This report presents clear and telling insights into the tensions that exist for the professions in delivering much needed quality residential apartments. The identified pathways to action will strengthen ethical and professional standards in the construction sector, increase accountability and build public trust.

Key findings

• Integrity system mapping reveals a complex web of industry players (components), with varying levels of connectedness and influence.
• Variability in qualification, education and training, and accreditation standards creates various ethical tensions (e.g. competence and work fragmentation) across the building sector professions.
• Ethical tensions arise when professionals interact with each other on projects and the resulting integrity system weaknesses can increase the likelihood of construction defects. However, collaboration between professionals promises higher quality.
• Professional associations can improve professionalism by having a multi-pronged focus on clients, professionals and the public interest, promoting ethical standards through practical codes of conduct, implementing robust governance processes, and advocating for their industry.
• The efficacy of regulatory frameworks that codify professional standards and provide monitoring and oversight of industry practices varies significantly. This highlights the need for more fit-for purpose legislation, co-regulatory arrangements that create a ‘feedback loop’ between regulators and professions, and harmonised statutory registration.
• 10 common ethical tensions—including ‘aggressive competition’ and ‘work overload’—affect the residential construction sector’s level of professionalism.
• 10 ‘integrity enablers’—including professionalism and healthy business design—contribute to strong integrity systems and facilitate high quality building outcomes.

Key recommendations

• Improve contracting and procurement practices by creating an Apartment Industry Development Agency (AIDA)
• Establish national Centres of Excellence in Residential Apartment Housing
• Raise standards in education, training and accreditation processes
• Promote, protect and improve professional standards through regulation
• Enhance and support professional associations’ ethical standards frameworks.