A+ - FAQ
- What is A+ membership?
- Eligibility
- Benefits
- > SAI Global Fact Sheet (PDF)
- Obligations
- Costs
- Employees
- Practice
What is A+ membership?
I understand that A+ membership is new, but how is it different from 'normal' membership?
The fundamental aim of A+ membership is to facilitate promotion of the profession by creating premium quality practices under the A+ brand, which the Institute will actively market to potential client groups and the general public (similar, for example, to the CPA campaign for accountants).
A+ membership is practice-based, and provides a range of special benefits, including substantially reduced individual membership fees, in exchange for the practice agreeing to certain obligations (for example, mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for each individual member).
Is there somewhere I can see the whole picture and also the differences between Practice Membership and A+ membership?
Yes. A complete summary of the benefits, obligations and eligibility requirements of A+ membership can be found at architecture.com.au/aplus.
A+ membership differs from the current "Practice Membership" in that all professional staff in the practice need to become members (not just the directors) and all members are subject to mandatory CPD. However, there are a number of substantial additional free benefits, including online access to Acumen, Environment Design Guide (EDG) and read-only online access to all Australian Standards, as well as the marketing benefit of the A+ brand, and importantly, substantially lower fees (about a 50% discount in most cases) for all individual members.
How do we join?
Joining is simple and can only be done online. Go to architecture.com.au/aplus and follow the prompts.
The joining process is instigated at the practice level. The practice firstly provides basic contact details and verifies credit card information to enable quarterly fee payments. The practice then provides very basic details of all eligible staff, including current Institute members and those who are not currently members.
Each of the nominated individuals will then be contacted to verify or provide additional contact and other relevant information. Once all the details have been verified and processed, the A+ membership will be activated, the first payment deducted, and all benefits made available.
What happens if there are future staff changes within the practice?
If an individual member in an A+ practice leaves, or a new member of staff joins, either the individual or the practice can initiate the updating process online, at any time.
In addition, all A+ practices will be contacted towards the end of each quarter and asked to verify that there have been no changes in the number, categories or status of any individual members in the practice. If there have been any changes, these can then be updated online, prior to the next billing period.
Eligibility
Do all staff in the practice have to be individual members? Will this include part-time and casual staff?
All "eligible" staff in an A+ practice must be individual members. "Eligible staff" includes all architects and any other professional staff with a recognised architectural degree or a degree in a discipline related to architecture, such as planning, interior design, urban design, landscape architecture and the like.
Permanent part-time staff who work 3 days per week or more must be included, but casual staff are not required to be included (but may be).
Can we get A+ membership if 1 of our 3 directors is not a registered architect?
Yes. To be eligible for A+ membership, a practice must firstly meet all requirements of the relevant Architects Registration Board for architectural practices (if any). Secondly, it must be a business entity primarily engaged in delivering architectural services rather than some other kind of business that happens to employ an architect.
One of our staff is a registered architect who is a full-time contractor with us -- would they also be eligible?
Generally no. Only appropriately qualified directors and employees of an A+ practice are eligible for the discounted fees and other benefits of A+ membership. The only exception would be a full-time contractor who is treated in all respects, including for PAYG deductions, as an employee.
A full-time contractor who is an architect may, of course, establish their own A+ membership as a sole practitioner.
I am the sole architect in a multi-disciplinary firm of engineers, planners and other design professionals. Can I be an A+ member? Can the firm be an A+ practice?
No and no. Unfortunately, only a business entity primarily engaged in delivering architectural services is eligible for A+. And only eligible individuals employed by an A+ practice are able to receive A+ benefits. Of course, you can certainly join the Institute as an individual member.
What if I am part of an architectural 'unit' in a government department or other large commercial organisation - Is the unit entitled to A+ membership?
Yes, provided certain conditions are met. In principle, the unit or team must be operating as a reasonably discrete business unit or cost centre and be primarily focused on architectural activities. The unit will also need to be under the direction of a registered architect, and have in place an appropriate level of PI insurance (or be effectively covered under a suitable government or whole-organisation arrangement). It must also be capable of fulfilling all the obligations of A+ practices.
The suitability of applications for A+ membership in such instances will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, so to begin the application process you must initially contact the Institute directly at membership@architecture.com.au.
I'm currently a Level 2 member in the process of establishing a sole practice. I would like to upgrade to Level 1 membership with A+. Is this possible?
Absolutely yes. In fact, one of the underlying aims of the A+ model is to attract as many Level 2 members as possible into Level 1 membership (which of course is actually cheaper than Level 2 membership under A+).
Technically, you need to be a Level 1 member to take up A+ membership as a sole practitioner, but upgrading to Level 1 and taking up A+ membership can all be done at the same time.
We also have 1 student member in the office - can they also be part of our A+ membership?
No. Student members are not part of the A+ membership system. There is of course nothing to prevent an A+ practice from paying all or part of the annual membership fee for any student employees.
I am a current Institute member employed by a practice that is not an A+ practice. Can I be an A+ member?
No, unless the practice joins as an A+ member. If you would like to receive the benefits of A+ membership, you should encourage the practice directors to consider upgrading.
If I become an Institute member as an employee of an A+ practice, can I transfer my A+ membership to another practice?
Yes, if the new practice is also an A+ practice, but no if it is not.
Our practice is based outside Australia. Can we take up A+ membership?
Generally no. However, the Institute is prepared to consider applications from overseas based offices associated with Australian practices on a case by case basis.
Can "contract" staff be part of our A+ arrangements?
It is not uncommon for architectural practices to engage some staff on a "contract" basis. Typically, such staff will have their own ABN, will be paid on invoice rather than by salary and may have their own workers compensation and professional indemnity insurance. Generally, such contractors will need to establish their own, separate A+ practice. However, where such a contractor has no clients other than the employer practice, provides their services only to that practice, and does so on what is expected to be a permanent basis (ie a minimum of 12 months), the practice can treat them as an employee for the purposes of A+ membership.
Benefits
I understand that A+ members don't have to pay for Acumen or the Environment Design Guide and we would receive online read-only access to Australian Standards? Is this correct?
Yes. Each individual member within an A+ practice, including Graduate and Affiliate members, has online access to these essential resources, fully included within the cost of membership.
I am especially interested in access to Australian Standards -- are there any limits?
This new service is available at no extra cost and only to individual members in A+ practices. It offers online, read-only access to Australian (AS), joint Australia/New Zealand (AS/NZS) plus Australian and joint Australian/New Zealand adoptions of ISO and IEC Standards (AS/ISO, AS/IEC, AS/NZS/ISO and AS/NZS/IEC).
Because it is designed essentially as a reference service and not as a replacement for purchasing commonly used standards, printing of Standards is not possible and sessions will be time-limited. However, part of the service includes a simple online purchase facility, with a special discount of 20% off the normal hard-copy price solely for A+ members.
You can view the SAI Global Fact Sheet for instructions and for more information about using SAI Global.
Will I still be getting hard copies of the Acumen and the Environment Design Guide [EDG]?
The Institute is consistently moving towards more sustainable business practice, and the transition from hard copy to online information resources is part of this move. However, many members and practices appreciate the traditional hard copy documents.
While the new Acumen service is only available to members in A+ practices (and it's free), as of 2010, this is now only available online. There will be no hard copies available.
Will individual members continue to receive personal copies of Architecture Australia and other Institute publications, as well as electronic communications?
Yes. There is no benefit of Institute membership that does not continue to be available to members in any given membership category under the A+ system. There are however, many new benefits.
Is there any benefit for A+ practices entering projects in the Awards?
Yes. Fees for Awards entries from A+ practices attract a 10% discount.
How will the Institute's "promotional campaign" for A+ practices actually work?
Promotion of A+ practices will operate in a number of ways. Firstly, A+ practices will be able to use the new A+ member logo on their practice letterhead, business cards, website and marketing material. Secondly, the Institute's 'Find an architectural practice' service is being redeveloped to feature A+ practices.
Significantly, the Institute will also take out advertising space in prominent, targeted media publications to promote the benefits of using an A+ practice. This campaign began with a small, more general campaign launched through the Australian Financial Review Magazine in 2008-09. A major advertising campaign was launched in 2010 exposing the distinct A+ branding to the public. Full page and strip ads have already appeared in Belle, The Australian Financial Review Magazine and The Age's Sydney and Melbourne Magazine. The campaign will also be published in Qantas' The Australian Way and online at realestate.com.au.
Can members in A+ practices still use the post-nominal letters "RAIA" or "FRAIA"etc?
Yes, of course. All of the rights and obligations of individual Institute members do not change just because they are employed in an A+ practice. And just to be clear, the post-nominal letters haven't changed either, as a result of the Institute's new trading name - Australian Institute of Architects. Level 1 members should use RAIA, FRAIA, LFRAIA, as appropriate, while Affiliate members should use Affiliate RAIA.
Are any additional new benefits being planned for A+ members?
The Institute is looking to continually develop the value of A+ membership, and will progressively add new benefits when possible. Work on a range of potential new benefits for introduction in 2010 and beyond is constantly being researched.
Obligations
What are the main obligations of A+ practices?
Both the benefits and obligations of A+ membership are aimed at ensuring that A+ practices are best equipped to be considered and promoted as premium quality practices. The main obligations of A+ practices are thus:
1. Having all eligible staff as Institute members,
2. Having all members in the practice commit to life-long learning through mandatory CPD, and
3. Maintaining appropriate levels of PI insurance.
I understand that all eligible employees in an A+ practice must be (or must become) Institute members. What if some eligible employees don't want to participate?
Both the quality brand and the financial viability of A+ membership rely on all eligible staff being included. The fees paid by A+ practices are calculated on the number and type of all eligible staff, and so if there are a number of staff who do not want to be involved, A+ membership may not be a suitable option for the practice.
Can you tell me more about the CPD requirements and how they will work?
Requirements for CPD are set out in the revised CPD Policy on the Institute's website at architecture.com.au/i-cms?page=1.23.7168.
Essentially, those members in an A+ practice who are architects or architecture graduates of 11 years or more are required to undertake a minimum of 20 hours of CPD annually, including a minimum of 10 "formal" hours, across at least two of the four main competency areas (design, documentation, project management, practice management).
Individual CPD activities need to be logged and a small percentage of subject members may be audited each year, to confirm compliance. These individual members in A+ practices may be required to provide a declaration of CPD compliance at the end of each year.
As a regional practitioner, it is difficult to attend events in the city. Can the CPD requirements be fulfilled with continuum.com.au courses?
Yes. The online CPD programs at continuum.com.au can easily generate enough points for annual compliance. So too can attendance at the Institute's National Architecture Conference, or the many programs provided by Chapters and numerous other providers, such as universities, suppliers, manufacturers, other professional associations and so on.
We are keen to review the cost effectiveness of A+ for our practice so can you tell us which CPD events are scheduled for 2011?
Schedules of upcoming CPD activities can be found at architecture.com.au.
However, while the Institute is committed to providing as much valuable CPD content as possible, both through CPD events and through practice-based and online delivery, there is no obligation for members to access CPD provided by the Institute or any other specific provider.
The cost of CPD should not be a concern, as there are many ways for practices and individuals to meet their CPD obligations without necessarily incurring significant, or even any cost. Indeed, just one of the benefits of increased numbers of members in A+ practices is enhanced opportunity for group or shared CPD activities, which can be highly effective both cost-wise and learning-wise.
What happens if just one of the members in our practice fails to meet their annual CPD points requirement - is everyone penalised?
No. Firstly, the Institute will not take a heavy-handed approach to ensuring CPD compliance, but will rely substantially on the honesty and integrity of members. Where there is a legitimate reason for not meeting the quite modest CPD requirement, opportunity will be provided to 'catch-up' in a subsequent period. However, in the unlikely event that a member still fails to meet their CPD obligation, the penalty will be based on removal of some or all of their member benefits.
Is there a minimum requirement for PI insurance for A+ members? If so, what is it?
No. There is no specific requirement for the value of PI Insurance to be taken out by A+ practices, but evidence of current PI insurance must be provided. The circumstances of individual practices and the type and value of projects undertaken will vary considerably, so the Institute will rely on each practice to make an appropriate assessment of their PI insurance needs.
To get more advice about your practices PI insurance and risk management needs, go to raiains.com.au/raia/.
I assume sole practitioners can be A+ practices? Is this cost in addition to my normal annual membership fee?
Sole practitioners, provided they are registered architects, are absolutely able to take up A+ membership. The 'normal' membership fee for individual members does not apply, but the A+ practice fee ($540 in 2011) and the 50% discounted individual fee ($420 in 2011) both apply. As A+ fees must be paid quarterly, the total cost of A+ membership for a sole practitioner is thus $240 per quarter in 2011.
Are membership 'rates' & 'fees''the same thing?
Generally these words are used interchangeably. In most (but not all) cases the Institute refers to 'rates' as the standard amounts applicable for an individual member or practice for a particular period or category, and to 'fees' as the total amount actually payable by a specific individual or practice.
How and when is payment due for A+ membership?
Payment for A+ membership fees is due at the end of each quarter, and can only be made by direct credit card payment. Payment for the first quarter of 2011 should be made as soon as possible, and will be retrospective to 1 January.
Costs and fee payments
Does A+ membership cost more or less than other membership options?
This very much depends on the make-up of the particular practice and what current membership options are in place. The cost for individual members in A+ practices is, in all instances, about 50% of the rate for individual members who are not in an A+ practice. However, there is also a fee payable by the practice (even if the practice is a sole practice).
The total annual cost of A+ membership for a sole practice, for example, is $960 (which now includes online access to Acumen, EDG, and AS), compared to standard individual membership at $840 (with none of these benefits), or a one-director Practice membership at $1323.00 (which offers only some of the above benefits). Please note that these figures are correct for 2011 membership and are subject to change on the 1st January 2012.
The Institute website shows A+ membership fees for individual members but when I check the 'Fee Estimator' I get a different rate. What is the correct fee?
A+ membership involves two fee components, one for the practice and one for each individual member within the practice (including any director or a sole practitioner). For each A+ practice, a quarterly practice fee applies (based on the total number of members in the practice), as well as payment of all quarterly individual fees.
It appears we have to pay an individual fee and a practice fee - is this correct? If so, how can I confirm the total amount?
Yes, it is correct that quarterly fees for an A+ practice comprise two components - the practice fee component and the total of all individual fees (even in the case of a sole practitioner).
Who pays the individual A+ fees - the practice or the individual?
Practices are responsible for making a single fee payment covering the practice fee component and the total of all individual fees. However, the practice can choose to make any arrangement with staff that they choose regarding payment of individual fees (ie they can be paid entirely by the practice, shared, or paid entirely by the individual through reimbursement to the practice). Some A+ practices may also choose to include Institute membership as part of the salary package for new or existing professional staff.
Is A+ membership all inclusive regarding fees? Are there any other Institute fees for membership payable in addition?
The total annual fee payable by a practice for A+ membership, which is the sum of the practice fee and all individual fees, covers all membership costs. There are no additional fees payable for membership or the benefits provided through the A+ system.
I assume sole practitioners can be A+ practices? Is this cost in addition to my normal annual membership fee?
Sole practitioners, provided they are registered architects, are absolutely able to take up A+ membership. The 'normal' membership fee for individual members does not apply, but the A+ practice fee ($540 in 2011) and the 50% discounted individual fee ($420 in 2011) both apply. As A+ fees must be paid quarterly, the total cost of A+ membership for a sole practitioner is thus $240 per quarter in 2011.
Are membership 'rates' & 'fees' the same thing?
Generally these words are used interchangeably. In most (but not all) cases the Institute refers to 'rates' as the standard amounts applicable for an individual member or practice for a particular period or category, and to 'fees' as the total amount actually payable by a specific individual or practice.
How and when is payment due for A+ membership?
Payment for A+ membership fees is due at the end of each quarter, and can only be made by direct credit card payment. Payment for the first quarter of 2011 should be made as soon as possible, and will be retrospective to 1 January.
Employees
I am a sole practitioner and plan to be an A+ member - what happens when I decide to employ other architects as staff?
Any staff employed by an A+ practice who are architects or who have a recognised degree qualification in architecture or a related discipline must become members of the Institute. Either the practice or the employee can advise the Institute on the individual joining the practice or changing status (eg becoming registered or graduating from a recognised course) if they are already employed in the practice. They will then be assisted through the appropriate application process, and their membership will become active (and the practice payment adjusted accordingly) at the commencement of the next quarter.
Is the cost of A+ membership tax deductible?
The GST component of A+ membership fees can generally be claimed by any practice that is registered for GST. For most companies membership fees can generally be regarded as a business expense and consequently offset against any company tax payable. Any component of the fees paid by an individual would generally be regarded as a cost of generating income and thus income tax deductible. Each practice and individual member should obviously seek their own tax advice, based on their specific circumstances.
Practice Membership
Isn't A+ membership just a revamped form of Practice Membership?
No. The configuration of A+ membership has been devised from the ground up, based on extensive consultation with members. It aims to incorporate a range of new benefits and options that many members consider highly desirable in Institute membership.
Why would our practice consider changing from Practice Membership to A+ membership?
While the directors and staff of a Practice Member firm do get a modest fee discount, it's nothing like the 50% cut that everyone in an A+ practice can get, resulting in a much lower per-member rate.
Practice Members also effectively pay for their Acumen and EDG subscriptions, which are available only on a whole-practice basis, while A+ practices get free access to Australian Standards, Acumen and EDG Online, direct to the desktop of every professional staff member.
Most importantly, Practice Members won't get the marketing benefit of the Institute's major promotional campaign for A+ architects, or the ability to use the A+ quality brand as part of their practice stationery and marketing material.
If we opt for A+ membership, can we revert to 'normal' Practice Membership if we want to?
No. The current Practice Membership option will be progressively phased out as take-up of A+ membership grows.
Does A+ membership cost more or less than other membership options?
This very much depends... ...(which offers only some of those benefits).
Full details of A+ membership costs are set out at A+ Membership Rates.