The OAA Practice Consultation Services Program, set out as a “practice review program” in s. 52 of Regulation 27 under the Architects Act, is part of the process allowing the architecture profession to continue its privilege of self-regulation.
To help practices maintain competence and currency, it includes a mandatory Practice Consultation Questionnaire—an online audit that requires architectural firms to review their office processes as they pertain to regulatory requirements.
For each OAA Certificate of Practice, an architect (usually the owner/principal or someone in charge of the practice work) is required to complete the survey at least once every 10 years. Non-compliance can lead to referral to the Practice Review Committee (a subset of the Practice Resource Committee [PRC]), for review and consideration of further action, which could result in an on-site review or referral to the Registrar or Complaints Committee.
You can also learn more by reading this policy.
The Practice Consultation Questionnaire is designed to have firms review office practices as they pertain to regulatory requirements and good practices. The audit or survey covers:
• marketing and promotion;
• client agreements/contracts;
• consultant agreements/contracts;
• accounting and bookkeeping issues;
• records and files;
• personal supervision and direction as well as quality assurance;
• legal; and
• project management and delivery of services.
All OAA practices must complete the questionnaire during their first year of receiving their Certificate of Practice. After that, every OAA Practice will complete it once every 10 years, as this is mandatory for maintaining a Certificate of Practice.
They will be required to respond to the questionnaire within one month.
Created by OAA Council, the program is managed by the Association’s
Practice Advisory Services Team. The questionnaire responses are reviewed by the Association’s Practice Review Committee, a subset of the
Practice Resource Committee (PRC), fulfilling the role set out in s. 52 of
Regulation 27 under the
Architects Act:
“The Association shall establish and conduct a practice review program related to the practice of architecture, including a program for the inspection of records, other than financial records, of its members and holders.”