ARCHITECTS REGISTRATION BOARD PRACTICE NOTES
The Board is empowered by the Architects Registration Act Cap 269 and its bylaws from time to time to guide and regulate the activities and conduct of registered Architects. Once such notes are issued, they become part of the Code of Professional Conduct. Practice Notes No 1 to 12 have so far been approved by the Board Members and consequently, all registered persons are urged to adhere to them in the course of conducting their professional business.
| No | Description | Minute |
| 1 | All work to be done under a written contract The Board recommends that clients should be made fully aware of the duties of the Architect and fees payable. Architects shall provide services under any contract only with an express written contract specifying clearly offer and acceptance as per the law of contract. Vague agreements with indefinite or open-ended conditions shall not be accepted and will be treated as a ground for inquiry. Verbal contracts will not be permitted. For minor works, a letter of engagement and confirmation of terms shall apply. | 139th Board meeting held on 02.02.2017 |
| 2 | Unapproved Competition Second Schedule Item 14 of the Architects Code of Professional Ethics; states that “No Architect shall take part in any architectural competition unless the conditions of the competition have been approved by the Board”.Activities that amount architectural competition include but are not limited to preparing designs proposal for clients knowing that other persons are invited to provide the same service, The Board hereby warns all professionals from such acts. | 140th Board meeting held on 06.04.2017 |
| 3 | Advertisement on Social Media The Practice note seeks to guide registered architects about posts on social media. While posting on Facebook, Twitter, and any other social network, the architect must exercise the utmost discretion in the choice of material that they allow to be published against their names or registered entities to ensure that such posts do not infringe the Code of Professional Ethics of the Architects Registration Board Cap 269. The Board reserves the discretion to determine whether a post conflicts with the reasonable interpretation of the Act. | |
| 4 | Administration of penalties Subscription fees should only be received by the Board after an Architect has cleared penalties previously charged)All architects are required to first remit unpaid outstanding penalties before payment of annual subscription fees and issuing of a Practicing certificate. The Board shall remove all outstanding penalty charges first from any remittances made to the Board account by the architect. | 139th Board meeting held on 02.02.2017 |
| 5 | Continuous Professional Development Architects shall have the obligation to ensure that they score a minimum of 20 points per year from the Board’s CPD approved activities. | 139th Board Meeting held on 02.02.2017 |
| 6 | Professional Charges by Architects (Scale of fees) The Architect’s Conditions of Engagement and Scale of Fees determine the minimum fees for which a registered architect may undertake to work and describe the professional services, which the client may expect in return. It is the duty of the Architect to uphold and apply the conditions of engagement adopted by the Architects Registration Act Cap 269. The Engagement of the architect shall therefore be in accordance with the conditions and scale of fees and charges prescribed in the Schedule. Registered architects are therefore reminded not to work speculatively nor compete outside the range and scale it provides. Where a client is considering the engagement of one of a number of firms, the registered architects concerned may give guidance on the engagement of architects but shall not submit estimates of fees for competitive purposes. It is illegal to offer services below the scale of fees. Offenders of this provision should be brought to the notice of the Board. | 138th Board Meeting held on 25.11.2016 |
| 7 | Display of Site signboards and Notice boards second Schedule Item 12 of the Architects Code of ProfessionalEthics; provides that “an Architect may exhibit his or her name or the name of his or her firm in lettering not exceeding Seventy- Five millimeters (75mm) in height outside his or her office or on a site notice board at a building under construction, alteration or extension, for which he or she has been commissioned”. Contravention of this provision in whatever innovative graphic or physical form will invoke disciplinary action. | 140th Board Meeting held on 06.04.2017 |
| 9 | Professional Indemnity Insurance The Board notifies all registered Architects, that it is professional misconduct to practice as unlimited or limited companies or firms without valid professional indemnity insurance. | 116th Board Meeting held on the 16.08.2013 |
| 10 | Professional Contributions to the Media The Practice note seeks to guide registered architects about the requirements for contributions to media including articles, opinions, interviews, and group discussions in the print media, radio, television, and internet. All articles and opinions contributed to regular and online newspapers must be peer-reviewed by any of the ARB-selected peer reviewers. Architects who make professional contributions must always state that a list of registered and practicing architects is available at the ARB website on www.arbuganda.org and at the secretariat so that they give the public the option of engaging any registered architect of their choice. Registered Architects who contribute to interviews, and group discussions in print and electronic media must make sure that the information they give is factual and can be checked and that they do not exploit the public’s lack of expert knowledge in the field for personal gain. | 139th Board Meeting held on 02.02.2016 |
| 11 | Penalties administered to repeat Offenders The Disciplinary Committee of the Board shall have the discretion to recommend the suspension or deregistration of an architect for continuous breach of these practice notes. | 139th Board Meeting held on 02.02.2017 |
| 12 | Signing Unsupervised drawings (Stamping) Second Schedule Item 9, of the Architects Code of Professional Ethics; prohibits an Architect from putting his signature on drawings, specifications,s or certificates not prepared by him or her or his or her staff under his or her direct supervision, for purposes of obtaining approval of any building authority. An architect shall not offer the use of his or her stamp to anyone for a fee or for free. The frivolous and/or proliferous use of the architect’s stamp for works not under the demonstrable responsibility of the architect in question is a serious breach of the code of professional ethics and significantly distorts the provision of professional architectural services. Registered architects who continue to contravene this code will be suspended or deregistered. | 140th Board Meeting held on 06.04.2017 |