Engineers and Geoscientists BC

Member Input Sought on Regulation of Engineering and Geoscience Organisations in BC

Posted on July 6, 2016
Member Input Sought on Regulation of Engineering and Geoscience Organisations in BC

APEGBC is examining the issue of regulating engineering and geoscience organisations in BC, and would like to hear from you. The Advisory Task Force on Corporate Practice invites members to share their perspectives on the concept of regulating corporate practice in BC by completing an online feedback form. For more information on this topic, review the backgrounder and visit our corporate practice webpage

We are looking at this complex issue again to determine whether the association should pursue regulatory authority for corporate practice in order to enhance public protection. The issue of corporate regulation is raised on an ongoing basis by members and organisations that look to APEGBC to ensure that practitioners and companies within various sectors meet the same quality assurance standards, particularly whenever major incidents involving engineering or geoscience in BC or elsewhere occur. 

APEGBC is seeking to fulfil its legislated duty of public protection, and this examination of corporate practice is intended to determine whether the regulation of engineering and geoscience organisations would contribute to this public interest goal in a meaningful way. 

Council has established an Advisory Task Force on Corporate Practice that will guide the process of evaluation and member and stakeholder consultation. The Task Force comprises APEGBC members, licensees and industry representatives, including government, manufacturing, construction, the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies - BC (ACEC-BC), and others.

The feedback form will be available online until August 28, 2016, which will conclude the first stage of consultation. The responses received will be used to guide the development and assessment of different regulatory models for what corporate practice could look like in BC, and will inform the second stage of the consultation process. The second stage, which includes a presentation at APEGBC’s Annual Conference in October, will focus on gathering more-detailed input from members and stakeholders on their preferences for non-regulatory and regulatory options for corporate oversight, and will take place this fall. 

After considering all input, the task force will deliver a final recommendation to Council in spring 2017. Council will then consider whether to seek regulatory authority over corporate practice in BC.

Information and opportunities for consultation will be widely communicated to members and stakeholders through email, articles in Innovation and APEGBC News, and through regular updates on the corporate practice webpage. Direct questions, comments and requests for information to [email protected]

Questions, comments and requests for information can be directed to [email protected]