Chartered Trustee
Role Description 2025
Responsibilities
The Board of Trustees is responsible for the management of the affairs of the Institute and promoting the Institute’s charitable objectives.
The RTPI is a registered charity and its Trustees must follow the rules and regulations as outlined in the RTPI’s governing documents. Trustees are required to:
- act responsibly and only in the interests of the Institute;
- use reasonable care and skill and make well-informed decisions, and
- take advice when
Collectively, the Board of Trustees is responsible for making decisions in the following areas:
Leadership
- Shaping the RTPI’s corporate planning processes – including the Strategic Plan, the business plan, and the annual budget and supporting documents such as committee work
- Ensuring the RTPI has appropriate policies in place on key matters such as health and safety, risk management, data protection and financial management, and review them regularly;
Statutory responsibilities
- Ensuring that the Institute is carrying out its purposes for the public benefit
- Complying with the Institute’s governing document and the law
- Managing the Institute’s resources responsibly;
Governance
- Approving the RTPI’s annual report and
- Reviewing the auditors’ report on the annual
- Agreeing the subscription structure for the following year, subject to consultation with the General Assembly;
Building relationships
- Receiving reports from the Institute’s standing committees, subcommittees, panels and groups (if any).
- Receiving reports from the President, Chief Executive, volunteers, and senior
- Fostering and maintaining good relationships with Trustees, committee members, volunteers, and staff.
This list is indicative and other appropriate matters may arise.
In addition to the above, Trustees are required to follow:
- Trustee’s Responsibilities, Behaviours and Competencies
- The RTPI Trustees Code of Conduct
- Guidance published by the Charity Commission
The RTPI Trustee role is a voluntary role. All RTPI volunteers:
- Act in the interests of the RTPI, irrespective of any commitments to other organisations or groups or any personal
- Declare any potential conflicts of interest and seek advice from the Governance team, if
- Adhere to relevant RTPI policies, procedures, and
Expected time commitment
- This role is for a three-year term from 1 January 2026 until 31 December 2028.
- The Board of Trustees meets six times a year, with an away day in the summer.
- Members of the Board are also members of the General Assembly, which meets four times a year, at external locations to be confirmed.
- Trustees are expected to attend and contribute to the discussions and decisions at the Board of Trustees meetings. This will involve reading the papers for each meeting, which are sent out at least ten days in advance of the meeting. Trustees can raise questions about the papers with officers as
- Members of the Board of Trustees will be granted access to the Board Effect portal, where meeting papers will be uploaded for secure access.
- Papers may be circulated electronically between meetings for consideration by the Board of Trustees. On average, this is likely to take place once every couple of months
- Trustees will be asked to serve as Chair, Vice-Chair, or as a member of the Institute’s committees/subcommittees/panels or on a task and finish group.
- Trustees may also be asked to represent the RTPI at a conference/event as required.
- All Board of Trustees members are provided with induction training, which is held in January
- The role will require an average time commitment of 1-2 days a month.
Required attributes
RTPI Trustees will have the following attributes:
- Credibility within the profession and among external stakeholders and the wider community.
- The ability to work as a member of a team and a willingness to accept a majority decision and be tolerant of the views of other people.
- A commitment to be well informed about the work of the Institute and to devote the necessary time to the requirements of the role.
- A strong commitment to planning and the RTPI’s strategic objectives and vision.
- Active involvement within the Institute.
- Availability to attend the General Assembly, the Board of Trustees, and other relevant meetings as scheduled.
- Good communication and interpersonal skills.
- Impartiality, fairness, and the ability to treat sensitive information confidentially.
- Good understanding of the Institute’s work and the key stakeholders with which it engages.
Eligibility
To be eligible for nomination, you will:
- be a Chartered Member, and
- have support from six other Chartered Members.
What support can you expect?
- Support from RTPI
- Induction training.
- Training, briefings, or guidance documents on relevant
- Expenses covered in line with our policy.
What’s in it for you?
The chance to be part of an enthusiastic team of professionals and make a real difference to the planning profession and communities in which we live and work.
The opportunity to:
- gain high level chairing experience and transferable skills in strategy, business planning, investment, and risk
- help shape the future development of the
- help steer the delivery of the objectives set out in the Institute’s Strategic Plan 2025-30
- access professional
- expand your Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
- gain an understanding of the role of governance in a membership
- learn about areas of planning outside of your
How can you get involved?
Chartered Trustees are elected by the General Assembly.
Elections for Board of Trustee roles are held annually.
Invitations for self-nominations are sent to all eligible members in June for terms starting the following year.
Eligible members can put themselves forward for election by completing an applications form via the nominations website and a statement of willingness to accept and hold office if elected.
All applications must be supported by at least six other Chartered Members.
Elections take place in August/September and are on the basis of a single transferable vote (voters rank the candidates in order of preference: 1 for their first preference, 2 for their second preference, and so forth).
For any queries or for more information, please contact the Governance Team at [email protected]
This is a voluntary role. The duties outlined above reflect our shared hopes and expectations but do not create any contractual obligations.