The PEGG

February 2002

Compliance Shoots for 100 Per Cent Licensure

(Core activities will still be emphasized, but the staff and director of the APEGGA department are increasing the role of several key programs. The goal remains the same: to make sure those who use the act's professional titles are qualified and licensed to do so.)

BY DAVE TODD, P.ENG.
APEGGA Director, Compliance

One goal of APEGGA Council is to achieve 100 per cent Compliance with the licensing requirements of the EGGP Act. For that goal to be achieved, everyone engaged in the practice of engineering, geology or geophysics in Alberta will have to be licensed and use proper titles. As well, all businesses using the protected titles or practicing the professions must be fully qualified, possess a permit to practice, and have a responsible professional member.

The department striving to achieve these goals is Compliance. During the last calendar year, approximately 80 per cent of the Compliance staff's effort was spent on the core activities: administration; member and public complaints; Alberta Gazette, career pages, Yellow Pages and media monitoring; checking other associations' members practising in Alberta; and communications.

Contact was made and investigations conducted or started on 417 cases with the following results:

· Permits to practice issued: 100
· Individuals registered: 58
· Individuals ceased using non-conforming titles: 31
· Companies ceased using non-conforming titles: 20
· Civil court proceedings to seek injunctions under Section 9 of the EGGP Act initiated in the Court of Queen's Bench during November 2001 on two cases involving title and practice.
· Prosecution in provincial court under Section 81 of the EGGP Act initiated in November 2001 on one case involving a title issue.

Details on the resolutions of those cases will be reported upon receipt of the presiding judge's summary.

Additional resources approved by APEGGA's Council will enable the Compliance Department to continue to focus on core activities through this year, with increased effort on other programs, namely:

Membership Registrar. Escalate contact and investigation of the activities of companies listed on APEGGA's membership database who employ members but do not hold a Permit to Practice.

Geoscientists. KPMG was commissioned by a Council Geoscience Task Force to conduct a Compliance survey of the disciplines of geology and geophysics. It was reported that approximately 59 per cent of practicing Alberta Geoscientists are registered with APEGGA. An initiative has been started to improve this statistic, with encouraging results. This will be escalated, in conjunction with the Enforcement Review Committee.

Advanced Technology Industry. Similarly, Council's Emerging Disciplines Task Force commissioned KPMG to conduct a study to determine what proportion of engineering graduates working in the Advanced Technology Industry are registered with APEGGA. It was reported that approximately 54 per cent of qualified, eligible individuals are registered. The ERC is forming a subcommittee composed of members employed and experienced in this industry to make recommendations on an escalated, focused approach to improve this statistic.

More details on these programs will be reported on in upcoming issues of The PEGG.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Which APEGGA members can act as guarantors for passport applications?

A: Professional Engineers (P.Eng.), Professional Geologists (P.Geol.) and Professional Geophysicists (P.Geoph.) all can. Registered Professional Technologists (R.P.T.) are currently not included in the list of eligible passport guarantors for passport applications.

The third answer to the 'Frequently Asked Question' in my January 2002 article, page 6 should read:

In the case of corporations (not individuals), violating reserved title provisions of the EGGP Act, lay a complaint with Corporate Registry under Section 12 of the Business Corporations Act.