Role descriptions and person specification for appointments to the Partnership and Accreditation Panel, 2025-2026 academic year

We are now seeking volunteers with an interest in planning education to become PAP members and support this work from Autumn 2025.

The Roles

Volunteer roles on the PAP include Dialogue member, Chair and Vice Chair of the Accreditation Board (during the initial process of accrediting a new Planning School at a university), and Chair or Vice Chair of a Partnership Board (once a university has gained full accreditation). The roles are open to RTPI Chartered members and retired Members or Fellows and Associate members with an interest in planning education and higher education policy, and who are either working, or have worked, as planning academics or as practitioners in the public or private sectors. The RTPI will provide relevant policy and practice documents and guidance with which PAP members are expected to become familiar.

Length of Service and Time Commitment

PAP members will usually first serve on a Partnership Board for three years, renewable for a second term of a further three years, in line with RTPI guidelines on good governance. This can be extended in exceptional circumstances, on the recommendation of the RTPI.

The Dialogue Member may continue as Chair of a Partnership Board (where a Planning School that has been in dialogue with RTPI receives accreditation) if the 3 + 3 term has not been exceeded.

The Accreditation Board Chair must also comply with the RTPI good governance guidelines of 3+3 years, but in practice the majority of Accreditation Board Chairs will be in position for less than one year.

PAP volunteers can be offered an alternative role after this point if they so wish.

The minimum time commitment for PAP members who undertake Chair and Vice Chair roles on Partnership Boards is one day a year for an annual Partnership Board meeting with the Planning School. Members should also allow for preparation time, including reading papers and contributing to email discussions during the year.

The time commitment for Dialogue Members and Accreditation Board Chairs is more - an additional one or two days to engage with the Head of the Planning School at times other than at the formal Accreditation Board meeting.

All PAP members are expected to attend the annual PAP meeting which may include additional training and briefings.

In line with the current three-year rotational meeting approach, a third of Planning Schools will be offered the opportunity to hold an in-person/ hybrid Partnership Board meeting annually with all other Partnership Board meetings being held virtually.

At any stage during their tenure, where a PAP member cannot devote the requisite time to their role on a Board, it is essential that they contact the RTPI on education@rtpi.org.uk so that a replacement can be found.

Expenses

As these roles are voluntary, they are therefore unpaid; however, reasonable travel, subsistence and accommodation expenses will be paid in line with the Institute’s Expenses Policy.

Selection and Appointment Process

RTPI Education Officers in collaboration with the Chair and Vice Chair of the PAP will review all applications received ensuring that they meet the criteria in the person specification and have the relevant experience as detailed below. Successful applicants will be notified in advance of the annual PAP meeting which they will be expected to attend for induction and training. As vacancies arise, new PAP volunteers will be allocated positions on a Partnership Board as appropriate. Typically, new volunteers will first be offered Vice Chair roles.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria:

• A Chartered Member, Associate member or retired RTPI Member/Fellow in good standing with the Institute
• Knowledge of and interest in RTPI Education Policy
• Commitment to the aims of the RTPI, its membership and the planning profession
• Successful experience of committee work, preferably chairing
• Successful experience of teamwork
• Successful experience of problem solving
• An effective communicator
• Able to hold meetings with the relevant Planning School and attend the PAP annual meeting
• Able to commit to prepare for meetings and to communicate with the Partnership or Accreditation Board and Planning School between informal meetings as required.

Desirable Criteria:

• Knowledge of higher education policy and practice (such as validation, accreditation and course development)
• Experience of higher education accreditation processes.

Role Descriptions

Please note that Accreditation and Partnership Board roles should not be combined with that of External Examiner or any other paid or unpaid role at the Planning School.

Dialogue Member

The Dialogue Member role is key to the process of accreditation at the earliest stage of the process. They are charged with establishing a working relationship with the Planning School seeking accreditation and are there to assist them in developing the initial proposal for accreditation based upon the RTPI’s current Learning Outcomes and revised Policy Statement on Initial Planning Education, The Dialogue member is a key member of the Accreditation Board alongside the Chair, Vice Chair and RTPI Secretariat. The Accreditation Board is tasked with considering a Planning School’s formal accreditation proposal and deciding whether the Planning School meets the RTPI Effective Planning School criteria and if the planning courses put forward should be accredited in line with current RTPI education policy.

The Dialogue Member’s responsibilities are:

• To assist and support a university seeking RTPI accreditation
• To provide a regular, two-way communication between the University and the RTPI on key issues and development in planning education and the local situation
• To report regularly to the RTPI on the progress of the School towards accreditation 
• To enable the RTPI to gain insights into course development, local issues and other changes at the University
• To provide a sounding board for the University to discuss developments and new ideas and to suggest ways that gaps in a programme can be bridged 
• To submit annual monitoring reports to the RTPI
• To be fair and supportive to both the University and the RTPI
• Prior to Board meetings, to provide a briefing note for Board members on issues to address
• To attend the Accreditation Board as a member of the Board
• To advise and assist on issues that arose at the accreditation visit where further evidence was needed
• If appointed during a case of de-accreditation, to maintain contact with the University and to alert the Director of Education and Profession to any matters needing attention.

Chair of the Accreditation Board

The role of the Chair of the Accreditation Board is to coordinate the discussion and facilitate decision-making and to provide the RTPI with a report on the Board’s decisions. This one-off role ends if accreditation is granted.

Vice Chair of the Accreditation Board

The Vice Chair supports the Chair during the accreditation process. The Vice Chair may be expected to deputise on behalf of the Chair in exceptional circumstances, subject to the prior agreement of RTPI Education Officers/Secretariat. 

The Partnership Board

Once accreditation has been granted, a Partnership Board consisting of RTPI- and university appointed members is established. The Partnership Board is composed of a Chair, Vice Chair, the RTPI Secretariat (an RTPI Education Officer), and two university-appointed planning practitioner representatives.

The purpose of the Partnership Board is 

• To monitor the continuing effectiveness of the Planning School, using the RTPI Effective Planning School criteria
• To support the development of the Planning School
• To accredit new qualifications put forward by the Planning School, as appropriate, in line with RTPI education policy

Chair of the Partnership Board

The Chair assumes a leadership role within the Partnership Board and is the key link between the Planning School and the RTPI.

The Chair of the Partnership Board is responsible for

• Chairing meetings and setting the agenda in collaboration with the Head of School
• Encouraging attendance at the Partnership Board meeting and where full attendance is not possible, ensures that all Board members are consulted on important matters
• Approving the meeting minutes as a true reflection of the Board meeting. Draft minutes prepared by the Planning School must be shared with the Chair for approval within two weeks of the Board meeting
• Completing the Chair’s Report which should be sent to the RTPI no later than four weeks after receiving the minutes
• Ensuring that the views of Board members are represented in key decisions. All key Partnership Board decisions (other than those relating to the accreditation of new courses and to the School meeting the Effective Planning School criteria, which have to be unanimous) must be taken by majority decision, where the Chair has the casting vote. If the Board is unable to reach a decision in relation to accreditation the Chair may wish to postpone the decision pending receipt of further information and seek to reconvene the Board at a later date.