ENGINEERING COUNCIL OF
SOUTH AFRICA
REGISTRATION
10 April 2014
1
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
REQUIREMENTS
Worldwide - Based on two requirements :
- Academic entry level qualification( Educational
standard).
- Three years of practical / technical post qualification
training at the appropriate Engineering level for the
category of registration concerned (Experience
standards for category of registration concerned).
2
PROCEDURE TO REGISTER
WITH ECSA
Step 1:“Candidate” Registration in order to have qualifications
evaluated.
o All applicants with non-accredited and non South African
qualifications have to apply for “Qualification Evaluation” which is
done by ECSA’s Qualification Examinations Committee(QEC).
Candidate Engineer
BSc(Eng)/BEng
Candidate Eng Techno
BTech
Candidate Cert Eng
Cert of Competency
Candidate Eng Techni
NDip
3
Professional Development Model
Practice
Observe Code of
Conduct and
Maintain Competence through CPD
Professional Registration
Training
And
Experience
Meet Standard
For Professional
Competency
Candidate Registration
Graduation
Accredited
Programme
Meet Standard
for Engineering
Education
4
ENGINEERING TEAM

It is useful to understand the engineering team
concept to explain how the different
registrations work together. It must be stressed
that those registered are “ different but of equal
value” : Each has a vital part to play in the
Engineering Team, a point emphasised by ECSA

The focus and therefore the balance of the
engineering team will be determined by the
scope and business of the employing
organisation.

All contribute in some way to the creation of
products, systems, procedures, and the
rendering of engineering services.
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PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER
(Pr Eng)
Experience standards characterised by:
• Activities that are essentially intellectual
• Analysing and solving complex problems
• Developing and applying new technologies
creatively and innovatively
• Exercising Professional judgement
• Managing resources
• (Dreamers)
6
PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING
TECHNOLOGISTS (Pr Tech Eng)
Experience standards characterised by:
• Solving broadly defined problems through
application of proven techniques and procedures
• Developing, maintaining and managing today’s
technologies
• Exercising Professional judgement
• Managing resources
• (Doers)
7
PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING
TECHNICIAN (Pr Techni Eng)
Experience standards characterised by:
• Solving well defined problems using proven techniques
and procedures
• Supervision and technical responsibility
• Contributing to implementation, operation and
maintenance of products, equipment, processes and
services
• (Fixers)
8
OBJECTIVE OF TRAINING
PROGRAMMES

Training programmes must provide for the
development of professional attributes and core
competencies common to all CE’s regardless of
the type of work undertaken or the specific
direction in which their interests take them.

Employer to cater for common themes, as well
as specific types of work done in the
organization, e.g. civil engineering -

Larger employers with separate functional
departments (water, geotechnical, structural,
etc.) may have separately tailored training
programmes for each functional department.
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HOW AND WHEN TO REGISTER
Step 2:
Training and Professional Development
while employed
(Current system in place for the engineer and technologist categories only)
 Commitment and Undertaking (CU)
•
Employer CEO/Chief Engineer registers CU
•
Undertakes to train “candidate” persons in accordance
with ECSA’s policy and discipline specific guidelines
•
Ensures internal training programme is in place and
being implemented
•
So far 573 C&Us signed by employers of engineers
countrywide and 3 773 mentors listed doing training.
10
NEW REGISTRATION SYSTEM

Was implemented as from April 2013 for the
Engineer category and not before October 2014
for the Technologist and Technician categories

New policy guideline documents will substitute
current documents.

Moving towards electronic system of applying
for registration during the second half of 2014.
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New Registration Process Guideline Documents
New Guideline format
•
R-01-P Policy on Registration of Persons in Professional Categories
•
R-02-PE Competency Standard for Registration as a Pr Engineer
•
R-03-PE Processing of Applications for Registration as Candidate
Engineer and Professional Engineer
•
R-04-P Training and Mentoring Guide for Professional Categories
•
R-08-PE Guide to the Competency Standards for Registration as a
Professional Engineer
R-05-PE Discipline-specific Training Guidelines
E-17-P Criteria and Processes for Recognition of Educational Qualifications
(all professional categories)
12
Registration System Changes
• Standards: moving from training focus to performance
focus, e.g.
– From: The work must be aimed at investigating engineering
problems requiring judgement
– To: Demonstrate ability to define, investigate and analyse
engineering problems at a defined level against competency
standards
• Policies: cover all cases and fill gaps
• Processes:
– Define formally, including instruments used
– Introduce full IT support
• Guidelines: Improve understanding of requirements
and transparency of process
13
TRANSITION TO NEW
REGISTRATION SYSTEM
The new system for the engineer category will be phased
in over a period of two years, commencing as from April
2013.
Candidate engineers who trained under the current
(legacy) registration system will be allowed to apply in
terms of the current requirements/ documentation.
However, the current requirements for civil candidates
of writing two essays at the professional review and
mechanical candidates to hand in a design report and for
electrical/electronic engineers to hand in forms AD7, AD8
and AD9, would then still apply.
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TRANSITION PHASE continued…
•
The two systems would therefore be run
concurrently for a period of two years to phase out all
“previous system” applicants.
• All applicants submitting after 1 April 2015 would
therefore also have to provide New Registration
System evidence of competence and will be
assessed against Competency Standard R-02PE.
• Alternatively, candidates who trained under the
current system would have to apply in terms of
the new system requirements/documentation, but
they would have to supply the New Registration
System evidence of competence to be assessed
against competency standard R-02-PE.
15
ECSA Professional Competencies – where
training must lead
D
7: Meet
regulatory
requirements
8:
Act Ethically
9:
Exercise
Judgement
CEPLevel
2: Analyse
Engineering
Problems
10: Be
Responsible
DoR
11: Life-long
Learning
E
3: Synthesize
Solutions
1: Use
Engineering and
Contextual
Knowledge
A
C
6: Address
Impacts on
People and
Environment
4: Manage
Engineering
Activities
5:
Communicate
Effectively
B
CEALevel
A Outcome Group
CEP = Complex Engineering Problem
CEA = Complex Engineering Activity
DoR = Degree of Responsibility
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PLANNING PRINCIPLES :
TRAINING PROGRAMMES

Two principles must be followed by supervisors and
mentors when planning training programmes for
candidates :
1.
A variety of work activities is necessary for the proper
development of a candidate.
Variety may be obtained at the various stages in the
lifecycle of an engineering activity : conception,
planning, design, construction, implementation, operation
and closure.
Associated with this lifecycle are specific functions,
including commissioning, testing, improving, troubleshooting. Candidate should experience several stages in
the lifecycle of a project or projects.
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PLANNING PRINCIPLES :
TRAINING PROGRAMMES (cont…)
2.
Increasing responsibility and accountability
within the organization must be imposed on
and accepted by the candidate until he/she
is capable of accepting professional
responsibility in making and executing
engineering decisions at the full professional
level.
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Progression throughout the candidacy period
Level
Nature of work: the
candidate
Responsibility of
Candidate
Level of
Supervisor/Mentor
Support
1. Exposure
…undergoes induction,
observes processes,
work of competent
practitioners
No responsibility
Mentor explains challenges
and forms of solution
2. Assist
…performs specific
processes under close
supervision
Limited responsibility for
work output
Supervisor/Mentor
coaches, offers feed back
3. Participate
…performs specific
processes as directed
with limited supervision
Full responsibility for
supervised work
Supervisor progressively
reduces support, but
monitors outputs
4. Contribute
…performs specific
work with detailed
approval of work
outputs
Full responsibility to
supervisor for immediate
quality of work
Candidate articulates own
reasoning and compares it
with those of supervisor
5. Perform
… works in team
without supervision,
recommends work
outputs
Level of responsibility to
supervisor is appropriate
to a registered person
Candidate takes on
problem solving without
support, at most limited
guidance
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PROGRESSION OF TRAINING
• At each of the 5 levels of responsibility, the table shows
the nature of the candidate’s work, ranging from being
oriented at level A to working at the degree of
responsibility required for registration, namely level E
or Performing
• By the end of the training period, the candidate must
have performed individually and as a team member at
the level of problem solving and engineering activity
required for registration and performed at responsibility
level E for at least twelve months.
20
REGISTRATION PROCESS
•
Registration process for all categories of
registration basically the same and will
become even more uniform when the new
system is implemented.
•
Exception: Pr Eng category which has a
compulsory professional review.
•
Other categories have the discretion to call
applicants in for an interview
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APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
(EXISTING SYSTEM)
o Personal details (Forms A1.1 & 1.2 engineers and B.1& B.2
technologists and C.1 & C.2 technicians)
o Summary of Training Periods (A2.2, B2.2 & C2.2 respectively)
o Training/Experience Reports(approx 2000 words)(A 2.1, B2.1, C2.1)
o Confidential Referee Reports
o Project Report/Design Report
o Certified copies of qualification documents (and transcripts of
subjects take for technologist category)
o Proof of membership of Voluntary Association (if applicable)
o Application fee
22
TIPS ON EXPERIENTIAL
REPORTS
• SELL YOURSELF
• WRITE in the FIRST PERSON
• DETAIL what YOU have DONE
• DETAIL YOUR level of
RESPONSIBILITY
• DO NOT GENERALISE
• ALL PERIODS must be COVERED
23
WHY REGISTER?
•
Most important: Engineering Risk
•
Engineering activity has potentially adverse
consequences and therefore must be carried out-

Responsibly and ethically

Economically

Using available resources efficiently

Safeguarding health and safety

In an environment sound and sustainable way, and

Managing risks throughout the entire lifecycle of a
system.
•
Engineering is therefore a regulated profession
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WHY REGISTER?
• Peer recognition of Qualification and Experience
• Professional registration = Mark of a true engineering
professional
• Public confidence in professional competence
• International recognition
• Marketability in employment market
• Exclusive use of reserved names
• Statutory Empowerment
• Compulsory registration through work reservation
Sections 18(2) and 18(3) of the Engineering
Profession Act:
* Prohibits a person who is not registered in a category
from practicing in that category of registration; and
* Permits a person registered in a category to consult in
that category.
* Section 26(3) of the Act prohibits a person who is not
registered in terms of the Act from performing any kind
of work identified for any category of registered
persons. The Act in Section 26(4) allows one exception
to this prohibition.
* The unregistered person may work under the
supervision and control of a registered person who must
take the responsibility for the work.
* Registered persons taking responsibility for the work of
unregistered persons must do so from a fully informed
position.
*Must exert active supervision and control, and must
approve all critical decisions.
THANK YOU!
Website
: www.ecsa.co.za
Email : engineer@ecsa.co.za
Tel No : (011) 607 9500
Offices : Waterview Corner,
Building 2 Ernest
Oppenheimer Avenue,
Bruma
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