INNOVATION May-June 2019

A S S O C I A T I O N

SOLE PRACTITIONERS PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON MODEL FOR CORPORATE REGULATION Engineers and Geoscientists BC has just completed a third phase of consultation on regulating engineering and geoscience firms, hearing from more than 1,000 members across the province about the unique considerations for sole practitioners within a corporate regulatory model. The association has been examining the issue of corporate regulation since 2015, led by its Advisory Task Force for Corporate Practice.

The consultation process arose out of the task force’s Phase Two report, which identified that Engineers and Geoscientists BC would need to further examine how sole practitioners—who function as both individual practitioners and organizations— would be considered under future requirements for regulating engineering and geoscience firms. Consultation took place from January to March, and included a survey, webinar, and six focus groups with sole practitioners in Vancouver, Victoria, and Kelowna. Members provided their input on key elements of the proposed regulatory framework, including quality assurance processes, compliance, training, and fees. WHATWE HEARD Sole practitioners communicated that they saw themselves in a unique position to provide services for simple, straightforward projects that larger organizations typically would not undertake, and that they wear many hats—technical professionals, administrators, and managers. Their views of how they should fit into an overall model for corporate regulation were varied. While survey respondents

demonstrated a lower level of support for being included in the same corporate regulatory framework as larger organizations, some sole practitioners indicated they would find value in the additional tools, resources, and structure this framework would provide. The primary concerns respondents identified were related to an increased administrative burden on their business (related to training and audits), and increased costs. Those who participate in Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s voluntary Organizational Quality Management (OQM) Program, which the proposed model for corporate regulation is based on, were generally supportive of introducing corporate regulation for sole practitioners. They cited positive experiences with the OQM Program, and felt it provided good reinforcement of best practices without being burdensome. NEXT STEPS The Task Force is reviewing the feedback collected from this consultation process, and will be considering this input as they finalize their proposed model for corporate regulation. The model will be presented to Engineers and Geoscientists BC Council for approval in June. The Task Force is also developing a business plan to support the association’s delivery of corporate regulation, and is working to ensure its plan is aligned with the Professional Governance Act —newly-introduced legislation that will govern Engineers and Geoscientists BC and enables the registration of firms that employ professionals or carry out reserved practices. For more information on the association’s work on corporate regulation, and to see a full report on the results of our consultation process, as well as reports from earlier phases, visit egbc.ca/corporate-practice.

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