Corporate Registrant Task Group

One of the recommendations resulting from the governance review is for APEGS to consider changes to the requirements for the registration of partnerships, associations of persons or corporations that engage in the practice of professional engineering and/or professional geoscience (“firms”) in Saskatchewan, commonly referred to as the Certificate of Authorization (CofA). In the fall of 2021, council established the Corporate Registrant Task Group (CRTG) to undertake this work, including the review of the ongoing need for, or appropriateness of, Permission to Consult (PtoC). Members of the task group consist of representatives from a variety of CofA holders.

What is the purpose of this initiative?

The main purpose is to better regulate firms in alignment with the other engineering and geoscience regulators across the country. A secondary purpose is to examine if some redundancy exists related to the requirements of the PtoC and individual reporting under the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program with which all individually licensed members must comply to maintain licensure with APEGS.

What will the task group do?

Their first task is to contact a representative sample of members employed by firms holding CofAs in Saskatchewan to determine their willingness to engage with, and ultimately contribute to, a consultation process to better understand the current and potential future alternatives to registration and regulation of firms in Saskatchewan. Ultimately it is anticipated the work will enable council to optimize and modernize APEGS’ firm registration and regulation requirements, better aligning them with other Canadian jurisdictions, thus easing interprovincial mobility. It is also anticipated to streamline the APEGS registration and tracking processes by eliminating some redundancies.

Why does this initiative matter to members?

It is important to the membership at large as well, as the outcomes are anticipated to minimize confusion and redundancy around responsibility for professional work, professional competence, individual and corporate liability, and inter-association mobility.

How will this initiative allow APEGS to be a better regulator?

APEGS will be counted among the majority of professional engineering and geoscience associations in Canada who, through good governance practices, are ensuring that the public and the environment are protected. The people of Saskatchewan will be able to rely on the engineering and geoscience professions’ model of self-governance and know that it aligns with current governance practices in Canada that are in place to safeguard the public and environment.