Did you know that marketing and business development are included in the new draft NSCA?
You may be aware that the National Standard of Competency for Architects is currently being revised and updated. Yesterday - while I was writing a blog post about Awards – I received an email that contained the 2020 Revised NSCA - Consultation draft (you may have received it too?).
It forced me to switch course because there are some important changes in the document, which includes references to “client relationship management systems, marketing and business development” for the first time.
What are the key changes in the NSCA draft revisions?
Firstly, the AACA has identified three new Professional Capabilities (which appear to replace the five ‘Knowledge Domains’ of the 2015 document – is this correct?). These are Professionalism, Communication and Environmental and Ethical Practice.
Secondly, Communications – which appears in the category ‘Practice Management and Professional Conduct’ – has been elevated from the fourth section of the Performance Criteria in 2015, to the first section in this updated version.
Describing the changes in the draft revisions, the AACA states that:
“Early in the project, the Expert Reference Group agreed that the essential components of the current NSCA are sound but recognised the need to reframe the NSCA so that it:
reflects the knowledge, skills and competencies required of architects now and into the immediate future;
reframes architectural services away from the traditional linear framework of services described in accordance with traditional modes of delivering architectural projects to one with a clearer focus on the architects’ design responsibilities to clients and society;
is acknowledged as the basis for a proportionate, effective regulatory model which ensures that only competent practitioners are eligible for registration and to remain on the State and Territory Registers of Architects in order to provide assurance and confidence to the public about the expected professional standard of architects in Australia;
is flexible enough to reflect core competencies applied across varied competency profiles; and
reflects an explicit ethical focus - particularly around societal obligations of architects with respect to climate change and acknowledgement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in the design process, and cultural diversity more broadly.”
What’s the key takeaway?
The most significant change - from my perspective at least! – is the fact that the definitions and responsibilities within the Communication section have been expanded as follows (the bold emphasis is mine):
“Communication capabilities encompass the ability to clearly convey and explain the roles and responsibilities of an architect, to coherently communicate within workplace and project contexts, and to articulate the value that an architect brings.”
This includes:
“Ensuring that all communications are timely, appropriate and culturally sensitive;
Communicating clearly and consistently with clients, project stakeholders, colleagues, collaborators, consultants, construction delivery teams and broader communities;
Communicating efficiently within project teams, including using appropriate means to convey relevant aspects of architectural design, documentation and services during design and construction; and
Communicating the value that architects bring to broader communities. This can occur at a variety of scales and in a broad range of forums.”
As you can see, these draft revisions place a new emphasis on architects improving the way they communicate with project teams and stakeholders, as well as with the wider community. And they explicitly state that communications should convey the value of architecture, with an emphasis on different types of communications at a variety of scales and broad range of forums.
Why are these changes significant?
These are goals and objectives that I have been working towards over many years. Even before I launched Sounds Like Design, my work as a journalist aimed to frame discussions about architecture through this lens of value and broad public benefit.
My motivation has always been to provide a bridge between architecture and the general public, which demands a twofold approach:
firstly, by helping architects to communicate complex ideas using accessible language, so they can reach broader audiences; and
and secondly, by equipping the public with architectural knowledge and vocabulary the need to confidently participate in discussions about the value of good design AND to demand better built environment outcomes.
I believe that good design can help us to collectively mitigate and respond to the effects of climate emergency. And that’s a pretty powerful motivator!
So it’s an understatement to say that I’m delighted to see this new focus on outward-facing communications within these draft revisions to NSCA.
What does this mean for architects?
In future, there will be a stronger emphasis on CPD training that extends the capacity of architects to communicate well, against criteria such as:
Be able to implement relevant client relationship management systems, marketing and business development; and
Be able to present concept design proposals and associated information to client, stakeholders and communities,including using appropriate and culturally sensitive communication methods relevant to the audience.
So what happens next?
Edited to add:
(on 11 October 2023)
PC 13 was not adopted in the 2021 update to the NSCA. If you’d like to see this criteria - or something similar - introduced in a future update of the Standard, we’ve drafted an email that you can customise with your own wording, to send to the AACA.
You can find that sample email in this blog post: Ask the AACA to add “business development and marketing” to the National Standards of Competency for Architects (NSCA)
Having published this Consultation Draft for public comment – which is due by 1 March 2021 and can be emailed to 2020ReviewNSCA@aaca.org.au, or you visit the NSCA review webpage for more details.
In addition, the AACA has:
“commenced the development of an Implementation Strategy to support transition to the revised NSCA once it is approved by the Architect Registration Boards. Initial work has included:
Consideration by the AACA’s National Advisory Panel and the Accreditation Management Committee;
Internal work to identify the required work and lead-up timeframes;
Initial consideration of a transition period where AACA Programs allow Providers or Candidates to complete the assessment program against either the 2015 or 2021 edition of the NSCA, and at what timeframe assessment against the 2021 edition of the NSCA becomes mandatory.”
So we’ll know more next year about the final content of the 2021 National Standard, and when these updated performance criteria will come into effect.
But I think we can be confident that this new focus on audience appropriate communications – and the ability to convey the value of architecture – will be key components of the revisions.
These changes, combined with the information I’ve been gathering about the latest priorities in Awards entries, mean that many architects will need to improve and enhance the way they communicate about their work, their practice, their profession – and its value both to clients and the broader community – in the future.
How can you improve your business development and marketing skills?
If you’d like to learn more about business development and marketing for architects, I provide several different services at a range of price points.
Get out of overwhelm and obtain “clarity through action” with a short, sharp injection of my expertise. Book a Zoom Strategy Session here to talk about any business development or marketing issues you’re grappling with, and tap into my knowledge, experience and connections. After our conversation, which we’ll record so you can refer to it again later, I’ll send you a follow up email with actionable insights and resources, all of which is completely customised for your practice and individual needs.
If you’re interested in expanding your mindset and skillset around Business Development and Marketing using the system I developed specifically for architects, you can take the 3-week Architecture Marketing 360 CPD course. You can purchase the self-guided program and start right away, here.
And if you’re interested in working with me directly, you can find details about the 3-month consulting package Review + Reset here. (There is a waitlist for new Review + Reset clients, and we aim to help you achieve a waitlist for your architecture services, too).
Lastly, if you have any questions about this blog post, or any of my services, please click here to email me. I’m always happy to hear from architects who want to improve the way they communicate their value to future clients, and grow the market-share pie.