survey: report
In 2004 the TTTIA and ACSAC made a joint application for funds from the European Union under the Pro Invest Scheme in order to fund a survey of the profession within the region. They were successful in securing funding and the survey was conducted for all member countries of ACSAC who had registered an interest in taking part. These included:
- Antigua & Barbuda
- Barbados
- Dominica
- Guyana
- Jamaica
- St. Lucia
- Trinidad & Tobago.
The Survey was conducted over a period of months, starting in November 2004 and ending in May 2005.
The Survey followed a semi-structured format in which institute/professional association executives from participating countries were encouraged to speak freely on areas of interest and issues of concern. At the same time, specific questions were posed covering a wide area of issues of potential relevance to practicing architects:
- Trends in architectural practice: numbers of architects, workload, fee earning, practice organisation, how architects are engaged and how work requirements have evolved.
- The profession’s regulatory environment.
- The role of the professional association/institute and how it can best serve its members.
- Current issues facing architects: the effects of environmental, market, governmental and global developments.
- Opportunities and mechanisms for continuing skills development.
- Perceptions of the profession by key stakeholders.
- The role of ACSAC in rising to challenges faced by its members.
The range of issues was intentionally broad as this was the first regional survey conducted and it was important to uncover any relevant trend or issue. In fact, there were interesting similarities in the responses. This report attempts to codify and rationalise these responses and is organised around the following areas:
- Regulatory Snapshot by Member Country
- Institute/Society Focus by Member Country
- Views on the Effects of Globalisation & Regionalisation
- Views on Architects’ Professional Standing
- Views on the Public Perception of Architects
- Views on Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
- Views on the Role of ACSAC
- Next Steps
The data sets are reproduced in Appendix 1.
Beyond recording member country views, concerns and ideas, the core objective of this report is to set the context within which the agenda for the first ACSAC Regional Workshop will be developed. The Workshop is planned for 9 th June 2005 through to 11 th June 2005 and will be conducted in Barbados. It is anticipated that the Workshop will lead to another phase of work in which a more detailed Regional Strategy can be developed and hopefully with further funding from the European Union.
REGULATORY SNAPSHOT BY MEMBER COUNTRY
| Member Country | Regulatory Summary |
| Antigua & Barbuda |
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| Barbados |
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| Dominica |
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| Guyana |
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| Jamaica |
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| St. Lucia |
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| Trinidad & Tobago |
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INSTITUTE/SOCIETY FOCUS BY MEMBER COUNTRY
| Member Country | Institutional Focus |
| Antigua & Barbuda |
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| Barbados |
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| Dominica |
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| Guyana |
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| Jamaica |
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| St. Lucia |
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| Trinidad & Tobago |
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VIEWS ON THE EFFECTS OF GLOBALISATION & REGIONALISATION
There was a common complaint that high-value jobs are not being awarded to local architects. In Dominica the example of Ross University was cited where an American firm of architects had been employed. The Antigua & Barbuda Institute of Architects (ABIA) stated that members simply did not feel that they had access to the large-scale development projects. The Jamaica Institute of Architects (JIA) complained that foreign architects conducted works in Jamaica without any effort to collaborate. The Barbados Institute of Architects (BIA) stated that wealthy tourists and major projects (such as the Cricket World Cup-related projects and the Concorde building) used foreign architects. Similarly, the Trinidad & Tobago Institute of Architects (TTIA) lamented that the major high-value private sector projects (for example, the Marriott Hotel and the BHP Billiton office buildings) used foreign architects whose local partnering was of limited value. This complaint was more sharply expressed by the Guyanese, who identified numerous instances where Trinidadian architects were practising in Guyana without any attempt to contact the local institute.
One of the main factors contributing to the failure to secure high-value jobs was seen as perceptions of low capacity levels of small local practices. In order to address this, some practices established strategic alliances or consortiums. This has become regular practice in Dominica and Antigua & Barbuda.
It was felt that the other main factor contributing to the failure to secure high-value jobs was the architects’ inexperience or lack of understanding of the complex procurement regulations employed by lender/donor agencies (who usually fund the large public sector human/infrastructural development projects). There was a call for greater transparency in the tendering, with explanations of who is invited to tender and the mechanisms for selection.
There were also complaints that the governing tendering rules were not always appropriate for small island state or countries with limited professional resources. The Dominicans quoted the example of the Roseau Reinstatement Project Strategic Plan, which is being financed by European Union funds. In this case no architect has been appointed because any work on the development of the Strategic Plan prevents the professional from being engaged under the Plan’s subsequent implementation. The importance of architectural involvement in the strategising phase is undisputable, but in a country with a limited pool of large and high profile projects, being involved at this stage will have a significant impact on any professional’s potential future earnings.
The institutes were polled as to whether they were members of the UIA and, therefore, protected by the UIA Accord , regulating the conduct of business in foreign countries. The TTIA stated that in the past that it has used the Accord successfully to gain greater local involvement in public sector projects. Some members were unfamiliar with the related provisions and some members’ subscriptions were not up to date as they had competing demands for their limited financial resources.
Certain institutes anticipate that enhanced regionalisation through the Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME) will widen earnings opportunities as well as provide a broader platform for regional cooperation; the JIA, for example, has already initiated legislative reform by changing the nationality/residential requirement from Jamaican to Caricom. The ABIA has involved itself in initial discussions/consultations and is reviewing the proposed Professions Act, which is in its embryonic form and is designed to regulate all professionals within CSME.
VIEWS ON ARCHITECTS’ PROFESSIONAL STANDING
The Guyanese complained about the dominance of engineers in design and build projects, who would use architectural technicians (employed in their offices) to do building drawings and designs, stating that they enjoyed 90% of the work in these areas. The St. Lucians also noted that the large projects are often led by engineers and quantity surveyors, who in turn, may oversee the architect who is given a purely design role. Similarly, the Dominicans noted that “big business” preferred to use engineers and that the architect had better opportunities with the lender/donor agencies, who were often required by their own rules to use architects for architectural services.
The TTIA believed that a trend has developed in the past 5 years in which engineers are taking over projects and reducing the architectural role to a functionary position. By contrast, one member cited her professional training in Canada, where engineering and architecture students were compelled to work on projects together. Another member quoted the Spanish legislation, which defines clearly each role within the construction industry, thereby engendering greater cooperation.
The ABIA noted that the project manager, who is usually a qualified engineer, has challenged the architect’s lead. The Jamaicans noted a similar trend, where the project manager is viewed as a “one-stop” person, leading the JIA to call for the role of the architect being more clearly defined and the establishment of a forum for greater collaboration amongst the related professions.
The TTIA saw that project managers “did a good job of selling themselves” and thought that architects may benefit from more express statements on the value of their services. Whilst acknowledging that architects need to be more realistic about what they can actually do (as opposed to what they say they can do), it was stressed, that unlike architects, project managers are not properly regulated.
VIEWS ON THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF ARCHITECTS
An interesting range of responses was provided when institute members were asked how architects are perceived publicly. Answers were both positive (“the profession is still respected”) and negative. However, the general responses were overwhelmingly negative:
- Architects are non-value added.
- Architects are “dreamers”; banks prefer the quantity surveyor.
- Architects may be seen as “artistic twits”.
- Architects are “prima donnas”.
- Architects are not financially astute.
- Architects are elitist.
- Architects serve only the wealthy; they are “exclusive”.
- Architects are expensive.
- Architects are perceived erroneously; there is a true lack of understanding of what an architect does:
- “The public is clueless as to what an architect does”.
- There is a lack of appreciation of the differences between an architect and a draughtsman.
- There is a lack of knowledge of what architects do.
A logical inference from these descriptions would be that the region’s architects do not see themselves as being viewed as prominent or highly critical to national development or even revered as professionals. The perceptions also seem to throw up a myriad of paradoxes: architects are seen as being expensive, yet not financially astute; they are seen as elitist without given any professional distinction over a draughtsman; are were seen as serving the wealthy, but in other parts of this report it is noted that they are not preferred by “big business”.
Not surprisingly, the institutes have over time invested in public relations exercises. The Guyanese hosted a documentary on buildings of national interest on local television. The St. Lucians hold an annual Architects Awareness Week as a regular calendar item, aimed both at engaging architects’ participation and public support for the profession.
An interesting contrast to these notions of public perception, is how the region’s architects described how they saw themselves:
- The architect is best placed to understand users’ needs – “the human element”.
- The architect’s value lies in how he/she provides the total range of services, securing safer structures, better space utilisation, greater aesthetic sensitivity, building regulatory compliance, design for usage, and environmental soundness.
- Using an architect is, therefore, more economical.
- There is greater quality assurance when using an architect – the architect is bound by professional liability.
- The architect appreciates “nuances of detail – how components come together”.
- The architect responds to the “psychology of the user” – “the building and site have greater harmony”.
- The architect’s work is imbedded in the prevailing culture – it is appropriate for the context.
- In short, “buildings built by architects are usually better” – they tend to command higher economic value over time.
- In cases where architects are routinely used, “society is a better place full stop”.
VIEWS ON CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD)
All the institutes believed that there was a strong need for CPD and that it should be mandatory. They also saw it as something that was worth paying for and the JIA, in fact, has used training sessions as a way to address declining membership and participation. The BIA saw CPD and not more stringent discipline as the answer to any “bad experiences with architects” – real or perceived.
The institutes expressed interest in the following content areas as future CPD modules:
- Project management (the TTIA thought that architects may wish to become certified in this discipline)
- Procurement methods, including those of major lender/donor agencies
- Forms of contract (particularly FIDIC contracts)
- Business economics
- Economics of design
- Building codes
- Building technology, including new products and materials
- Regional engineering design issues (hurricanes/earthquakes/etc.)
- Office management
- Client relationship management
- IT – CAD
- IT within user environments (LAN, WAN etc.)
- Health, safety & environment – requirements and best practice
- Sustainable development
- Regional taxation regimes (practice issues).
It is important to note that CPD was not seen as onerous in terms of time or energy commitments, but as something that could be easily integrated into a busy work schedule.
CPD was also seen as a mechanism for the development of regional specialisms against the context of increasing regional integration. The economic scale of the CSME is anticipated to provide new business opportunities for specialist architectural services.
VIEWS ON THE ROLE OF ACSAC
All the institutes saw great benefits in strengthening the role of ACSAC:
- The GIA sees ACSAC as a:
- “Clearing house” for regional issues
- Mechanism for arriving at common standards and business codes, including establishing common standards for professional exams
- The ideal body for responding to CSME.
- The Dominicans stated that ACSAC is “the perfect institution for effecting change in the region” and, specifically, for:
- Sharing knowledge amongst members (for example, the TTIA’s approach to professional examinations)
- Attaining standardisation in building codes
- Delivering CPD
- Lobbying in the broadest sense, from professional registration to trade laws (an example provided was access to a type of Dominican sand, which provides ideal and cost-effective building material, but under current law is only available for exportation).
- The JIA saw ACSAC as the means for delivering “regional clout”, for:
- Analysing comparative practices and agreeing on a single best approach
- Formalising the traditional practice of “borrowing” from other jurisdictions (legislation, codes of conduct, fee structure etc.)
- Providing a cost-effective means for accessing professional indemnity insurance
- The ABIA noted that in the absence of a regional body, there are not enough professionals within Antigua & Barbuda to create a critical mass for effective professional representation. That ACSAC is:
- Best placed for providing professional education
- Advising on contract documentation and scales of fees
- “A significant regional umbrella for harmonisation” – both in terms of how architectural business is conducted and how practices can be managed.
- The St. Lucians, though noting the clear benefits of regional representation, stated that at present they do not feel very engaged in ACSAC and that involvement should be increased as it is the logical means of attaining reciprocity between members.
- Barbados saw ACSAC as becoming increasingly relevant. One senior architect stated that he would “love to see” a general regulatory environment that covered the Caribbean, with clear recognition of registration from other jurisdictions.
- The Trinidadians stated that ACSAC “has a clear and viable role” - it is the body for delivering professional reciprocity within the Caribbean. But, they also wondered how best to regulate professional standards across jurisdictions and how best “to give ACSAC teeth”.
ACSAC was also seen as a good forum to collaborate on regional business development opportunities. Additionally, ACSAC could provide broader opportunities for student placements.
Though no disadvantages in strengthening the role of ACSAC were identified, the following were seen as issues that would have to be addressed in order to achieve the objectives of an enhanced ACSAC:
- There must be regulatory parity between jurisdictions.
- There must be reciprocity between jurisdictions.
- ACSAC needs to have greater access to resources in order to fulfil its new mandate
- ACSAC needs to have some level of executive authority.
NEXT STEPS
It is intended that the Survey findings outlined above will be presented and discussed in the June Workshop. Strategic themes should emerge from these discussions, which will form the substance of the following phase of the project – a detailed ACSAC strategic planning exercise.