Interim CEO’s Message
APEGA
Tough Decisions and a New Planning Approach Build Improved Self-Regulation
BY HEIDI YANG, P.ENG., FEC, FGC (HON.) Interim CEO
becoming a more effective and proactive regulator through: • Organizational Excellence — enable APEGA to deliver excellent organizational performance and results • Professional Development — advance the professional competency and conduct of individual Members • Professional Practice — increase Permit Holder and Responsible Member engagement to enhance the practice of the professions • APEGA Centennial 2020 — increase Member engagement and pride in the professions It’s good stuff. But as APEGA’s senior leadership worked towards building the 2017 business plan and budget, it became apparent that the strategic plan was overly ambitious, especially for the coming year. We found that a shortage of operational processes and management systems would impede us as we moved forward. For APEGA to successfully execute the plan, an organizational reset is essential. The year 2017, we determined, needs to be about strengthening the foundation of APEGA in two places: our operations and our statutory obligations as a regulator. A fundamental initiative will be the development of an operational management system that builds rigour into policy and pro- cess. Foundational strength will also come from improving APEGA’s financial manage- ment and information technology systems. In strengthening our statutory functions as a regulator, we will focus efforts on improving the effectiveness of the APEGA Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program through more robust administration and
A busy, challenging, and engaging six months have passed since I was appointed Interim CEO of APEGA. I have experienced and learned so much from so many — Members, staff, Permit Holders, Council, sister regulators across the nation, and the regulators of other professions. Through it all, I have developed a broader and more nuanced understanding of self-regulation. Our effectiveness as the regulator of engineering and geoscience goes beyond the operational activities of staff. It fully relies on the actions of you, our Members, through engagement in your professional practice, your commitment to volunteering with APEGA, and your dedica- tion to serving the public interest. I’d like to single out those of you who serve on our statutory boards and Council. Thank you for your countless hours in service to the professions. We needed you before, we need you now, and, as I hope this column demonstrates, we’ll need you even more in the future. During my time so far as the Interim CEO, the other senior leaders and I have applied ourselves to some serious and impactful business. Next year will see the launch of a strategic plan that will strengthen APEGA’s ability to improve our effectiveness and be a better regulator. I have been involved in the development of many a strategic plan and business plan, both at APEGA and in my prior work experience, but the last go-around has been by far the most challenging and exciting. Let me introduce you to the highlights of the new APEGA Strategic Plan, how we’ve used it to develop the business plan, and what that means to you, our Members. The strategic plan fully supports APEGA
auditing. This will allow APEGA to hold Members accountable to their professional development obligations. We will also focus on professional practice, putting more structure and con- sistency into practice reviews and practice standards, guidelines, and bulletins. Our ability to protect titles and right-to-practice will be enhanced, building the public’s confidence that individuals and companies identifying themselves as practitioners of engineering and geoscience have been evaluated and licensed through Alberta’s engineering and geoscience regulator.
A NEW APPROACH
These are important and sustainable plans. They will truly set us up for success as a better and more effective regulator. But this work will take time, effort — and resources. As I mentioned in my last column, we need to increase Member dues to support such vital work. Our challenge is, how do we do so in light of the tough economic times many Members are enduring? Your Council has provided invaluable leadership in this area. Although fully sup- portive of the business plan that APEGA staff put forward, Council challenged us to act on it within our means. Council wants to ensure that the financial impact on Mem- bers is minimized. This has caused a fundamental shift in our approach to what we do, how we do it, and the resources we do it with. It has caused APEGA’s senior leaders to examine our organizational structure to determine if it aligns with the vision to make APEGA a better and more effective regulator — to figure out how to live within our means and
6 | PEG WINTER 2016
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