Our work

Responding to the challenges faced by Commonwealth countries, together with the findings of the Survey of the Built Environment Professions and the Declaration on Sustainable Urbanisation, the CAA has set itself the following principal objectives for the term 2022-2024:

• Improving educational standards: Undertaking a review of Validation together with associated procedures and criteria to ensure that these remain effective. Undertaking a survey of schools of architecture in the Commonwealth to assess capacity and establish how schools and students can best be supported. Expanding the number of validated schools and/or developing curriculum guidance to help ensure that students are equipped with the skills required for today’s world.
• Increasing professional competency: Developing a regular programme of Continuing Professional Development as a means of maintaining competency, especially in the area of climate literacy and sustainable development. Building a library of case studies and good practice as a means of knowledge sharing among member organisations. Refocusing its awards programme to recognise sustainable development more directly.
• Advocating for sustainable development: Continuing to exploit its close working relationship with the Commonwealth Secretariat and Member States, UN Habitat, the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction and the Global Alliance for Urban Crises, while serving as a bridgehead between policy and practice, leveraging the CAA’s ECOSOC consultative status to further strengthen its influence within the UN system.
• Collaborating for greater impact: Maximising the unique opportunities provided by the Commonwealth network to collaborate with other Commonwealth and Non-Commonwealth partners to develop initiatives/promote the work of others which can be scaled/replicated for greater impact, such as the Lusaka Mapping Pilot. Supporting development of the recently established Commonwealth Youth for Sustainable Urbanisation network.

In all its activities, the CAA will seek to remain focused, agile and responsive, collaborative and evidence based, tackling the big challenges facing the Commonwealth while being responsive to local context and working with Member Organisations to help increase their impact.