Innovation Winter 2025/26

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Got a topic? Want to be involved in the process? Anyone who would like to propose a topic for a future guidance document can fill out the Request for Guidance form located on Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s website (scan below) and send it to practiceadvisor@egbc.ca .

To join an advisory group, please visit the Volunteer Opportunities page on the organization’s website. See page 39 for QR code.

of professional guidelines and advisories

• the number of registrants and firms impacted by the guidance; and • available resources for developing the guidance. Staff conduct this evaluation with the assistance of a network of volunteer advisory groups. Developing the guidelines Once a guideline or advisory topic has been identified and prioritized, registrants continue to have a critical role in their development. For example, at least two subject-matter experts draft the content. For longer, more complex topics, the number of authors can increase to five. While advisory and guideline authors

non-registrant volunteers with subject matter expertise will provide feedback on the author group’s work, ensuring it meets professional practice needs. Outside of volunteer registrants and Engineers and Geoscientists BC advisory group members, relevant authorities with jurisdiction over the practice area or subject will also be consulted, along with any governing and regulatory bodies, and other industry representatives.

“Usually, author groups are quite small – maybe two to three for an advisory, and three to five for a guideline,” Fehr said. “We do require many more for the review group, usually 10 to 12, with many more included in the consultation phase,” she added, pointing to the greater opportunity to get engaged with the advisory and guidelines process by reviewing drafts and providing feedback. For registrants, Fehr said “a really great way to get more familiar and involved with discussions would be to join one of our advisory groups. “If you have a topic that you think is critical to public and environmental safety and you feel like there’s not enough existing professional practice or ethical guidance, put in a request for guidance and we’ll take a look,” she said.

Amy Fehr, P.Eng., Acting Associate Director, Professional Practice

generally have been identified via recommendations from advisory group members and other volunteers, Fehr noted that new advisory and guideline projects are typically announced in Innovation magazine (see page 16) with contact details listed for those seeking more information. Interested parties “can certainly reach out and we can see if there’s a role for them to get involved,” she said. After authorship, the advisory or guideline document will undergo a very thorough review and consultation. During this process, another group of registrant and

Innovation Winter 2025/26

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