Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

Registration, Certification & Accreditation

NED University, Karachi
20th July, 2019
An Introduction

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners was established through the promulgation
of “Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners Ordinance IX of 1983”.

PCATP is a statutory body established by the Government of Pakistan with the following main
functions:

 To give recognition and protection to the profession of architecture and town planning.
 Laying down standards of conduct for its members.
 Promotion of reforms in the professions and upgrading the standards of education.
 Assisting the government and national institutions in the solution of national problems
related to both professions.

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

Registration of Architects & Town Planners

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

The Original Definition - 1983

“architect” means a person who holds any of the architectural

qualifications specified in the First Schedule or the Second
Schedule and is registered as an architect with the Council;

(Published in the Gazette of Pakistan Extraordinary on March 7, 1983) Pakistan Council of

Architects and Town Planners Ordinance 1983 (Ordinance IX of 1983)

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

Current Status - 2018

All fresh graduates of 2014 intake or later will have to go through

Architects Competency Examinations (ACE) for full registration
with PCATP.
 
All earlier graduates applying for registration after 31st December
2019 will also have to go through ACE for full registration with
PCATP.

This Examination will be conducted under the supervision of a

newly formed Professional Development Board of PCATP.

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

The Process

Pre-Registration - The person applying for such registration will be a graduate from a PCATP
recognized Institution.

Professional Experience - A graduate architect registered with PCATP shall acquire minimum of
ONE year of professional experience to be eligible for Architects Competency Examination
(ACE).

CPD Points - A graduate architect shall accumulate 4 credit points of Continuing Professional
Development (CPD) Programme before applying for Architects Competency Examination (ACE).

Architects Competency Examination (ACE) – The graduate, after fulfilling the above conditions
will get evaluated through the Architects Competency Examination (ACE) for full registration
with PCATP.

A Registered Architect must successfully continue accruing the specified number of CPD points
for annual renewal of their registration with PCATP.

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

Continuing Professional Development
(CPD)

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

Continuing Professional Development

Professional Development Board (PDB) of PCATP will also be managing

the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Programme with the
objective of :

 Better quality training and up-to-date information

about emergent skills
 Introduction to better approaches and methods
 Optimized training & learning environment
 Increased individual & collective confidence
 Enhanced reputation

Every Architect will have to accumulate a certain number pf CPD points

to become eligible for renewal of registration. The CPD programme is
currently in testing phase and will become fully effective from year 2020.
Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners
Accreditation of Educational Institutions

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

Objectives of the Accreditation Process

 To raise standards and promote excellence in architecture and town

planning education.
 To enhance the provision of high quality professional educational
programs and encourage ingenuity, innovation and contemporary
relevance in course and teaching methods to strengthen the overall
education.
 To promote PCATP established standards and systems of architectural
and town planning education in the country.
 To enhance the stature, quality, credibility and influence of the
Institute and its members.

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

What it takes to be an accredited institute?

The Accreditation Programme of Educational

Institutions is managed by PCATP’s Accreditation Board
with membership from the Executive Council, the
Profession and the Academia. Three steps must be
fulfilled to acquire accreditation from PCATP
• Zero Visit - before launching the program
• Interim Visit - to be held at 3rd year level
• Accreditation - to be held in final year
• Re-validation to Accreditation - periodical

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

Architecture and Town Planning programs
Total in 5
Pakistan
B. Arch 4
B. CRP 1

1983
Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners
Architecture and Town Planning programs
Total in 8
Pakistan
B. Arch 6
B. CRP 2

1990’s
Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners
Architecture and Town Planning programs
Total in 17
Pakistan
B. Arch 15
B. CRP 2

2000’s
Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners
Architecture and Town Planning programs
Total in 37
Pakistan
B. Arch 32
B. CRP 5

2014
Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners
Architecture and Town Planning programs
Total in 42
Pakistan
B. Arch 37
B. CRP 5

2019
Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners
Criteria for Accreditation

a. Quality of Physical Resources

 Number of Studios
 Computer labs
 Quality of Libraries
 Number and size of Lecture halls
 Other facilities

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

Criteria for Accreditation
b. Human Resources
 Faculty:
Architecture: 7 full time faculty
1 lecturers, 3 Assistant Professors,
2 Associate Professor
Town Planning: 6 full time faculty
1 Lecturers, 2 Assistant Professor,
2 Associate Professor

 Head of Department or Chairperson

From the same discipline i.e. either Architecture or Town Planning. Masters degree holder (Foreign
qualifications/PCATP Accredited Program), ten years of professional experience in the relevant field

PCATP looks for a balance of senior, junior fulltime/visiting faculty to ensure imparting quality
architectural education
Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners
Criteria for Accreditation

c. Students

 The maximum teacher-student ratio

1:15 for studio courses

1:30 for theory classes.

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

Procedures

a. Admission Criteria:

 The minimum level to enter the Architecture/Town

Planning Program is Intermediate, A-Levels or
equivalent.

 The admission test is a definite requirement typically

in the form of aptitude for creative thinking,
mathematics and writing skills of students.

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

Procedures

b. Curriculum:

 Program should follow the guidelines provided by the

PCATP/HEC curriculum.
 The syllabi of courses must be regularly reviewed, updated
and revised to accommodate the new technologies and
requirements of modern times.
 The core of the main program should concentrate not just
on acquisition of knowledge and skills in the specific
discipline, and also ensure exposure to inter-disciplinary
areas.

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

Procedures

c. Examination
 Must be clear and transparent.
 Continuous evaluation procedure
mid semester class tests, assignments, other methods.
 Regularity in announcing results.
 The role and involvement of external examiner should also be
clearly defined to keep the transparency.
 Involvement of PCATP observers in the evaluation
of 3rd year students, thesis display of 5th year Architecture, and
4th year of Town Planning program.

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

Procedures

d. External Interaction
 Co-curricular activities and student services.
 Seminars, group discussions and study tours in the country and abroad.
 Internship that are closely monitored and evaluated.

e. Career Planning
 Opportunities for career development, counseling, professional society activities,
entrepreneurship development and learning business ethics.

f. Research and Publications

 Teachers should participate in projects and quality improvement programs in research
institutions/University departments.
 The department should also undertake academic/ sponsored industrial R & D projects.

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

Registration of Architectural and Town
Planning Firms

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

Registration of Firms

PCATP is also responsible for the registration and categorization

of Architectural and Town Planning Firm.

Such Firms are registered in 4 categories depending upon the

depth of experience available.

These firms are also categorized on the basis of their composition

and background of share holders :
 Architectural Firms
 Town Planning Firms
 Architecture + Town Planning Firms
 Architectural/Town Planning and Engineering Firms

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

 Registration of Contractors
for Building & Interior Works

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

Registration of Contractors

PCATP is in the process of initiating recently gazetted registration

and categorization of Contractors for Building & Interior Works.

Such contractors will be registered in 4 categories depending upon

the nature of experience, capacity, quality of staff etc.

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

Future Plans

Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners

Future Plans

Efforts for inclusion of PCATP in PPRA Nomenclature for eligible firms.

Struggle for ending Multiple Licensing of Architects & Town Planners.

Dialogue with Local Governments regarding elimination quacks.

Efforts to assure that positions/jobs for Architects are not filled up with non-
Architects under any pretext.

“State of the architecture and town planning profession” – an extensive survey

of all Architects and Town Planners of the country.
 
Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners
Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners
Pakistan Council of Architects and Town Planners