be co-chaired by Kathleen Fontana, President, RICS, and Sean Tompkins, Chief Executive, RICS.

Recognising that there will need to be some planning to build mechanisms for consultation and engagement in this strategic process for such a diverse profession, Governing Council agreed that formal consultation associated with the review should commence in a matter of weeks. At that time there will be a range of ways in which members and stakeholders can engage and participate. Until then, and because Governing Council is aware that some members would like to share ideas and insights sooner, an email address (review2021@rics.org) has been established so that those who wish to offer comment before the formal consultation process begins can do so now.

Commenting on Governing Council’s decision, Kath Fontana said:

“This will be a very important piece of work and will enable RICS to evolve as an organisation and reaffirm our strategic direction and priorities. As we look to the future, we are committed to supporting every RICS member from the newly qualified to our established professionals. We will listen carefully to the views of every member who engages with this consultation. I strongly encourage all our members to take this opportunity to contribute to the future of RICS.”