Interim CEO’s Message
MASTER APEGA
still deliver the intended outcomes of the 2017 business plan. This has been no easy feat. Senior lead- ers have stretched themselves to approach planning and budgeting in a new way. This has been transformational, and it positively sets the stage for our future. We’ve made tough choices. We have significantly cut costs in all areas and restructured parts of the organization. Some of the programs we know and love, like our mentoring conference and our Christmas receptions in Edmonton and Calgary, have been stopped. Our Summit Awards will now be presented at a modest event. We are changing The PEG to a digital-only format, because of the money we will save. We have had to adjust our staffing, and for the second year in a row we have frozen salaries.
Despite these changes, we will continue to deliver valuable services to Members. Yes, things will be different. But we will still en- deavor to give excellent customer service, as we do our best to enrich the Member experi- ence while executing our business plan. Council has decided to provide a second consecutive year of dues reductions for our unemployed Members. We’re doing this even though we know that our membership numbers may decrease in 2017, given that the economy does not appear to be picking up. We are also looking at cost recovery in as many APEGA programs as possible. Nonetheless, we will maintain an ambitious and purposeful business plan — a plan that we need to execute in 2017 to strengthen our foundation as an organization and as a regulator. In the end, we still need to increase Member dues. You may recall that the December 2015 CEO’s Message mentioned a potential increase of $200-$300 over several years. But senior leaders have worked hard to put before Council a Member dues increase with as small an impact as possible. Starting January 1, 2017, dues will increase by $36 to $360 plus GST. With the plans we have in place, it’s likely that a similar increase will be needed for 2018. For future years, Council is evaluating
it employs. This is fairer and more rational than a one-size-fits-all fee. APEGA really is setting out to deliver on Council’s Strategic Plan. It’s just that we’re looking at one limited and very focused slice of it in 2017. This will strengthen the foundation for us to achieve the strategic plan’s ultimate goal — to be a better and proactive regulator. What specifically does that ultimate goal look like? That level of detail simply doesn’t exist yet. But we envision changes that will hold Members more accountable for their practices than they are today, and provide them with new opportunities for engagement through various volunteer opportunities to ensure the integrity of our professions. These two things are the essence of fulfilling our self-regulatory obligations. Consistent demonstration of effective self-regulation instills pride in our professions, and we can all stand a little taller because of it.
A GAME CHANGER
Now you know about the effort, time, and thought we’ve put into strategic and business planning. But there is only so much APEGA staff can do. We have pursued a balanced approach in charting our course for 2017 while facing many uncertainties. The rest is up to you. Ask yourself: What are you doing, every day, to serve the public in your professional practice? How are you holding yourself and your peers accountable to the obligations you have committed to as a Professional Engineer or Professional Geoscientist? And what will you do to stay engaged with APEGA and ensure our privilege of self- regulation continues to serve society? At the end of one marathon planning session, a fellow APEGA leader said to me: “I think we’re onto something here — I see this as a game changer for APEGA. I see a positive change coming.” I couldn’t agree more.
whether ongoing, incremental dues increases — within a preset range or amount — will be required. About $9 of the 2017 increase will finance a
second year of dues reductions for unemployed Members. We will also be changing the fee model for our Permit Holders, basing a company’s fee on the number of APEGA Members
Questions or comments? ceo@apega.ca
WINTER 2016 PEG | 7
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