Ethics

Question 1

What are the RICS Rules of Conduct?

Answer 1

1. Act with integrity and honesty and avoid conflicts of interest.
2. Always provide a quality and diligent service.
3. Maintain professional competence.
4. Treat others with respect and encourage diversity and inclusion.
5. Act in the public interest and take responsibility for their actions, and act to prevent harm.

Question 2

What is a bribe?

Answer 2

An offer or acceptance of an advantage as an inducement for an action that is illegal, unethical, or a breach of trust.

Question 3

Can you give me an example of a bribe?

Answer 3

A contractor offering to do work on your own home for free if you suggest to the client that they use them on their project.

Question 4

What is Money Laundering?

Answer 4

Hiding illegally obtained funds behind a legitimate business.

Question 5

Why did you say no to the cricket match tickets from the contractor at Buckshaw Link?

Answer 5

Timing - it was offered during the tender period.

Question 6

If timing wasn’t an issue, would you have accepted the invitation to the cricket?

Answer 6

Yes, however I would inform my office manager and log it in the gift log prior to accepting.

Question 7

Is there a financial limit on gifts you can accept?

Answer 7

This would usually be discussed internally in my company, with gifts never being accepted in private.

The amount accepted is usually viewed as proportional.

Question 8

Give me an example of a conflict of interest.

Answer 8

I just bought a house overlooking fields. My client wants advise on whether they can build on this area of greenbelt.

Question 9

What are the 3 types of conflict of interest?

Answer 9

Personal, Party, Conflict of Confidential Information

Question 10

What is a Party Conflict?

Answer 10

Where your duty to act professionally to one client contradicts your duty to another client in the same or relation professional assignment.

Question 11

What is a Personal Conflict?

Answer 11

Example of greenbelt land and doing a feasibility study.

Question 12

What is a Conflict of Confidential Information?

Answer 12

A conflict between the duty to keep one client’s information confidential, and the duty to provide the same information to another client.

Question 13

What would you do if there was a Party Conflict?

Answer 13

Obtain informed consent.

Question 14

What would you do if you wanted to set up your own business?

Answer 14

Register with the RICS.

Ensure a complaints handling procedure is in place.

Obtain Professional Indemnity Insurance.

Question 15

When is a firm required to register for regulation with the RICS?

Answer 15

If 50% of the principle is providing surveying services.

If 25% of the Directors are providing surveying services.

Question 16

What information do firms have to send to the RICS annually?

Answer 16

Insurance details - PI and PL.

Complaints procedure, details and log.

Question 17

Why is Professional Indemnity needed?

Answer 17

To protect the client against professional negligence.

Question 18

What are the minimum indemnity levels?

Answer 18

This is based on annual return:

£100k or less - £250k cover

£100,001k - £200k - £500k cover

Over £200k - £1m cover

Question 19

What do you do if there is a conflict that is internal to the office?

Answer 19

Different offices - can’t see each other’s information.

Create Information Barriers - electronic or physical separation.

Question 20

You are on site and someone looks scruffy - what concerns do you have?

Answer 20

Dynamic risk assessment - concern for my safety if they are unknown.

Concern for their health.

If they are known and working, this could be modern slavery. Do not raise with the site manager. Continue to assess and do some unannounced site visits. If concerned still, call Modern Slavery Helpline and/ the Home Office.

Question 21

What is Whistle Blowing?

Answer 21

You are a worker and you report certain types of wrongdoing to external firms or the public or the RICS.

It’s good to have a formal WB policy in place within your firm where you can report concerns.

Question 22

What are your main take-aways from the countering bribery and money laundering guidance?

Answer 22

How to undertake general due giligence checks:

Enhanced
Standard

Question 23

Are you aware of what the Red Flag Indicators are?

Answer 23

Client being dismissive on providing information.

Multiple bank accounts.

Some off-shore accounts.

Question 24

How do you apply rule 1 of the Codes of Conduct to your daily work practices?

Answer 24

I have always been clear and honest with a client when I have made a mistake.

Question 25

How did you measure the risk of injunction at The Unicorn development?

Answer 25

Risk assessment - who would it harm, and what the likelihood and severity was. Works being halted would hard the BO. Severity was high, but the likelihood was very low.

Question 26

Was the SE at Wardsley Barn appointed by yourself or directly by the client?

Answer 26

Directly by the client.

Question 27

What would have been needed if your firm instructed the SE on the client’e behalf?

Answer 27

A sub-consultant agreement. This creates a contractual link between them and the client, and covers the following: Scope of service Fee Insurances Termination Dispute resolution

Question 28

What is included within your firm’s T’s and C’s?

Answer 28

Complaints handling procedure. Data protection. Payment procedures. Termination agreements.

Question 29

How would you go about calculating a fee for the client? What considerations do you have?

Answer 29

Time spent on the instruction. Travel. Clear client brief.

Question 30

A client has asked you to take responsibility for making interim payments to the contractor. They say they will provide you with the cash to make the payments. What is your response?

Answer 30

My firm has a no cash policy. If my firm did accept cash, I’d set up a client account. This needs to be separate and clearly identifiable with the client named on the account. The client must have constant access to it and it mustn’t go over drawn.

Question 31

Are you aware of what the cash limit is?

Answer 31

€10,000.00 or the equivalent. It its more than this, you need to register with the government as a ‘high-value dealer’. This is to prevent money laundering.

Question 32

What rule of conduct were you acting in accordance with when you kept confidentiality at Preston Technology Centre?

Answer 32

1 - Maintaining the integrity of and to the client.

Question 33

How are you aware of your limitations? Why do you not exceed them?

Answer 33

When the potential instruction is outside of my competence I am honest about it, and provide guidance on who can deliver this.

Question 34

How might AI positively impact the Built Environment?

Answer 34

Energy Efficiency can be regulated through sensors and systems that analyse the data of use. Can then optimise the allocation of materials and labour for cost-effective scheduling.

Question 35

How might AI negatively impact the Built Environment?

Answer 35

Could lower the quality of reports and advice if it is relied on to heavily or broadly. Unable to use it effectively with specific site considerations and intricate details.

Question 36

What is unconscious bias?

Answer 36

It’s an existing belief or stereotype against a person or social group that is not a conscious belief of the person.

Question 37

How can you limit or reduce unconscious bias?

Answer 37

Acknowledge your biases and be honest about them. Admit mistakes and take responsibility.