A new supplementary charter for the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) has come into force, following consultation with the membership and subsequent approval by HM The King and the Privy Council.
The supplementary charter is said to ‘streamline and modernise’ the governance of the RIAS. The organisation said it facilitates a more transparent relationship between members and the leadership.
The most significant change is the replacement of the RIAS council with a new board of trustees. As a smaller group, RIAS said individual trustees will be more accountable to members regarding decisions made by the board as a whole, and in tandem with other changes will allow for members’ voices to be more effectively heard through chapters, committees and the members’ forum.
The new supplementary charter – alongside revised bye-laws – implements the first comprehensive rethink of RIAS governance since the organisation’s first royal charter was granted in 1922. It represents the culmination of seven years’ work by the RIAS to modernise its governance, and follows consultation with members, who approved the direction of travel at a special general meeting in 2022.
The new supplementary charter was prepared in consultation with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), and subsequently approved by the RIAS council in March 2024 and RIAS members at a special general meeting in June 2024 ahead of submission to the Privy Council.
RIAS president Karen Anderson said, “The new RIAS supplementary charter is a major milestone for our organisation, and equips the RIAS with a new governance structure that is clearly focused on transparency, efficiency and serving our members. I am extremely grateful to our members, successive RIAS councils and the new trustee board, as well as key stakeholders including OSCR for their valuable input.
“I would particularly like to thank my colleague Richard Atkins, who chairs the RIAS governance and policy committee, for his exceptional support. While it has been important for the RIAS to focus on its internal governance, it is even more important now to use the tools we have to serve our members and be an effective champion for architecture in Scotland.”
