Introduction
Prior to being granted a licence, a geoscience applicant must demonstrate their ability to practise geoscience. The onus is on the applicant to provide evidence that they possess, through experience, a satisfactory capability to practise geoscience at a professional level.
Many of Canada’s geoscience regulators have implemented or are moving toward competency-based assessment (CBA) of geoscience experience. To this end, a Geoscientists Canada multi-year, pan-Canadian CBA project has been undertaken with participation from geoscience regulators in several provinces and territories. In the current phase of this project, Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s online competency-based assessment system is being adapted for use by other regulators in Canada.
APEGS’ Council proposes to adopt this new experience assessment system effective Jan. 1, 2021. It would apply to professional geoscientist applicants (i.e. geoscientists-in-training) if it is passed by the APEGS membership at the May 2, 2020 annual meeting.
All requirements remain the same, including four years of experience, at least one year of experience in a Canadian or equivalent-to-Canadian environment, and the possibility to count up to one year of pre-grad experience for eligible applicants, as well as the others that are currently in place.
Note that APEGS launched CBA for engineering experience in January 2019.
Benefits of Competency-Based Assessment
Competencies are observable and measurable skills, knowledge, abilities, motivations or traits required for professional registration that are demonstrated through the actions and behaviours of the applicant. The CBA system permits a quantitative assessment of applicants using a more precise measuring system than the current APEGS experience review guidelines. It is a more explicitly described and defined measurement tool to assess readiness for licensure. What constitutes acceptable geoscience experience is not changing — we are better defining it. This makes the assessment more objective, transparent and consistent, and it increases the confidence of all who participate in the process including applicants, validators, employers and assessors on the Experience Review Committee.
Description of the Competency-Based Assessment Framework
The framework makes use of four competency categories, which are groupings of a total of 29 competencies or skills:
• Professionalism [seven competencies]
• Scientific method [five competencies]
• Geoscience practice [seven competencies]
• Communication and management [10 competencies]
The four categories represent the areas in which professional geoscientists of all disciplines must be competent to ensure effective practice and public safety. Each competency category contains a list of the competencies required in that area. The complete details are posted to the APEGS website under Members, Competency-Based Assessment – Geo. Wording may be revised slightly in the final version of the pan-Canadian competencies; however, the intent will remain the same.
Achievement of each category is measured through an assessment rubric that outlines six different levels of competence (0-5). A successful candidate must meet each of the competencies in each category at a minimum rating of 1 on the rubric while achieving the required minimum category average ‘entry to practice’ rating level of 3.
Online Submission
The use of an online system enables applicants to easily report and validators to validate their geoscience experience from anywhere in the world (keeping in mind that a minimum of one year of Canadian or equivalent-to-Canadian experience is still required). Applicants, validators and assessors are provided with a personal login and once applicants complete their competency entries, the applicable validators are automatically notified when the competencies that pertain to them are ready to validate.
For a complete description of the online submission process, refer to the APEGS website under Members, Competency-Based Assessment – Geo.
Timeline and Next Steps
Feb. 6-7, 2020: Council finalizes the geoscience CBA framework and the necessary revisions to the bylaws to accommodate these changes.
The bylaw change details will be provided to the membership with the annual meeting notice package. As well, the current draft of these documents are posted on the APEGS website under Members, Competency-Based Assessment – Geo. There will also be presentations scheduled for March or April 2020 that will be announced by email and on APEGS’ events calendar.
May 2, 2020: APEGS membership ratifies Council’s recommendation to switch to CBA for geoscience at the annual meeting.
September 2020 (approximately): Ministerial approval of bylaw changes.
Jan. 1, 2021: CBA of geoscience experience comes into effect.
Transition from Current Experience Reporting System
Applicants may continue in the current experience reporting system if they wish, if they are a current geoscientist-in-training who has submitted one or more experience reports before Jan. 1, 2021. However, they are encouraged and invited to switch to the online competency based-assessment system when it comes into effect.
Applicants will use the new online CBA system if any one of the following situations applies to them:
• Current geoscientist-in-training who has not submitted one or more experience reports on the current paper- based system before Jan. 1, 2021;
• Applicants to APEGS as a geoscientist-in-training on or after Jan. 1, 2021.
Questions and Feedback Requested
Details on these proposed changes are on the APEGS website under Members, Competency-Based Assessment – Geo.
In March or April 2020, APEGS staff will be presenting to the membership and discussing these changes with them. To register, please refer to APEGS’ events calendar at www.apegs.ca for details on locations and times.
Your feedback and questions are requested. You may do so by attending one of the presentations or by contacting Kate MacLachlan, P.Geo., Director of Academic Review or Tina Maki, P.Eng., Director of Special Projects at 306-525-9547, by calling toll free in North America at 1-800-500-9547, or by emailing to katem@apegs.ca or tmaki@apegs.ca.