At the May 5, 2018 APEGS Annual Meeting of Members, the members present unanimously passed two motions to amend The Engineering and Geoscience Professions Regulatory Bylaws.
These amendments to the Regulatory Bylaws have been approved by the Minister of Highways and Infrastructure and will come into effect on January 1, 2019.
Complete versions of The Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act, 1997 and accompanying Regulatory and Administrative Bylaws can be found on the APEGS website: https://www.apegs.ca/Portal/Pages/Act-Bylaws.
The first amendment was to Appendix 3, to include the requirements for Competency-Based Assessment experience reporting. The amendments are as follows (identified by bold, underlined text):
Appendix 3 of the Regulatory Bylaws
Components of Acceptable Engineering Work Experience
Work experience is an essential element in determining whether or not an individual is acceptable for professional licensing. The responsibility for providing the proper environment, opportunities, range and progression of activities necessary to meet the work experience requirements rests with the employers of applicants, and the individuals who provide supervision during the internship period. Acceptable engineering work experience must include the application of theory and should provide exposure to, or experience in the following broad areas: practical experience, management, communication, and the social implications of engineering. Assessment of the acceptability of the work experience is based on the extent to which the applicant’s experience includes these areas, each of which is outlined in the following sections.
For a person who is registered as an engineer-in-training on or after January 1, 2019 or a person who is registered as an engineer-in-training on or before December 31, 2018 who has not submitted any experience reports by December 31, 2018, experience in engineering work satisfactory to the Council comprises the following competency-based assessment elements:
1. Technical competence
2. Communication
3. Project and financial management
4. Team effectiveness
5. Professional Accountability
6. Social, economic, environmental and sustainability
7. Personal Continuing Professional Development
For a person who is registered as an engineer-in-training on or before December 31, 2018 and who has submitted at least one experience report on or before December 31, 2018, experience in engineering work satisfactory to the Council includes the following:
1) Application of Theory
1(A) analysis (for example: scope and operating conditions, feasibility assessment, safety and environmental issues, technology assessment, and economic assessment, etc.);
1(B) design and synthesis (for example: functionality or product specification, component selection, integration of components and subsystems into larger systems, reliability and maintenance factors, human and environmental aspects, and the societal implications of the product or process, etc);
1(C) testing methods (for example: devising testing methodology and techniques, functional specification verification, and new product or technology commissioning and assessment, etc.); and,
1(D) implementation methods (for example: technology application, engineering cost studies, optimization techniques, process flow and time studies, quality assurance implementation, cost/benefit analysis, safety and environmental issues and recommendations, and maintenance and replacement evaluation, etc.).
2) Practical Experience
(A) site visits to existing engineering works, with opportunities to see equipment and systems in both operational and maintenance circumstances;
(B) application of equipment as part of the larger system, including, for example, the merits of reliability, the role of computer software, and understanding the end product or engineering work in relationship to the equipment;
(C) opportunities to experience and understand the limitations of practical engineering and related human systems in achieving desired goals, including limitations of production methods, manufacturing tolerances, performance minima, maintenance philosophies, etc.; and,
(D) opportunities to experience the significance of time in the engineering process, including workflow, scheduling, equipment wear-out and replacement scheduling, etc.
3) Management of Engineering
(A) planning, from conception through to implementation. This includes: needs assessment, concept development, assessment of resources required, and assessment of impacts, including societal and project implementation;
(B) scheduling, from establishing interactions and constraints, developing activity or task schedules, and allocation of resources, through to the assessment of delay impacts and beyond to broader aspects, such as interactions with other projects and the marketplace;
(C) budgeting, including the development of preliminary and detailed budgets, identifying labour, materials and overhead, risk analysis, life- cycle analysis, and tracking;
(D) supervision, including leadership, professional conduct, organization of human resources, team building, and management of technology;
(E) project control, including co-ordination of work phases, tracking and monitoring costs and progress, and implementing changes to reflect actual progress and needs; and,
(F) risk-analysis related to operating equipment and system performance, product performance evaluation, and evaluation of societal and environmental impacts.
4) Social Implications of Engineering
(A) a recognition of the value and benefits of the engineering work to the public;
(B) an understanding of the safeguards required to protect the public and methods of mitigating adverse impacts;
(C) an understanding of the relationship between the engineering activity and the public;
(D) a demonstrated interest and involvement in the broader social implications of engineering;
(E) an appreciation of the role of regulatory bodies on the practice of engineering; and,
(F) an understanding of the provincial health and safety of the workplace legislation.
5) Communication Skills
(A) preparation of written work, including day-to-day correspondence, record- keeping, and report writing;
(B) making oral reports or presentations to colleagues, supervisors, senior management, and an exposure to, or participation in, reports to clients and regulators; and,
(C) making public presentations.
The second amendment was the addition of Section 23.2 and Appendix 5, implementing a required Continuing Professional Development Program, including annual reporting. Note that these are entirely new sections and are presented below:
Continuing Professional Development Program 23.2
(1) In accordance with section 5 and clause 16(2)(j) of the Act and clause 20(2)(d) and Appendix 5, the council shall:
a) establish and maintain a continuing professional development program;
b) publish the continuing professional development program and ensure that the published document is publicly available without charge; and
c) verify and ensure compliance of members with the continuing professional development program.
(2) As of January 1, 2019, all members, other than life members, must annually meet the continuing professional development program requirements, as set out in Appendix 5 and in the program established pursuant to clause (1)(a), by January 31 of the year following the calendar year to which they relate.
(3) If a member does not comply with subsection (2), the registrar may:
a) assign a remediation plan with which the member must comply;
b) suspend the member’s licence.
(4) If a member ceases to have a licence by reason of his or her failure to comply with the continuing professional development program requirements, the registrar may reinstate the licence on receipt of a CPD reinstatement application from the member and proof that the member has met the reinstatement requirements set by council.
(5) If a member has a licence waiver pursuant to subsection 13(2) and fails to comply with the continuing professional development program requirements, the registrar may reinstate the member’s licence on receipt of an application from the member and proof that the member has met the reinstatement requirements set by council.
Appendix 5
Continuing Professional Development
Core Elements
This appendix summarizes the core elements of the Continuing Professional Development Program. A detailed description of the full program can be found in the Continuing Professional Development Program document, available online at the APEGS website or in person at the APEGS office.
The Continuing Professional Development Program meets APEGS’ statutory requirements as well as the professional obligations of members. Section 5 of The Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act states the Objects of the Association and speaks to the need for a Continuing Professional Development Program.
As well, clause 20(2)(d) of the Regulatory Bylaws (the Code of Ethics) requires members to:
Keep themselves informed in order to maintain their competencies, strive to advance the body of knowledge with which they practice and provide opportunities for professional development of their subordinates.
The Continuing Professional Development Program establishes a benchmark against which members will evaluate their ongoing professional development activities and provides tools for analyzing needs, planning programs, and recording and reporting activities.
The Continuing Professional Development Program requires the following annual components:
1) Ethics Component
a. Members must complete an annual ethics component, as outlined in the Continuing Professional Development Program document.
2) Minimum Credit Requirements
a. Each member is required to accumulate 80 credits annually.
b. Any credits accumulated in excess of the annual 80 credit requirement may be banked and then applied toward credit requirements for up to two subsequent years.
3) Minimum Categories
a. Members must annually obtain credits from at least three of the categories recognized in the Continuing Professional Development Program.
4) Member Record Keeping and Reporting
a. Each member shall maintain a complete record of their Continuing Professional Development Program for at least the previous three years.
b. This record shall clearly document:
i. individual scope of practice,
ii. program plan, and
iii. a detailed record of completed activities and the number of credits earned.
c. Members shall report their Continuing Professional Development annually, as directed in the Continuing Professional Development Program document.
5) Program Variation
Members with special circumstances may apply for reduced Continuing Professional Development requirements by submitting a Continuing Professional Development Program Variation Request in the manner outlined in the Continuing Professional Development Program document.
6) Requirements for Members Who Have a Licence Waiver
a. Members who have a licence waiver as defined in section 13(2) have a reduced credit requirement of 30 credits during each waiver year.
b. Members who have a license waiver as defined in section 13(2) must obtain credits from at least two of the categories recognized in the Continuing Professional Development Program during each waiver year.