Purpose

The aim of the APEC Architect framework is to establish a mechanism to facilitate the mobility of architects for the provision of architectural services throughout the APEC region by reducing current barriers to the export of professional services.  Its central function is to maintain a Register of APEC Architects who have fulfilled common elements of the education and training requirements for professional recognition in participating economies and are currently registered/licensed as architects, and who have a proven record of professional experience as registered practitioners.

Through the identification of these common aspects of professional recognition, reinforced by a period of professional experience, registration as an APEC Architect defines a level of competence that will satisfy designated registration criteria in other participating economies without further assessment.  A host economy may additionally adopt special requirements for the recognition of APEC Architects to address aspects of professional practice specific to that economy, such requirements however must be fully transparent.

Structure

Overall responsibility for operation of the APEC Architect Register rests with a Central Council composed of nominees of independent Monitoring Committees established for this purpose in each participating economy, and authorised by the Central Council to carry out its functions.  Policies governing the operation of the APEC Architect Register and strategies adopted for its implementation are determined jointly by the representatives of participating economies appointed to the Central Council.

The APEC Architect Register is divided into sections, each administered by the Monitoring Committee of a participating economy, for the enrolment of architects registered/licensed in that economy who meet APEC Architect criteria.  Monitoring Committees are responsible for the management of their respective sections of the Register on behalf of the Central Council.

Central Council

The Central Council has ultimate responsibility for all matters relating to the APEC Architect framework. The Council comprises of representatives appointed by the Monitoring Committee of each economy authorized to operate a section of the Register. The Central Council’s primary duty is to decide the standards and criteria required for registration as an APEC Architect and to establish operational procedures for management of the APEC Architect Register. These are reviewed periodically by the Council to ensure their continued relevance to the practice of architecture within the APEC region and the effectiveness of the systems employed to assess them. The Council is responsible for the authorization of Monitoring Committees to maintain a section of the Register and for subsequent review of their continued conformance with APEC Architect registration criteria.

Effective communication with relevant authorities in participating economies, architects and consumers alike, is essential for successful operation of the APEC Architect Register. The provision of information on its objectives and achievements and promotion of the role it plays in facilitating the mobility of architects within the region are also important functions of the Central Council.

For the website of APEC Architect Central Council, click here

Registration

REGISTRATION

A candidate for registration as an APEC Architect must be currently registered/licensed or otherwise professionally recognised as an architect in the economy that maintains the section of the APEC Architect Register to which application for admission is made.  

Architects must demonstrate to the appropriate Monitoring Committee that they have completed an accredited/recognised program of architectural education, fulfilled pre-registration experience requirements, have practised for at least seven years as registered/licensed architects and satisfied any additional requirements, all in accordance with criteria determined by the Central Council.

Architects may only be enrolled on the section of the APEC Architect Register in their home economy.

Central Council Secretariat

SECRETARIAT SCHEDULE

(As approved during the Fourth Council Meeting)

Monitoring Committee

Each participating economy is required to establish a Monitoring Committee to take responsibility for administration of the APEC Architect framework in that economy, after receiving authorization by the Central Council to do so. Monitoring Committees act with delegated authority from the Central Council to implement its policies and carry out its duties.

The primary duty of a Monitoring Committee is to operate a section of the APEC Architect Register for the enrolment of APEC Architects registered/licensed in that economy. It must confirm that candidates for APEC Architect registration have complied with criteria adopted by the Central Council and assess the professional practice experience they have obtained as registered/licensed architects. Each Monitoring Committee is also responsible for ensuring the continued maintenance of required standards.

Monitoring Committees are the constituent bodies of the Central Council. They must nominate one or more representatives to the Council; however, each Monitoring Committee is entitled to only one vote. They are called upon to contribute from time to time to the administrative and review functions of the Central Council and generally to act as centers of information on all APEC Architect matters, and to promote its purposes.

As part of the APEC Architect Framework, monitoring committees carry out administrative functions for the project within participating economies. Monitoring committees do this on the basis of delegated authority from the APEC Architect Project Central Council.

Monitoring committees do the following:

• Undertake assessments to determine whether applicants meet the required standard and therefore shall be admitted to the Register as APEC Architects
• Operate the APEC Architect Register within each economy
• Where appropriate, facilitate with relevant registration authorities bilateral or multilateral arrangements to allow APEC Architects to seek registration in other participating host economies
• Contribute to the APEC Architect Project as a whole via Central Council
• Make public information about the APEC Architect Project.

Assessment of Candidates for Registration

For an Architect to be admitted to the APEC Architect Register, the monitoring committee in the economy where the architect resides must:

• Authenticate the applicant's architectural education and practical experience and certify it as satisfying the APEC Architect criteria
• Evaluate the seven-year period of professional experience as a registered / licensed practitioner required in order to be an APEC Architect.

Monitoring committees also have a duty to confirm that their APEC Architects continue to be registered / licensed as architects in their home economies. In addition, monitoring committees must advise Central Council if the standards of architectural education in their home economies changes in such a way as to be materially at odds with the APEC Architect standard.

APEC Architect Register

The central duty of each monitoring committee is to establish and maintain its section of the online APEC Architect Register. Each section records the APEC Architects in that economy. Once an architect qualifies as an APEC Architect his or her name is recorded on the register.

Bilaterals

Monitoring committees are empowered to facilitate voluntary arrangements between participating economies that allow for fast-track cross border registrations / licensing of APEC Architects. These arrangements have to be made by the registration / licensing authorities of participating economies. More information on this is available here.

Contribute to Central Council

Monitoring committees are the constituent bodies of the APEC Architect Central Council. Each monitoring committee nominates at least one representative to the APEC Architect Central Council, although there is no restriction on the number of members they appoint. It is expected that representatives will be able to speak on behalf of the regulatory authority in their economy. Each monitoring committee is entitled to one vote on the Central Council.

Information and Communication

At six monthly intervals monitoring committees are expected to complete a Council Report on their APEC Architect registration activities and any other significant developments during the period, for circulation to all participating economies. Monitoring committees also promote the benefits of registration as an APEC Architect to members of the profession and to regulatory authorities and other relevant organisations.

Application for Authorisation

An APEC economy seeking to operate a section of the APEC Architect Register must first constitute a monitoring committee to submit an application to the APEC Architect Central Council, through the Secretariat, for authorisation to do so.

In determining whether or not authorisation will be granted, the Central Council will require advice on:

• The professional recognition criteria and assessment systems in place in the economy
• Education and practical experience / training requirements for registration / licensure as an architect in the economy
• The accreditation / recognition procedures employed to assess registration applicants
• The procedures and quality assurance provisions used to assess compliance with the required professional practice experience as a registered / licensed architect.
• The composition of the Monitoring Committee
• How the Monitoring Committee will manage its section of the APEC Architect Register
• The resources available for undertaking these responsibilities.

In economies with multiple domestic jurisdictions, where applicable, the professional standards and criteria established by national organisations acting as councils of individual regulatory authorities shall be evaluated for the authorisation of monitoring committees.