22 Key Competencies & Indicators for CBA Applications
To become a Professional Engineer or Licensee with APEGA, applicants will need to complete a competency-based assessment (CBA). The following descriptions of the 22 key competencies and their indicators will help plan assessment answers. Applicants need to include specific details of their personal work experience for each competency. A copy and paste of the provided indicators will not be accepted.
Read about the Competency-Based Assessment Tool Click to download the CBA Guide
Competency Category 1 – Technical Competence
1.1 Regulation, Codes, and Standards
Demonstrate knowledge of regulations, codes, standards, and safety – this includes local engineering procedures and practices as applicable
- Identify and comply with legal and regulatory requirements for project activities
- Incorporate knowledge of codes and regulations in design materials
- Prepare reports assessing project compliance with codes, standards, and regulations
- Recognize the need to design for code compliance and ensure ability to construct, ability to operate and ability to maintain, once constructed
1.2 Project and Design Constraints
Demonstrate knowledge of materials, or operations as appropriate, project and design constraints, design to best fit the purpose or service intended and address inter-disciplinary impacts
- Demonstrate knowledge of materials, operations, project, and design constraints (i.e., cost, design, material, labour, time, budget, production)
- Demonstrate understanding of, and coordination with, other engineering and professional disciplines
1.3 Risk Identification and Mitigation
Analyze technical risks and offer solutions to mitigate the risks
- Demonstrate familiarity with system protection and/or damage/hazard mitigation objectives, philosophies, practices, procedures, and functions
- Identify risk areas including causes of risks and their impacts
- Develop risk management/mitigation plans
- Demonstrate an understanding of the difference between technical risk and public safety issues
1.4 Application of Theory
Apply engineering knowledge to design solutions
- Prepare technical specifications
- Demonstrate use of theory and calculations to arrive at solutions
- Demonstrate the development of a unique design solution that could not be accomplished with a standard design solution
1.5 Solution Techniques
Understand solution techniques and independently verify the results
- Demonstrate an understanding of the engineering principles used in the application of computer design programs and show/describe how the results were verified as correct
- Participate in an independent review and verification of solution techniques or analysis methods
1.6 Safety Awareness
Be aware of safety risks inherent in the design, and demonstrate safety awareness; on-site and has potential safety authorization/certificate as appropriate
- Identify, incorporate, and/or participate in review of safety considerations, procedures, and equipment as they apply to system operations and/or maintenance programs
- Demonstrate specific knowledge of safety regulations
- Incorporate explicit human and public safety considerations in design and all other professional activities
- Understand and account for safety risks associated with processes. Identify relevant protection equipment and process modifications to mitigate safety risks
1.7 Systems and Their Components
Demonstrate understanding of systems and components of systems
- Demonstrate an understanding of each element in a process
- Demonstrate an understanding of the interactions and constraints in the behaviour of the overall system
- Manage processes within the overall system (monitor and, where needed, modify processes to achieve optimum outcomes)
1.8 Project and Life Cycle
Exposure to all stages of the process/project life cycle from concept and feasibility analysis through implementation
Demonstrate awareness of project concerns and roles of other stakeholders in the project stages:
- Identification: generation of the initial project idea and preliminary design
- Preparation: detailed design of the project addressing technical and operational aspects
- Appraisal: analysis of the project from technical, financial, economic, social, institutional, and environmental perspectives
- Preparation of specifications and tender documents: preparation of tender document, inviting and opening of tenders, pre-qualification, evaluation of bids, and award of work
- Implementation and monitoring: implementation of project activities, with on-going checks on progress and feedback
- Evaluation: periodic review of project with feedback for next project cycle
1.9 Quality Control
Understand the concept of quality control during design and construction, including independent design check and independent reviews of design, field checks, and reviews
- Conduct checks, including field checks, to verify the validity of design
- Complete quality management plan checklist, and follow quality management plan
- Prepare quality control plans, including frequency and test parameters, for specific processes or products
- Evaluate test results, determine adequacy, and develop recommended action
- Demonstrate peer review
- Demonstrate completed project, systems, or subsystems meet project objectives in terms of functionality and operational performance
1.10 Engineering Documentation
Transfer design intentions to drawings and sketches; understand transmittal of design
- Review designs of others and communicate findings and issues, including suggested alternatives
- Demonstrate communication of ideas and concepts to project team members
- Demonstrate understanding of the value of project completion reports and lessons learned. Reports to application in future projects by self or others.
- Produce sketches, notes, documentation, and design documents to prepare proposals, preliminary, and final design drawings for acceptance by the client and approval by regulatory authorities
Competency Category 2 – Communication
2.1 Oral Communication
- Communicate in a simple and concise manner
- Communicate official project data with team members, clients, and contractors
- Express both technical and non-technical issues and ideas clearly to both technical and non-technical personnel
- Present to technical and non-technical groups; presentations to superiors and subordinates; internal (colleagues) and external (clients) presentations
- Present project parameters to the public
- Demonstrate active participation in and contribution to meetings
2.2 Written Communication
- Tailor communications to the intended audience
- Ability to write and review technical documents
- Ability to write clear memos and reports to both technical and non-technical personnel
- Use drawings and sketches to demonstrate key points and concepts
- Ability to write a report on a technical subject
- Ability to write areport on field observations
- Take training in technical report writing
- Work with common office software programs and browsers
2.3 Reading and Comprehension
- Ability to review technical documents, to understand the implications, and to summarize key points
Competency Category 3 – Project and Financial Management
3.1 Project Management Principles
Awareness of project management principles
- Awareness of resource planning, budgeting, change management, scope management, scheduling, and unforeseen issues
- Understand the impacts that benefits and risks of various design solutions have on a project
- Understand the needs and expectations of internal and external clients
3.2 Finances & Budget
Understand financial aspects of work
- Demonstrate cognizance of project budget during design and construction
- Provide technical and financial reporting and compare the options
- Demonstrate the understanding of the place of finance in business decisions
- Understand principles of budgeting and financing
- Understand the relevant business processes
- Demonstrate an understanding of working with and developing contracts
Competency Category 4 – Team Effectiveness
4.1 Resolve Differences
Work to resolve differences
- Demonstrate leadership in achieving team goals and resolving conflict
- Work to facilitate beneficial conflict resolution
- Exposure to training in conflict resolution
Competency Category 5 – Professionalism
5.1 Professional Accountability
Demonstrate a clear understanding of professional accountability
- Apply professional ethics in meeting corporate directives
- Gain awareness of your limitations by asking for help as appropriate
- Gain awareness of situations that could be a potential conflict of interest and how you effectively managed such situations appropriately
- Gain awareness of the potential professional liability involved in all aspects of the design, construction, and inspection process
- Gain understanding and awareness of the appropriate use of stamp and seal
- Understanding your own strengths and weaknesses and know how they apply to your position
Competency Category 6 – Social, Economic, Environmental and Sustainability
6.1 Public Impacts and Safeguards
Demonstrate an understanding of the safeguards required to protect the public and the methods of mitigating adverse impacts
- Gain awareness of the potential professional liability involved in all aspects of the design, construction, and inspection process
6.2 Engineering and the Public
Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the engineering activity and the public
- Recognize the value and benefits of the engineering work to the public
- Prepare reports regarding the impact of a project to public
6.3 Role of Regulatory Bodies
Understand the role of regulatory bodies on the practice of engineering
- Recognize the importance of respecting the regional traditions and native regulations towards a project
- Understand the role and regulations of other professions whose practices overlap or interface with the practice of professional engineering
6.4 Sustainability and Practice Guidelines
Be aware of any specific sustainability initiatives that have been added to practice or project guidelines that apply to your area
- Gain awareness and understanding
6.5 Promotions of Sustainability
To the extent possible, recognizing your position of influence, consider how sustainability principles could be applied and promoted in your specific work
- Include sustainability analysis in project descriptions
- Provide a list of revisions made during the design and implementation period of the project