Update from Richard Collins, Interim CEO - November 2022

This month I am pleased to report further progress as we work to implement Lord Bichard’s recommendations and deliver the member-led, public interest focussed RICS we all want to see. Recommendations from the Review have been grouped into five themes: Governance; Strategy; People, Culture and Values; Member Services; and Knowledge and Practice. Each of these areas now has a steering group in place, comprising members and subject matter experts from RICS’ internal team, and it is great to see these collaborative partnerships working productively on each core area.

You may already be aware of the launch of MyRICS Community – a new, safe and secure virtual community that allows you to connect with professional peers in real-time and grow your network. This platform is provided by RICS but is all about members leading conversations on the issues that matter to them and the wider profession. As well as sharing insight with fellow professionals, you can also use the platform to get help from RICS on topics that are important to you and on individual membership queries, helping shape how RICS supports your work to the public advantage. You can login and explore here – myRICS community – and I encourage members to share their feedback with us so that we can ensure the service adds value for you.

I am also pleased to update members on progress since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding Action Plan on equity, diversity and inclusion between RICS and five other membership bodies. As part this, RICS has launched an initiative to begin seeking additional data to build a fuller picture of the demographic diversity of the profession. This will start in the UK and Ireland as our largest membership bases by country but with plans to extend this globally where possible. The aim is to build a robust measurement base to help deliver a more inclusive sector, as well as better targeting our initiatives and services to everyone who needs them. UK and Ireland members will be invited as part of renewals this month to share additional data to support this initiative, with data being anonymised and aggregated to protect individual member privacy. I hope you will support this important initiative to ensure our profession, and the support RICS delivers for it, become as inclusive as possible.

Looking ahead, a reminder that the October update to Survey of the Profession remains open for views until 18 November. This additional short research wave takes place six months after the in-depth annual survey and provides hugely valuable insight to ensure RICS is delivering against members’ priorities. You should have received an email from Savanta, the independent research organisation appointed to carry out the survey, but please contact local RICS staff in case of any issues.

And finally, you will receive a notice today in your inbox about the RICS Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 8 December 2022. To book your place, please go to: https://myaccount.rics.org/events/EV-J8H5Y-0310 It’s a hybrid event, so you can attend in person or virtually, and I look forward to seeing some of you there on the day. Questions in advance of the AGM are welcome. They can be sent to ricsagm@rics.org by noon on Wednesday 07 December.