APEGA
and this separation of our roles means we are reacting less, and anticipating and planning more. My top two priorities — reviewing the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act and updating the APEGA Strategic Plan — are a reflection of this strategic approach. As we review and revise the EGP Act , we need to engage stakeholders. This is the legislation’s first major update in more than 30 years. Our Members are critical parts in this process, which will continue over the next several years. That’s why APEGA created our champions collaborative in 2014 — to bring the grassroots of APEGA into the process of developing a new and modernized Act to propose to the Government of Alberta. For more about the legislative review, see page 47. Comprehensive engagement is needed to ensure that the decisions made enhance the self-regulation of our professions and fulfill our responsibilities to the public. I’ve been sharing details with everyone I meet about how they can get involved. One way is through the legislative review sessions being held across the province for both Members and Permit Holders. The PEG: Where will the review process take APEGA? CP The desired outcome is that we have a more modern EGP Act , along with more modern regulations and bylaws. This enabling legislation belongs to Albertans, and we need to help the Government of Alberta make sure it serves them for many years to come. The PEG: Could you tell our readers more about updating the APEGA Strategic Plan ? CP The groundwork began in 2014 and continues this year, and will be complete in early 2016. Identifying significant risks for the professions has been the first step. As I’ve mentioned in past columns in The PEG , we’re taking a closer look at some major incidents that have occurred in other regions in Canada to identify significant risks for the professions. In other words, we’re learning from the experiences of others.
‘We can assume some constants about the future. But a good strategic plan must be resilient enough to accommodate the unexpected’
For example, in Quebec, Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec has had to adjust to revelations of corruption unearthed by the Charbonneau Commission. Professional Engineers Ontario is re-examining the way it regulates in the wake of the Elliot Lake Inquiry’s report on the deadly collapse of the Algo Centre Mall. And in B.C., the failure of a tailings pond and the resulting spill at the Mount Polley Mine are raising questions about the pond’s design — an issue of major concern to APEGBC. These are just a few examples we’ve been assessing.
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