Firm Practice

Overview

The Professional Governance Act requires Engineers and Geoscientists BC to regulate firms that engage in the practice of professional engineering or geoscience. Effective July 2, 2021, firms are required to register for a Permit to Practice with Engineers and Geoscientists BC.

Engineers and Geoscientists BC has worked actively, through consultation with government and registrants, to develop a regulatory program that ensures legislative requirements can be met without undue administrative burden on firms, while supporting our shared goal of strengthening public safety and protecting the environment.

These new requirements bring Engineers and Geoscientists BC in line with other regulatory bodies across Canada that uphold responsibilities and requirements for engineering and geoscience firms. It enhances public protection by establishing standards of practice for all firms engaging in professional engineering and geoscience – standards enforced through regular audits to ensure compliance.

The regulatory model is based on three pillars: quality management, continuing education, and ethics. Registrant firms are required to have a representative attend training, and to have documented policies and procedures in place that indicate how they meet the quality management, ethics, and continuing education requirements within 12 months of registering.

Timeline

Below are the key steps and timeline for firms to meet the new requirements of firm regulation.

For more information, visit our Permit to Practice page.

Regulatory Coverage

The regulatory model includes all firms in the private and public sector that engage in the practice of professional engineering or geoscience as part of their operations, including firms that only provide these services internally (this includes advice or services provided internally by an Engineers and Geoscientists BC professional registrant to another employee or individual acting on the firm's behalf).

If the business activity of a firm does not require the practice of professional engineering or geoscience, then the firm may not need to be registered with Engineers and Geoscientists BC.

If you are unsure whether your firm requires a Permit to Practice, please complete the Permit to Practice Applicability Review Form, and submit the form to [email protected].

Resources

For more information on firm practice, visit the following pages:

• Professional Practice Management Plan Templates
• Regulation of Firms Permit to Practice Online Training
• Regulation of Firms Permit to Practice Manual
• Understanding the Regulation of Firms Webinar
• FAQs

Have a question about Regulation of Firms? Contact [email protected].

Bulletins

Bulletins are intended to address emergent or novel questions about firm regulation in a timely manner. Each bulletin provides Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s interpretation of how registrants and firms should approach the topic in question. The contents of bulletins will be incorporated into broader Regulation of Firms guidance documents as those documents are revised. Please see below for the most recent bulletins.

• Employed by or under Contract with a Registrant Firm
• Permit to Practice Number Usage
• Non-Registrant Firms offering Engineering or Geoscience services
• Permit to Practice and Business Structure  

Consultation

Since 2015, Engineers and Geoscientists BC has been developing a model for the Regulation of Firms, led by an Advisory Task Force on Corporate Practice.

Following extensive consultation with registrants and stakeholders, the Task Force developed a regulatory model that improves regulatory oversight, protects the public interest, and provides opportunities for firms to improve their processes and reduce their risk. This model was approved by Council in June 2019.

The consultation summaries and recommendation reports are available for review below.