Compliance APEGA’s responsibility to protect the public goes beyond regulating professionals and permit holders.
We are legislated to prevent unlicensed individuals and companies from practising engineering or geoscience in Alberta and from using reserved titles and designations, including professional engineer (P.Eng.) and professional geoscientist (P.Geo.). Complaints about unlicensed practice and title violations come to us from different sources, including members of the public, APEGA registrants, and staff. Cases are prioritized based on the risk to public safety. •Starting in September, we adjusted our risk assessment approach so that unlicensed practice cases, which tend to be higher risk, are given priority over low-risk title violations. •If title violations lead to unlicensed practice, they are assessed at a higher risk level. •Unlicensed practice cases are more complicated and take longer to resolve—but the risk to public safety is greater. Education, then enforcement We try to resolve cases through communication and education. We use enforcement tools, such as legal or court action, when appropriate.
Complaints 101 APEGA receives several different types of complaints, such as unskilled practice, unprofessional conduct, unlicensed practice, and misuse of title. When we receive a complaint, it is triaged, and serious issues are assigned an investigator to gather evidence to present to APEGA’s Investigative Committee or Enforcement Review Committee. These committees, which comprise professional engineers and geoscientists, objectively
assess the facts and determine next steps.
Open complaints 441
OF CASES WITHOUT LITIGATION. 99 % IN 2023, WE CLOSED
Cases closed 326
Cases referred to legal counsel 10
Active cases 289
to court 5
Cases referred
Numbers as of December 31, 2023.
20 64
2023 ANNUAL REPORT
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