REGULATORY
Quebec Government Limits Self-Governance of Quebec Engineers Through Appointment of Trustees Quebec’s provincial government has placed the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec under its trusteeship, seriously compromising the engineering regulator’s privilege of self-governance. It’s a significant decision, and one that we at APEGA are closely monitoring while we move ahead on improvements in the way we regulate engineering and geoscience
for staff and from a governance standpoint for Council. Many of the recommendations have been discussed with Council, as we continue to explore ways to strengthen our regulatory management systems and associated resources. Like much of the work APEGA is doing, these efforts serve our goal of becoming a more effective regulator for the Alberta public. The lessons learned from what happened in Quebec — as well as from other events like the Elliot Lake mall collapse and the Mount Polley mine tailings breach — will remain top of mind as APEGA enhances oversight of the professional practices of engineering and geoscience in Alberta.
The regulator of the practice of engineering in Quebec, Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ), has faced financial pressure and internal challenges over recent years. It’s reached the point that the province’s Office des Professions, which oversees all of Quebec’s professional bodies, has recommended that the government place OIQ under trusteeship, and the government responded by appointing three directors to oversee the board of the 61,000-Member order. The office said in its news release that it had seen problems in governance, internal management, and the financial stability of OIQ, which challenge OIQ's ability to fulfill its primary role of public protection. Although disappointed in the decision, OIQ President Kathy Baig, ing., said the order will continue to cooperate with the province. The newly elected president hopes the province will recognize the work done over the past year to enhance OIQ’s management and governance practices. Quebec government officials have not indicated how long the trusteeship will be in place. The regulatory environment is much different in Quebec than it is here, but there are still important lessons that APEGA, as the regulator of engineering and geoscience in Alberta, can learn. This journey of learning for APEGA began in early 2015. While developing our 2017–2019 strategic plan, APEGA Council and staff looked closely at the Charbonneau Commission Inquiry. The inquiry, led by Justice France Charbonneau, examined construction industry corruption in Quebec, including the unethical practice of some engineers and engineering firms. We also analyzed the findings in the Charbonneau Commission’s final report, released last November. It suggested several improvements to Quebec’s professional regulatory management systems. In 2014, while OIQ was responding to events surrounding the Charbonneau Inquiry, the Office des Professions conducted a review of OIQ’s administrative practices and rules on internal management. From that review, 21 recommendations for further improvements arose, covering areas such as board governance and committee structure, ethics training, and professional practice inspections. There’s a lot to learn from the Office des Professions recom- mendations as well, both from a regulatory operations standpoint
WHAT WILL THIS MEAN FOR PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS AND PERMIT HOLDERS?
In the coming years, we’ll introduce clearer practice standards, guidelines, and bulletins for Permit Holders, Responsible Members, and Members in general. These will enhance and clarify expecta- tions, including better direction on expectations and oversight of Professional Practice Management Plans — ultimately improving our ability to self-regulate. We’re also making changes to our Continuing Professional Development program. These changes will emphasize the need for sustained professional and ethical competence, while deepening public confidence and trust in our professions. Changes will include the development of early ethics and professionalism training for university students, as well as new requirements for career-long ethics refreshers for professionals. Members and Permit Holders can also expect to see APEGA engaging with them on the quality of their Professional Practice Management Plans and how they are used to oversee the quality of practice within their organizations. While some of the work to design these regulatory improvements lies ahead, we’re confident that the effort will be worthwhile in helping us achieve our mission of regulating the practices of engineering and geoscience to serve the public interest in Alberta.
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