Audit Program
In July 2023, Engineers and Geoscientists BC will introduce a new program to randomly assess regulatory compliance of individual registrants. The new audit program will replace and build upon the existing proactive Practice Review Program in order to meet the requirements set out in the Professional Governance Act.
The intent of the Audit Program is to assess overall registrant compliance with regulatory requirements, by randomly auditing a subset of registrants annually.
Every year, a minimum of 1% of individual registrants will be selected to undergo an audit. As with the currently in place proactive Practice Review Program, the new Audit Program will continue to apply risk-based criteria to the random selection process.
The Audit process will align with current best practices and will consist of a document/record review followed by an interview (if necessary) by an assessor. Regulatory requirements that will be assessed will include, continuing education, quality management, code of ethics and declared practice areas.
An audit can have one of three results:
- In Compliance – file is closed
- Minor Non-Conformance(s) – minor corrective action is required
- Major Non-Conformance(s) – Auditee may be issued more substantial corrective action; the auditee may be required to undergo a reactive Practice Review or the auditee may be referred to Investigations.
Exemptions to the program will include:
- Registrants-in-Training;
- Sole Practitioners;
- Registrants on parental, medical or compassionate leave, and;
- Individual registrants that work for a regulated firm that has undergone a firm audit in the previous 12 months with an in-compliance result.