Software Engineering in
Canada
January 2002
Karen López, I.S.P.
CIPS Director of Professional Standards
“The professional association providing leadership in information systems and technologies.”
Karen Lopez, I.S.P.
• CIPS National Director of
Professional Standards
• Member of the CIPS Executive
• Principal Consultant,
InfoAdvisors, Inc.
“The professional association providing leadership in information systems and technologies.”
CIPS Professionalism
The only professional IT
designation in Canada
I.S.P. = Information Systems
Professional of Canada
“The professional association providing leadership in information systems and technologies.”
Professionalism
Elements of a Mature Profession
Professional Development
Initial Professional
Education
Infrastructure Support
Professional Influences
Accreditation
Skills Development
Professional
Society
Credentials
License
Certification
Professional
Status
Code of Ethics
Professional
Development
From After the Gold Rush, Steve McConnell
“The professional association providing leadership in information systems and technologies.”
Canadian Software Engineering
• Over 3 decades of use of the term
Software Engineering to mean
disciplined software development
by those who are computer &
information systems scientists
• SWEBOK’s Editor is based in
Montreal
• Use of the term Software
Engineering within traditional
engineering faculties is relatively
new.
“The professional association providing leadership in information systems and technologies.”
Canadian Software Engineering
• 1997: CCPE launched legal proceedings against
Memorial University of Newfoundland
• 1999: Case was settled out of court, with a
condition for a Panel
• 2000: SE Taskforce established
• 2000: Draft Software Engineering Accreditation
Board accreditation criteria
• 2001: Other stakeholders (AUCC, CACS/AIC)
have voiced opposition to draft criteria
• 2001: CCPE issues press release that claims
computer scientists who practice software
engineering and computer science departments
that offer software engineering programs are
endangering the public
“The professional association providing leadership in information systems and technologies.”
Canadian Software Engineering
• 2001: Provincial Engineering bodies
actively enforcing software engineering
trademarks, as well as pursuing the
revision of Engineering Acts to take
ownership of all application of sciences
that impact the public interest
• 2002: CEAB and CSAC continue to
accredit, separately, SE programs in
Canada
• 2002: CIPS calls CCPE back to the
negotiations
“The professional association providing leadership in information systems and technologies.”
Isn’t it just a word?
• Software Engineering is used
globally to describe all kinds of
software development
• Should Canada be the only
country that uses the term to
mean something else?
• It’s not just about the word….
“The professional association providing leadership in information systems and technologies.”
What could this mean to you?
• If Engineering Acts are revised to include
all applied software development, most of
what we do would now be governed by
the Engineering Acts in our Province
• If you are working on a project that may
have an impact on the public, physically
or financially, your work would need to be
done under the supervision of licensed
professional engineer
• Your career advancement could be
constrained if you do not hold a current
engineering license
“The professional association providing leadership in information systems and technologies.”
What could this mean to you?
• If you are a consultant providing services to
the public that are covered by the Engineering
Act, you would need to obtain a Certificate of
Authority from the Provincial Engineering
Body
• If you hire individuals that perform applied
software activities, you will be under a great
deal of pressure to find licensed individuals
• Data Management is not really covered under
most Engineering programs….nor is the
Zachman Framework, Logical Data Modelling,
Process Modelling, Strategic Planning,
Enterprise Architectures, Data Warehouse,
etc.
“The professional association providing leadership in information systems and technologies.”
Why is this a problem?
• Today, in order to become a licensed
engineer, an applicant must have
graduated from an accredited engineering
program – or– passed a lengthy series of
engineering exams. There are no
software engineering exams in Ontario.
• Today, license applicants write exams on
traditional engineering topics – Strength of
Materials, Physics, Engineering Calculus,
Finite Element Analysis, etc.
• There are only 3+1 Software Engineering
programs accredited in Canada
“The professional association providing leadership in information systems and technologies.”
Why is this a problem?
• Contrary to the Engineering Societies
around the world, engineering bodies here
believe that there should be only one
application domain in software
engineering -> engineering
• The SWEBOK is explicit when it says that
engineering is but one application domain
in software
• Professional IT bodies in the UK,
Australia, New Zealand, and the US are
working jointly with their engineering
bodies to accredit software education
programs
“The professional association providing leadership in information systems and technologies.”
What’s the risk?
• Employer Confusion
• True Software Engineering
programs are not being developed
• Extended litigation instead of
innovation in the IT industry
• Public at risk
• Canada’s competitive position
eroded
“The professional association providing leadership in information systems and technologies.”
CIPS’s Position
• Cooperative accreditation of
engineering and computing
software engineering is a win-win
situation
• Software Engineering is applicable
across many domains
• Good software development
activities can be achieved without
in-depth knowledge of the physical
sciences
“The professional association providing leadership in information systems and technologies.”
What can you do?
• Help CIPS obtain letters of
support from professional
bodies
• Watch for further calls to action
from CIPS and ITAC
• Watch for media articles and
government calls for comment
• Volunteer
“The professional association providing leadership in information systems and technologies.”
CIPS
• www.cips.ca
“The professional association providing leadership in information systems and technologies.”