Innovation September-October 2013

as soc ia t ion notes c ounc i l repor t

of this program is to provide ethical resources, information and problem-solving skills for members, and, through the Secondary Professional Liability Insurance policy, limited coverage for the legal costs of whistleblowers. At their September meeting, Council considered a number of additional initiatives and actions that APEGBC could undertake that are in line with past and current projects, initiatives and goals. The recommendations discussed by Council relate to additional work in promoting and enhancing the use of the Code of Ethics, potentially expanding the OQM program in the future to address ethical issues at the organizational level, examining the introduction of a mandatory ethics course and continuing education requirement for practicing members, developing a whistleblower policy, and encouraging anonymous complaints through the creation of an ethics hotline. Audit Committee Reports Successful Audit for 2012/2013 Fiscal Year The Audit Committee assists Council in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities by reviewing financial information, systems of corporate controls, and the audit process. The 2012/2013 audit of the association’s finances was completed without any issues noted and Council approved the financial statements for the year at their September meeting. The Audit Committee met with PriceWaterhouse Coopers, the association’s external auditor, to determine the audit approach and areas of special focus. Areas of audit focus for the year included: • Affinity program • Payroll service provider controls • Completeness of revenues • New accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations. No issues were noted for any of these areas. The association’s operating income of $338K exceeded the deficit budget by $474K for the fiscal year. The major factors for revenue variances included membership growth and the membership fee

APEGBC’s Council of elected members and government appointees meet throughout the year to conduct the business of association governance. The following are the highlights of the September 13, 2013 Council meeting.

Council Examines Ethics Recommendations The Charbonneau Commission is investigating corruption and collusion in Quebec’s construction industry. Evidence regarding engineers and engineering companies engaging in unethical behavior has been detrimental to public confidence in the profession in Quebec. APEGBC Council has reviewed key information from the Charbonneau Commission in relation to engineering firms and practitioners, what the Ordre des Ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ) has done in response to the problem, and what action the Quebec government has taken. OIQ has taken action to try to restore the image of the engineering profession in Quebec and has implemented three major reforms: voluntary audits for consulting engineering firms, a mandatory course on professionalism, and an ethics hotline (available to members and the public). Preliminary feedback has shown that these measures have resulted in an improvement in the public perception of the profession. Though British Columbia does not appear to have the same collusion and corruption issues, it is important to be proactive and to avoid assuming Quebec’s incidents were isolated and could not happen here. At their September meeting, Council discussed what APEGBC is already doing to encourage ethical behaviour, and what additional work APEGBC could do based on the findings and response in Quebec. APEGBC enforces a Code of Ethics, instructs future members in ethics through the Law and Ethics course, and has initiated a program called Ethics in Practice. The goal

increase and continuing professional development event revenue, while major cost savings were noted mainly in legal costs and unused contingency. As in previous years, the Chief Executive Officer’s expenses were also audited and expenses verified against supporting documentation. Expenses were considered reasonable per association policy and properly authorized with no substantive issues noted. For more information, contact Jennifer Cho, Director, Finance and Administration at jcho@apeg. bc.ca or 604.412.4870, or toll-free at 1.888.830.8035 ext. 4870.

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