July 2006 ISSUE
COUNCIL BRIEFS
Board of Examiners Task Force
‘Exceeds Expectations’
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NEW COUNCIL & EXECUTIVE Standing (from left): Coun. John Peirce, P.Geoph.; Cal Koskowich, P.Eng., of the Lethbridge Branch (for James Mmbando, P.Eng., chair); Coun. John Hogg, P.Geol.; Coun. Jim Smith, P.Eng.; CCPE Director Dan Motyka, P.Eng.; Coun. Wim Veldman, P.Eng.; Public Member Bill Grace, FCA: Coun. Jim Beckett, P.Eng.; Anil Gupta, P.Eng., Calgary Branch chair; Coun. Nick Trovato, P.Eng.; Shiraz Kanji, P.Eng., Edmonton Branch chair; Coun. Dick Walters, P.Eng.; Doug Wilkins, E.I.T., Lakeland Branch chair; Coun. Chrys. Dmytruk, P.Eng.; Brad Howe, P.Eng., Central Alberta Branch chair; Kenzie Liefso, P.Eng., of the Medicine Hat Branch (for Robert Arthur, P.Eng., chair) ; and Dylan Miles, E.I.T., Fort McMurray Branch chair. Sitting (from left): CCPG President Brenda Wright, P.Geol.; Coun. Jane Tink, P.Eng.; Executive Director & Registrar Neil Windsor, P.Eng.; Vice-President Ken Porteous, P.Eng.; President David Chalcroft, P.Eng.; President-Elect John McLeod, P.Eng.; Past-President Larry Staples, P.Eng.; Public Member Larry Ohlhauser, MD. Missing from photo: Public Member Gary Campbell, QC; Coun. Judith Lentin, P.Geol.; Coun. Marc Sabourin, P.Eng.; Coun. Kim Sturgess, P.Eng.; CCPE Director Linda Van Gastel, P.Eng.; CCPG Director Julie Aitken, P.Geoph.; Peace River Branch Chair Hasan Rizvi, P.Eng.; Vermilion River Branch Chair Sloane Dieken, P.Eng.; Yellowhead Branch Chair Roger Schaub, E.I.T. |
The following news items were gathered from the June 22 APEGGA Council meeting in Calgary. The next meeting is on Thursday, Sept. 21, in Edmonton.
A more streamlined and flexible registration process, more frequent mailings of files, a new role for the comprehensive U.S. Fundamentals of Engineering Exams – these are among the far-reaching recommendations of a task force charged with reviewing Board of Examiners policies.
Chaired by APEGGA Vice-President Ken Porteous, P.Eng., the task force came up with a list of 56 recommendations dealing with everything from examinations to file-handling.
“This has exceeded all our expectations, in terms of how thorough and far-reaching it is,” said Past President Larry Staples, P.Eng. He said the task force deserves a formal thank you for succeeding in “such a spectacular fashion.”
Putting the recommendations into practice will take preparation, so staff will devise an implementation plan.
Following are some of the ways the board’s policies will be changing.
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Use of FE Exams. The U.S. Fundamentals of Engineering Examination will become a Board of Examiners initial assessment tool for graduates of international programs on and off the foreign degree list. Individuals will have the option of writing either the FE Exam or the APEGGA technical exams.
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Rewriting and extra exams. The practice of assigning extra exams for failed technical exams will end. Limits will be removed on the numbers of times exams can be rewritten.
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Process efficiency. A number of changes will streamline the handling of files and reduce file processing times.
Stategies Updated
Council took its first look at an updated Strategic Plan, which identifies major
issues and directions for APEGGA between 2007 and 2016. Building on the current
version of the plan, the document calls on APEGGA to continue operating under
six guiding principles — public interest, professionalism, relevance, trust,
fairness and transparency.
Among priorities are resolving the regulation issue with ASET, continuing to improve the mobility of professional practice between jurisdictions, communicating effectively with members, improving APEGGA’s relevance with members, personalizing professionalism, and leading the professions on professional, technical and other issues.
The Strategic Plan comes out of retreats Council holds once a year with APEGGA managers, right after the Annual Conference, the Annual General Meeting and Council elections. The Strategic Plan flows through to the directions staff take in each year’s business plan and into measurables reported to Council.
In fact at the Council meeting, staff reported on performance against 11 priorities. Noted were staff and committee accomplishments ranging from the creation of a report on outsourcing to the beginnings of an Aboriginal affairs initiative.
Education Foundation
Seeks Support
The APEGGA Education Foundation is in a “chicken and egg” situation,
Council heard. Foundation President Andy Gilliland, P.Eng., said it needs financial
help from APEGGA to more towards self-sufficiency. Without the stronger financial
base that provides, the Foundation struggles in its quest for credibility and
more volunteer donations from members.
The current capital base is about $900,000, largely because of support from APEGGA and Summit Awards ticket sales. APEGGA also recently made a one-time donation of about $184,000, a make-good transfer after a reinterpretation of past Council directives.
Now, the foundation seeks $150,000 extra a year from APEGGA through to 2010. That would be on top of the $50,000 operational grant APEGGA contributes already and Summit ticket sale proceeds. The hope is that the foundation would then have a base of $2 million.
Council received the report without approving more funding for now. Some councillors think more support would amount to a tax on members, who should decide themselves whether to support the Foundation through individual donations. But others said the new funding was important in the development of the foundation, which is a separate entity from APEGGA.
Outsourced Inquiry
Yields Recommendations
A Practice Review Board inquiry into the controversial subject of outsourced
work has yielded five recommendations for APEGGA and permit holders. Council
accepted the report, entitled Outsourced Engineering in Alberta’s
Major Projects, and it will be published online later this month.
A survey of members, self-selected by respondents, generated 261 responses. The board learned that a large majority of respondents believe that Alberta engineers have the education, training and experience to adequately review and take responsibility for the work of others. Although more than half said there are deficiencies in outsourced work, more than three-quarters of the respondents agreed there are mechanisms in place to correct the deficiencies.
APEGGA should prepare guidelines on reviewing, stamping and signing outsourced engineering documents, the Practice Review Board recommends. Permit holders that rely on outsourcing should address it in their Professional Management Practice Plans.
New Guidelines
Ready for Comment
Risk is part of the everyday careers of APEGGA members. How they manage that
risk has serious implications for the public, employees, the environment, client, and
even their personal and business finances.
With that in mind, the Practice Standards Committee has prepared an updated Guideline for Management of Risk in Professional Practice, which Council accepted for review before final publication. The draft is available online for member comment and input.
It will replace Management of Risk in Professional Practice — A Guideline, first published in 1989. The current incarnation gives “a more thorough and up-to-date summary of the identification, assessment and management of risks,” says a staff report to Council.
Council also accepted for review the Guideline for Selecting Engineering,
Geological and Geophysical Consultants, which updates the tone, format,
language and references of its predecessor, and recognizes the direction given
in companion guidelines and practice standards.
The new guideline, also online for comments and input, will replace the 1997’s Selecting
Engineering, Geological and Geophysical Firms — A Guideline.
To read the guidelines, visit www.apegga.org/Members/Publications/peggs/Web06-06/guidelines.htm.
Geoscience Mobility
Agreement Extended
Council ratified a two-year extension of the Inter-Association Mobility Agreement
for professional geoscientists in Canada. The original agreement was for a five-year
period and was signed in 2001.
IAMAs for engineers and geoscientists speed the process of registration of Canadian
professionals moving to new jurisdictions within the country. Alberta and nine
other self-regulators are party to the geoscience agreement.
Examiners Board Appointments
Council has reappointed Dr. Gary Faulkner, P.Eng., as chairman of the Board of
Examiners, which approves the licensure of members.
Four academic examiners were also reappointed. They are Dr. Philippe Erdmer, P.Geol., Verne Plitt, P.Eng., Dr. Deborah Spratt, P.Geol., and Dr. Doug Schmitt, P.Geoph. Experience examiner Gary Loblick, P.Eng., was reappointed, and newly appointed is experience examiner Keith Wilson, P.Eng.
xperience examiner Joe Aiello, P.Eng., has retired from the Board of Examiners.
Minister of Human Resources and Employment Mike Cardinal has appointed a new public member, Ron Weisenburger, P.Ag.