INNOVATION May-June 2014

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APEGBC Plans for the Future with New Three-year Strategic Plan to Support and Promote the Professions Ann English, P.Eng., Chief Executive Officer and Registrar

a yearly budget marks a progressive move that will allow for more long-term planning, and is a product of Council’s pursuit of best practices in effective governance. It is anticipated that there will be no membership fee increase in years two and three of the budget. What does the strategic plan aim to achieve? This new plan provides for the deliberate transformation of APEGBC from a reactive, administrative regulatory body that professionals are obligated to join to a relevant, proactive, forward- thinking organization that delivers value to its members, industry, government and the public. When will the membership fee increase be implemented? In order for APEGBC to implement our strategic plan, additional funding is required. Beginning January 1, 2015, APEGBC’s membership fee will increase by $35 to help fund the implementation of the goals and objectives outlined in APEGBC’s 2014 – 2017 Strategic Plan. The fee increase is also driven by the fact that APEGBC has had a decrease in revenue over the last year due to a reduction in Affinity program revenues, reduced ancillary fee revenues and government funded projects coming to completion. While all budget items have been critically reviewed, additional funding is required simply to fund current programming and initiatives. The current annual membership fee is $345. As of January 2015 the annual membership fee will increase to $380. With the increase, APEGBC’s annual membership fee is still in line with the national average for other similar professional organizations. When was the last fee increase? The most recent annual member fee increases were $56 in January 2011 and $10 in January 2013. These increases were to allow APEGBC to meet its regulatory responsibilities to establish, maintain and enforce standards for the qualification and practice of engineering and geoscience. Controlling Costs Financial management of the association is driven by a sustain- able financial model and policy. APEGBC regularly looks for efficiencies and will continue to do so to ensure that changes to the annual membership fee are initiated only when Council is satisfied that they are necessary and appropriate. A number of economies and efficiencies were found and cost-controlling measures were made, including cuts in public relations advertising spending; a reduction in the cost of producing Innovation and decreases in costs for postage and printing; systems support; legal expenses; and meeting expenses. Building on Our Success APEGBC leads in Canada in terms of many of our programs and methodologies. The new strategic plan allows APEGBC to build on our success. We support and serve our members

In April of this year, APEGBC announced its bold new Stra- tegic Plan for 2014 – 2017. The Strategic Plan builds on APEG- BC’s commitment to effectively advocate for our professions and to provide our members with the high-quality services they need to carry out their work and build

their practices. With 29,000 members, APEGBC is one of British Columbia’s largest professional bodies whose members touch almost every aspect of life in BC, from public safety and emer- gency management, to economic development and job creation. That’s why the Strategic Plan is so important to our professions and to the public. The plan highlights how we are working to better serve our membership, improve our processes and procedures and engage with our members and stakeholders to deliver on our mission to support and promote the engineering and geoscience professions as a trusted partner and progressive regulator that serves the public good . In setting out our strategic priorities for the next three years, we are looking to prepare for the opportunities and challenges that we foresee in our province’s future. As an organization, we have a responsibility to meet the current needs of members and the public while preparing for the road ahead. In order to execute APEGBC’s 2014 – 2017 Strategic Plan, the three-year budget—which was approved by Council at their April 2014 meeting—includes a membership fee increase of $35 in the first year of the plan. This increase is necessary in order to support the programs and initiatives that will achieve the plan’s objectives and thus deliver on APEGBC’s promise to its members and the public. Why is this strategic plan necessary now? APEGBC and its members are facing unprecedented challenges in this era of global economies and global practice. The increased pace of technological change, rapid expansion of commerce in international and digital markets, trends towards deregulation and shifting demographics all present disruptions to the old model of professional regulation. We are listening and engaging with members and industry on an ongoing basis to collect input and feedback on how we can continue to improve as an effective regulatory body. In interviews, focus groups and member satisfaction surveys, you told us to continue our focus on relevance and value to stakeholder groups to meet the opportunities and challenges ahead for BC. Why has APEGBC transitioned to a three-year budget? Alignment of the strategic plan with a three-year budget rather than

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