Update from Simon Rawlinson, RICS Board Member and Chair of the Knowledge & Practice Committee

It’s now a month since I started my role as chair of the RICS Knowledge and Practice Committee (the ‘KPC’). My priorities have been to appoint members of the KPC itself, to get to know members of the Knowledge and Practice Executive Team and to gain a more in depth understanding of the knowledge and practice programme.

Recruitment to the KPC is proceeding at pace, and I look forward to being able to confirm appointments in September. I’d like to thank all of the members who have put themselves forward for the six Professional Group Panel (PGP) Chair roles, which will form the core of the KPC membership.  I am pleased to say that we have a strong range of applicants to consider. 

Further opportunities to participate in the work of RICS will be advertised in September when we kick off the appointment of PGP panel members. This recruitment will be led by the chairs and we are keen to recruit from across the profession to secure a diversity of expertise and perspectives. 

If you are passionate about the challenges facing the modern surveying profession, including automation and AI, carbon, sustainability and climate change resilience, then the PGPs will provide you with an opportunity to make your own contribution to the future of RICS and the profession through your own expertise, as well as developing new skills and experience.

A particularly enjoyable aspect of my role is the broad perspective that I am building of the practice of surveying and the scale of activity undertaken by RICS teams across the surveying disciplines. Quite often this work goes on behind the scenes without much recognition. The professional practice team for example has in the pipeline 40 standards and guidance publications, including key new or updated standards on real estate investment valuation, expert witness services, the residential service charge, home retrofit and digital planning.

The learning and practice support products team has already delivered over 300 events, webinars and classes in 2023, many of which are focused on developing skills needed for the future including drone surveying and building information modelling. Much of this material is freely available to RICS members so it is really worthwhile checking out RICS resources including the website on a regular basis to keep up to date with latest developments, events and publications.

I expect the KPC to be fully staffed by late October and naturally I am starting to set out my thoughts on how RICS members on the KPC can work with the staff at RICS to maintain progress on strategy and on serving the interests of the wider membership. 

Initially, I want KPC to focus on the knowledge and thought leadership agenda – in particular by developing a programme that balances the challenges of current and future practice as it affects both large and small practices. I’m also keen to build an effective and collaborative working relationship with the interim Standards and Regulation Board that respects the independence of SRB whilst at the same time ensuring that members are properly engaged with the development of RICS standards and guidance through working groups and consultations. 

Sustainability and carbon measurement will be at the heart of the KPC’s agenda. Frank Hovorka, RICS Board Member for sustainability, will attend KPC, and with the launch of the revised Whole Life Carbon Assessment standard in September, we will have a great opportunity to develop and promote additional surveying competences and services to our clients.

In summary, whilst my first month as KPC has been inspirational and revelatory, I recognise that we have a great deal to do to rebuild trust and engagement with members and also to position RICS and our critical public interest remit, in a very competitive and fast-moving global market for professional services. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the RICS Board, the KPC and with the RICS Executive Team to push forward this exciting agenda.