This week, alongside our Annual Report for 2023, we published our fourth annual Inclusion Transparency Report 2023. The report outlines our progress in creating a more inclusive organisation and profession. It allows us to assess what is working, and to hold ourselves accountable for the work we still have to do.
RIBA is well-placed to support the architecture profession in becoming fairer and more equal. In nearly two years as Chief Executive, I have seen us take significant steps to address inequity, both within our organisation and across the profession.
We remain committed to this mission, not just for the sake of architects, but to ensure that the built environment is better for all – because a profession that reflects the society it serves will be better able to respond to its diverse needs.
The Inclusion Transparency Report 2023 provides an update on some of our equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) activity, which this year focused on creating a solid foundation of data, policy and practice frameworks to support genuine, impactful and long-lasting change.
Today, I want to highlight this work and how it helps fulfil RIBA's strategic priorities.
We made progress on our Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with five other built environment professional bodies focused on improving EDI in the industry, prioritising data collection, education to industry pipelines, and professional competency. This included the co-delivery of several events which promoted equity in the built environment for several protected characteristics.
Internally, we conducted the first ever survey of EDI data among individuals involved in RIBA’s governance, and plan to repeat it every two years to monitor progress. By setting an example within our own governance structure, we hope to inspire other organisations and practices to do the same.
To help elevate this commitment to equality, we also introduced the Equality Impact Assessment process (EqIA), alongside training, guidance and templates as part of a shift in culture within RIBA's own day-to-day activity. This activity both supports and is supported by our RIBA EDI Communities. For 2023, we relaunched the Origins and Generations Communities and securing funding for community events.
These communities are key to our core campaign of events, initiatives and organisation-wide culture. Throughout the year we worked with each community group to platform important days, weeks and months of celebration - including Pride, Black History Month, International Women's Day, South Asian Heritage Month and Disability History Month to name a few. Regionally, RIBA North, our LGBTQ+ Community Chair and Liverpool City Region Pride collaborated to develop Pride House, a safe space in the Eurovision village which brought an even wider audience to our front door.
These communities also help to shape our internal policies and procedures through ongoing communication and review, which will continue into 2024 and beyond.
To help extend this collaborative way of working outward we launched the RIBA EDI Leaders’ Action Group, which brings together EDI professionals from across RIBA Chartered Practices. The group works to identify where employers need support, highlight good practice, and encourage wider implementation. Projects include an accessible inclusive events toolkit and widening work experience opportunities.
One of the key resources launched in 2023 was the Inclusive Design Overlay to the RIBA Plan of Work which seeks to embed inclusive design across all stages of construction projects. This was truly a collaborative project and shows the strength of our sector coming together to create something that will improve the lives of many. This work to increase diversity and inclusion in the built environment is also complemented by the books our RIBA Publishing team produced focusing on under-represented groups and topics.
To round off our projects completed in 2023, I would like to highlight our three key priorities for 2024, which can be found in further detail in the full transparency report.
- Building a more inclusive and diverse profession
- Making our policies and products more accessible and inclusive
- Being an equitable and inclusive organisation modelling good practice
We will continue to support people who feel underrepresented in the profession, to help practices end discrimination, and to redress the current imbalance of representation.
Every RIBA colleague and member has a responsibility to get on board as we strive to dismantle the barriers to equity, diversity and inclusion. Most importantly, we need to keep the conversation going and to work together towards this shared vision of a better future.
Read the full Inclusion Transparency Report 2023.
Find out more about RIBA’s equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) work.
