APEGA Dictionary

Below is a glossary of APEGA's currently identified terms, designations, and abbreviations.

In this glossary, defined terms are identified with italics and are linked to their definitions. 

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

Active Member

An individual with a valid practicing license in accordance with The Engineering and Geoscience Professions (EGP) Act and therefore entitled to practice engineering or geoscience and may use protected titles.

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Administrative Change

Revisions to a practice standard, practice guideline, practice bulletin, or joint publication that are editorial in nature, including corrections, formatting, minor clarifications, or any other change that does not affect the document’s overall intent or essence.

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Administrative Tribunal

A quasi-judicial decision-making body created by legislation with the power to affect the legal rights of persons. The decision-maker could be a single individual or a panel composed of a group of individuals, depending on the authorizing legislation.

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APEGA

The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta regulates the practices of engineering and geoscience in Alberta. APEGA has served the public since 1920. Each province and territory has an association or associations that similarly regulate engineering, geoscience, or both.

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APEGA Digital Signature

An encrypted digital signature that guarantees the origin of an electronic document, its integrity, and its authenticity. An APEGA digital signature is metadata (i.e., information about the document) that can be viewed, but not altered, by accessing the properties of an electronic document. An APEGA digital signature is not the visible components of authentication or validation (i.e., electronic images of the stamp or permit holder information, APEGA ID, physical signature, and date of authentication or validation).

APEGA digital signatures include professional designations and can only be applied by the holder of a digital certificate, which is issued by a certificate authority and controlled by APEGA.

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APEGA ID

The unique registration number provided to APEGA registrants.

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ASET

The Association of Science and Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta regulates the practices of science and engineering technology in Alberta

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Authentication

Authenticating a professional work product means a licensed professional has completed, performed a thorough review of, or directly supervised and controlled the engineering or geoscience work and accepts professional responsibility for the engineering or geoscience involved. Authentication must be performed in accordance with the practice standard Authenticating Professional Work Products.

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Authentication Date

The date authentication occurred. It must be unambiguous with no confusion between the recorded month, day, or year.

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

Bidding

Offering a price for consulting services. This price is used as the primary basis for consultant selection or differentiation between bidders without due consideration of other factors, such as relevant experience, quality, public safety, extent of work, and life-cycle-management benefits.

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Branch

APEGA's 10 Branches represent APEGA in their respective geographic areas, primarily in communication, outreach, and professional development. Branches have a chair and executive, elected annually by the Branch membership.

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

Certificate Authority

A trusted organization that provides digital certificates used to create an APEGA digital signature. The certificate authority must have a relationship with APEGA to access registrant identities and continued professional status.

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Client

The person, owner, or agent of the owner who requires the services of a consultant.

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Commercially Engineered Goods

Any commercial off-the-shelf goods designed, used, or produced using professional services. They are usually packaged with a complete user manual, specifications, and assembly and safety instructions. They are repeatable, mass produced, and sold in quantity, as well as designed and manufactured in compliance with recognized Canadian or international regulations, codes, or standards. These goods are certified by a recognized technical, regulatory, or legal body. If a commercially engineered good is used in a way that deviates from its published specifications, it is no longer a commercially engineered good. A commercially engineered good is not a prototype or “one-of-a-kind.”

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Constructor

The person implementing or constructing professional work products.

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Consultant

A permit holder or licensed professional in Alberta who provides professional services directly to a client.

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Continuing Professional Development Hour

The unit of measurement for reporting continuing professional development activities.

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Contract

An agreement entered into between two or more parties that may give rise to obligations the courts can enforce.

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Council

APEGA's Council consists of 16 elected Professional Members and three public representatives appointed by the Government of Alberta.

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Cross-Examination

Questions asked by the party who did not call the witness.

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

Deficient Permit

Used when a permit holder does not have a Responsible Member or senior officer assigned to the permit.

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Designation

The official title for a Member, such as Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) and Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.).

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Digital Certificate

An encrypted digital attachment that is issued by a certificate authority. It enables the licensed professional to digitally authenticate and validate professional work products (PWPs) and it enables the recipient of the PWP to verify the professional status of the licensed professional.

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Direct Supervision and Control

The high degree of guidance a licensed professional provides to one or more individuals. The licensed professional accepts professional responsibility for engineering or geoscience tasks performed under their guidance. Direct supervision and control includes directing, monitoring, and controlling the engineering and geoscience work performed, including making all decisions related to the practices of engineering and geoscience.

Direct supervision and control requirements are detailed in the practice standard Relying on the Work of Others and Outsourcing.

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Discipline

A specific field of practice within a profession (e.g., electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, geophysics, geochemistry).

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DSOP

The abbreviated form of Defined Scope of Practice

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Due Diligence

The level of judgement, care, forethought, and determination a person reasonably uses to avoid harming oneself, other people, property, or the environment.

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

E.I.T.

The abbreviated form of Engineer-in-Training.

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EGP Act

The Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act defines APEGA's scope and responsibilities as a regulator to ensure that engineering and geoscience in Alberta are done by licensed, qualified, and competent professionals. Both APEGA and ASET act as regulators as outlined in the Act. This is sometimes referred to as the one act, two associations regulatory model.

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Electronic Image

A visual representation of a scanned image or an image produced electronically.

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Engineering

The legal definition in the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act states that the practice of engineering means:

  1. reporting on, advising on, evaluating, designing, preparing plans and specifications for or directing the construction, technical inspection, maintenance or operation of any structure, work or process
    1. that is aimed at the discovery, development or utilization of matter, materials or energy or in any other way designed for the use and convenience of humans, and
    2. that requires in that reporting, advising, evaluating, designing, preparation or direction the professional application of the principles of mathematics, chemistry, physics or any related applied subject, or
  2. teaching engineering at a university

–Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act, Section 1, pg. 8

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Engineer-in-Training

A type of Member-in-Training. E.I.T.s are enrolled with APEGA and are working to become Professional Engineers. They have a non-practising status as they cannot engage in independent practice and must have their work supervised by a Professional Member.

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ePEG

The ePEG is a weekly digital newsletter that keeps you in the know about the developments in Alberta’s engineering and geoscience industries, APEGA branch events and activities, and the achievements of APEGA members who move the needle. All registered APEGA members are automatically subscribed to the ePEG newsletter.

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Examination-in-Chief

Questions asked by the party calling the witness. This is also sometimes called ‘direct examination’.

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Expert Witness

One who is qualified by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education to provide a scientific, technical, or specialized opinion about the evidence or an issue of fact. Only the expert witness is entitled to offer opinion evidence.

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

FEC

A Fellow of Engineers Canada, a designation bestowed by Engineers Canada. Engineers Canada is not a regulator of engineering.

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FGC

A Fellow of Geoscientists Canada, a designation bestowed by Geoscientists Canada. Geoscientists Canada is not a regulator of geoscience.

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Field Review

The work conducted to confirm and verify the engineering or geoscience concepts and specific requirements during implementation or construction of the professional work product (PWP). This includes considering and incorporating all material changes that affect the intended purpose of the original PWP that may have resulted from field changes and that require authentication and validation.

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Field Reviewer

A licensed professional, or an individual working under their direct supervision and control, who carries out the field review.

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Former Member

An individual who no longer has any of the rights of an Active Member and is not entitled to practice engineering or geoscience or to use protected titles.

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

G.I.T.

The abbreviated form of Geoscientist-in-Training.

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Geoscience

The legal definition, as provided in the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act, states that the practice of geoscience means:

  1. reporting, advising, evaluating, interpreting, processing, geoscientific surveying, exploring, classifying reserves or examining related to any activity
    1. that relates to the earth sciences or the environment,
    2. that is aimed at the discovery or development of oil, natural gas, coal, metallic or non-metallic minerals, precious stones, other natural resources or water or that is aimed at the investigation of surface or subsurface conditions of the earth, and
    3. that requires, in that reporting, advising, evaluating, interpreting, processing, geoscientific surveying, exploring, classifying reserves or examining, the professional application of the principles of mathematics, chemistry, physics or biology through the application of the principles of geoscience, or
  2. teaching geoscience at a university

Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act, Section 1, pg. 8

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Geoscientist-in-Training

A type of Member-in-Training. G.I.T.s are enrolled with APEGA and are working to become Professional Geoscientists. They have a non-practising status as they cannot engage in independent practice and must have their work supervised by a Professional Member.

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Good Standing

Permit holders, licensed professionals, and member-in-trainings are considered in good standing with APEGA if they meet the criteria set out in the Good Standing Policy.

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

Harassment

Any single incident or repeated incidents of objectionable or unwelcome conduct, comment, bullying, or action by a person that the person knows or should reasonably know will or would cause offence or humiliation to another person, or adversely affect someone’s health or feelings of safety and security.

This includes conduct, comments, bullying, or actions on the basis of race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religious beliefs, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, physical disability, mental disability, marital status, family status, source of income, and sexual orientation. This includes sexual solicitation and advance. (Alberta Human Rights Act 2000; Occupational Health and Safety Act 2020).

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

Joint publication

A joint publication is a practice standard, practice guideline, practice bulletin, user guide, list of frequently asked questions, or other appropriate publication type that APEGA creates jointly with another organization in the interest of the public. This does not apply to standards, guidelines, or bulletins created jointly with ASET that are under the jurisdiction of the Joint Practice Review Board.

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

Last Permit to Practice Seminar Date Attended

The date of the most recent Permit to Practice seminar the Responsible Member attended.

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Licensed Professional

A professional engineer, professional geoscientist, professional licensee (engineering), professional licensee (geoscience), licensee (engineering), or licensee (geoscience) entitled by the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act to practise engineering or geoscience in Alberta.

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Licensee

A licensed professional licensed to practise engineering or geoscience in Alberta. The only difference between a Licensee and a Professional Member is that a Licensee is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

M.I.T.

The abbreviated form of Member-in-Training.

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Marginalized Group

Members of society that face exclusion due to societal and systemic barriers (CCDI 2022).

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Member Type

The type of membership the person has with APEGA. The types are Professional Member, Member-in-Training, and Licensee.

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Member-in-Training

A general classification for Engineer-in-Training and Geoscientist-in-Training who are enrolled with APEGA and working to become licensed as Professional Engineers and/or Professional Geoscientists. They cannot engage in independent practice and must have their work supervised by a Professional Member.

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

Non-practicing

A member of APEGA who cannot engage in independent practice and must have their work supervised by a Professional Member. A Professional Member can choose to declare a non-practising status, and many member types have a non-practising status, such as Life Members and Member-in-Trainings.

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

Operating Name

A name a permit holder uses (e.g., a trade name) that is different from its legal name but is listed with APEGA under the same Permit to Practice and uses the same permit number.

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Output

See Professional Services Output.

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Outsourced Entity

The permit holder, licensed professional, or non-APEGA licensed entity providing professional services to an outsourcing entity.

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Outsourcing

Procuring professional services from an individual or entity not practising under the outsourcing entity’s Permit to Practice. This includes when a sole proprietor procures professional services.

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Outsourcing Entity

The permit holder or licensed professional procuring outsourced professional services. An outsourcing entity procures professional services from an outsourced entity.

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Outsourcing Plan

A plan for procuring outsourced professional services. Outsourcing plan requirements are detailed in the practice standard Relying on the Work of Others and Outsourcing.

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

P.Eng.

The abbreviated form of Professional Engineer.

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P.Geo.

The abbreviated form of Professional Geoscientist.

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Permit Holder

A partnership or other association of persons, or a corporation that holds a Permit to Practice under the Engineering and Geoscience Professions (EGP) Act. The Association of Science and Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta (ASET) permit holders, as defined in Section 86(4) of the EGP Act, are not included.

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Permit Holder Name

The permit holder’s legal company name as registered with the Alberta Corporate Registry.

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Permit Number

The unique registration number provided to a permit holder licensed by APEGA to practise engineering, geoscience, or both.

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Permit Status

Used to indicate whether a Permit to Practice held by a permit holder is an active or deficient permit.

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Permit to Practice

An APEGA certificate given to permit holders to practise engineering or geoscience in Alberta.

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Permit to Practice Seminar

A required seminar to inform Responsible Members of their professional obligations and how to create and manage a Professional Practice Management Plan.

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Person

An individual or business entity.

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Physical Signature

An ink or “wet” signature, also referred to as a handwritten or manuscript signature. Using only initials is not an acceptable way to apply a signature.

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Practice bulletin

A professional practice bulletin provides clarity on a specific subject related to professional practice. Bulletins remain in force until a practice standard or practice guideline on the subject is developed, revised, or until the practice bulletin is repealed.

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Practice guideline

A professional practice guideline provides professional practice advice and best practice recommendations to help permit holders and licensed professionals meet their professional obligations. APEGA statutory boards may assess a permit holder’s or licensed professional’s practice and conduct against practice guidelines.

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Practice Review Board

A statutory board established under Section 15 of the Engineering and Geoscience Professions (EGP) Act. Through its powers established in Section 16 of the EGP Act, the Practice Review Board provides regulatory oversight to professional practice by developing and maintaining practice standards relating to the competent practice of the professions, conducting practice reviews of licensed professionals and permit holders, and administering the Continuing Professional Development Program [General Regulation Section 16(2)].

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Practice standard

A professional practice standard sets the minimum standard of practice permit holders and licensed professionals must meet. It is the standard against which a permit holder’s or licensed professional’s practice and conduct will be assessed.

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Practicing

Licensed professionals of APEGA who are licensed to practice engineering and/or geoscience in Alberta.

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Preferred First Name

The first name members prefer for correspondence and other types of informal communication. For example, Pat for Patricia and Bob for Robert.

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Professional Engineer

A licensed professional that is licensed by APEGA to practise engineering in Alberta. Having a degree in engineering, or having experience in another jurisdiction, does not make someone a Professional Engineer in Alberta. Abbreviated as P.Eng.

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Professional Geoscientist

A licensed professional that is licensed by APEGA to practise geoscience (including geology or geophysics) in Alberta. Having a degree in geology, geophysics, Earth sciences, or geoscience, or having experience in another jurisdiction, does not make someone a Professional Geoscientist in Alberta. Abbreviated as P.Geo.

Before 2012, APEGA separately licensed professionals as Professional Geologists (P.Geol.) and Professional Geophysicists (P.Geoph.). These designations have been grandfathered.

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Professional Licensee

A licensed professional who is licensed to practise engineering or geoscience in Alberta but within a specified scope of practice.

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Professional Member

A licensed professional with a designation of Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) or Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) who is licensed to practise engineering or geoscience in Alberta. The designations Professional Geologists (P.Geol.) and Professional Geophysicists (P.Geoph.) are grandfathered and now fall under P.Geo.

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Professional Practice Management Plan

A permit holder’s written corporate policies, procedures, and systems describing the quality control and assurance measures in place to ensure appropriate standards of professional practice are maintained as described in Section 48(1)(d) of the General Regulation.

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Professional Services

Services that involve the practice of engineering as defined in Section 1(q) of the Engineering and Geoscience Professions (EGP) Act or the practice of geoscience as defined in Section 1(r) of the EGP Act. The products of professional services are called outputs.

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Professional Services Output

Any product—physical, electronic, or digital—resulting from a professional service. Not all outputs require authentication and validation.

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Professional Work Product

A professional services output that requires authentication and validation as described in the practice standard Authenticating Professional Work Products. Defined in the General Regulation as “…plans, specifications, reports, or documents of a professional nature,” a professional work product (PWP) is any professional services output with technical information that is complete and final for its intended purpose, and which is relied upon by others, internally or externally. A PWP can be physical (e.g., paper, plastic film), electronic (e.g., electronic document, image), or digital (e.g., code, software, modelling, simulation, or any other computer application that cannot be reproduced in a physical or electronic format). See the authentication test in the practice standard Authenticating Professional Work Products when assessing whether an output is a PWP.

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

Qualifications-Based Selection

A competitive process for the procurement of professional consulting services that is based on qualifications.

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

Registered Date

When professional membership was obtained with APEGA. The date format is YYYY-MM-DD.

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Registered Professional

The licensed professional with the direct professional responsibility to produce a professional work product (PWP). A test of direct professional responsibility is the ability of that licensed professional to alter or revise the engineering or geoscience content in the original PWP. Registered Professional of Record is the term used for a licensed professional in National Building Code – Alberta Edition schedules, who is registered with the authority having jurisdiction and takes professional responsibility to conduct field reviews by authenticating the building code schedules.

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Responsible Member

A licensed professional who is responsible for providing oversight of the practice of engineering or geoscience by the permit holder and meets the specification in Part 7, Section 48(1)(c) of the General Regulation. A Responsible Member must be qualified by education and experience in the profession of engineering or geoscience in which the partnership, corporation, or other entity intends to engage; designated in writing by the permit holder; and registered with APEGA as a Responsible Member.

The Responsible Member must have a sufficiently close relationship with the permit holder to undertake the roles and responsibilities associated with acting as a Responsible Member. The role of Responsible Member may not be delegated to other licensed professionals who are not Responsible Members.

A Responsible Member can be:

  • a full-time, permanent employee of the permit holder
  • a member of the permit holder
  • a sole practitioner
  • an individual providing professional services to the permit holder through a contractual arrangement or as a part-time employee

The permit holder’s Responsible Members direct, supervise, and control all or part of a permit holder’s professional practice in accordance with the permit holder’s Professional Practice Management Plan and all relevant legislation, regulations, and codes.

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Restricted

Restricted status is applied to any APEGA member (as defined by the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act) who has conditions set on his or her ability to independently practise engineering or geoscience. These restrictions are typically applied due to a discipline or professional practice review order.

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

Scope of Practice

Specifies the areas of engineering or geoscience in which Licensees are limited to work.

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Senior Officer

Holds signing authority to make decisions on behalf of the permit holder. The senior officer is named in the Permit to Practice application and signs a declaration form to legally bind the permit holder to the Permit to Practice agreement with APEGA. The senior officer is not required to be a licensed professional. APEGA formerly referenced the senior officer as the company’s chief operating officer.

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Signature

A traceable and individualized permanent mark attached to stable information. See APEGA digital signature. See physical signature.

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Sole Practitioner

Within Alberta, an individual who practises engineering or geoscience as an incorporated entity. A sole practitioner must hold a Permit to Practice.

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Sole Proprietor

Within Alberta, an individual who is the sole owner of a business with no legal distinction between themselves and their business (i.e., the business does not exist as a separate entity).

A licensed professional practising as a sole proprietor does not need a Permit to Practice since the sole proprietor is not practising engineering or geoscience through a corporation, partnership, or association.

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Stamp

A unique, personalized rubber block or electronic file (e.g., PNG, JPEG, or TIFF) that APEGA, or its approved vendors, provides upon request to permit holders or licensed professionals.

A stamp issued to permit holders contains the Permit to Practice information. A stamp issued to licensed professionals contains their APEGA licence information.

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Stamp Name

The unique and personalized member name shown on a professional rubber or digital stamp, issued by APEGA or its approved vendors.

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Subpoena

An order of a court that requires a person to be present at a certain time and place or suffer a penalty (subpoena being Latin for “under penalty”). This is the traditional tool used by lawyers to ensure witnesses present themselves at a given place, date, and time to make themselves available to testify.

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Substantive change

Revisions to a practice standard, practice guideline, practice bulletin, or joint publication that affect the intent or essence of a document.

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

Technical Information

A term for content or data derived from the practice of engineering or geoscience as defined by the Engineering and Geoscience Professions (EGP) Act, including advice, analyses, assessments, calculations, designs, evaluations, inputs (e.g., to planning or to modelling and simulation), interpretations, notes, opinions, recommendations, and process descriptions.

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Thorough Review

An evaluation of the outputs of professional services prepared by others to verify their reliability, validity, and technical accuracy. Thorough review requirements are detailed in the practice standard Relying on the Work of Others and Outsourcing.

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Transition period

A transition period is the time between when a practice standard or practice bulletin is in effect and enforced. It allows registrants time to adjust practices to comply. In the transition period, APEGA educates registrants on the new requirements to bring them into compliance. After the transition period expires, APEGA fully enforces the requirements.

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

Unconscious Bias

Social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness. Everyone holds unconscious beliefs about various social and identity groups, and these biases stem from the tendency to organize social worlds by categorizing (APEGA 2021). These biases include assumptions, beliefs, perceptions, attitudes, and stereotypes about different groups of people, including characteristics such as race, skin colour, ethnic origin, age, religion, family status, ancestry, political beliefs, linguistic and cultural background, gender, sex, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disability.

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Unprofessional Conduct

Conduct by permit holders, licensed professionals, and members-in-training that is deemed by their peers to be in violation of the Code of Ethics.

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Unskilled Practice

Practice by permit holders, licensed professionals, and members-in-training that is deemed by their peers to be below acceptable standards of practice in terms of professional competence for the overall performance of the scope of services undertaken.

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APEGA Dictionary

APEGA Dictionary

Validation

Validating a professional work product (PWP) means a permit holder’s Responsible Member has reviewed the PWP to ensure it meets the quality control and assurance measures described in the permit holder’s Professional Practice Management Plan. Validation must be performed in accordance with the practice standard Authenticating Professional Work Products.

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Validation Date

The date validation occurred. It must be unambiguous with no confusion between the recorded month, day, or year.

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