Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
CARG Competence Assessment Reference Guide
Citation preview
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 1 of 38
COMPETENCE ASSESSMENT
REFERENCE GUIDE
(CARG)
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 2 of 38
CONTENTS
SECTION A - Introduction .................................................................................................... 3 1. IPENZ competence-based quality marks ..................................................................... 3 2. Types of assessment .................................................................................................... 4
SECTION B - Assessment for Admission Applications ............................................................ 5 3. How to Apply ............................................................................................................. 5 4. Preparing for assessment for admission ....................................................................... 6 5. Completing CA01 Application Form ........................................................................... 6 6. Competence Self Review Form (CA03) ...................................................................... 13 7. Work History Summary (Form CA04) or annotated CV ............................................ 14 8. Recording your Continuing Professional Development Activities (Form CA05) .......... 14 9. Referee Declaration and Evaluation Form (Form CA06) ............................................ 14 10. Work Samples .................................................................................................... 15
SECTION C - Assessments For Continued Registration ........................................................ 17 11. What you need to do ........................................................................................... 17 12. Preparing for continued registration assessment .................................................. 17 13. Completing CRA Submission Form (CA02) ........................................................ 18 14. Referee Declaration and Evaluation Form (Form CA26) ..................................... 18 15. Work Samples .................................................................................................... 19 16. Videoconference Interactive Assessments ............................................................ 20 17. Assessment Fee................................................................................................... 21
SECTION D - Assessment Process ........................................................................................ 22 18. Assessment Process ............................................................................................ 22
SECTION E - Referee Eligibility .......................................................................................... 25 19. Who is eligible to be a Referee? ........................................................................... 25
SECTION F - Other Useful Information ............................................................................... 27 20. Recognised Engineer – Category A and Category B ............................................. 27 21. Design Verifier ................................................................................................... 27 22. CPEng(Aust) and CPEng(NZ) ............................................................................ 27 23. Useful Links ....................................................................................................... 27
SECTION G - Knowledge Assessments ................................................................................. 29 SECTION H - Practice Field Guidelines ............................................................................... 31 SECTION I - If you are unhappy with outcome .................................................................... 32
24. Appeals and Procedural reviews ......................................................................... 32 SECTION J - CAB Policy: Term to next assessment .............................................................. 34
1. Policy on term to next assessment.............................................................................. 34 2. Policy For Term to Next Assessment ......................................................................... 34
SECTION K - Index ............................................................................................................ 37
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 3 of 38
SECTION A - INTRODUCTION
1. IPENZ COMPETENCE-BASED QUALITY MARKS
The term ‗quality mark‘ in this document refers to any title, membership class or
registration that is only achieved through demonstration of a specified level of
competence by competence assessment. ‗Current competence‘ means that competence
has been demonstrated within the last 6 years.
IPENZ operates 5 registers of current competence and has 3 competence-based
membership classes – all require an assessment of competence.
Membership is a ‗lifetime‘ brand – once the required competence has been
demonstrated, no further re-assessments are required to retain the quality mark.
Registration on any current competence register requires on-going assessments of
current competence to retain registration.
Any engineer can apply for any quality mark, however, the appropriate quality mark will
be determined by the level of complexity of engineering work being performed
competently:
Professional engineers perform ‗Complex engineering‘;
Engineering technologists perform ‗broadly defined engineering‘; and
Engineering technicians perform ‗well defined‘ engineering.
The IPENZ quality marks available for each type of engineer are summarised in the table
below:
Engineering Role Professional
Engineer (PE)
Engineering
Technologist (ET)
Engineering
Technician (ETn)
Current competence
Registers
Chartered
professional
Engineer (CPEng)
Engineering
Technology
Practitioner
(ETPract)
Certified
Engineering
Technician
(CertETn)
International registers International
Professional
Engineer (IntPE)
International
Engineering
Technologist
(IntET)
(No international
register at present)
IPENZ Membership
Classes
Professional
Member of IPENZ
(MIPENZ)
Technical Member
of IPENZ (TIPENZ) Associate Member
of IPENZ (AIPENZ)
Exemplar
qualifications Washington Accord
degree
Sydney Accord
degree
Dublin Accord
certificate or
diploma
A document summarising the competence standard, performance indicators and
code of ethical conduct is accessible on the IPENZ website here.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 4 of 38
IPENZ administers other registers that generally require registration on one of the
above registers a prerequisite. These are:
Design Verifier1 - 3 categories (Pressure Equipment, Cranes and
Passenger Ropeways) where CPEng is a prerequisite;
Recognised Engineer2 – 2 categories (Category A and B) where
CPEng is a prerequisite.
Assessment for entry to these registers is done in conjunction with assessment
for CPEng registration.
2. TYPES OF ASSESSMENT
There are two types of assessment:
a. Assessment for Admission (AFA) to one or more of the competence based
registers or IPENZ membership classes. These involve a face-to-face
interactive assessment (professional conversation) and a knowledge
assessment (unless you hold the appropriate exemplar qualification);
b. Continued Registration Assessment (CRA) to retain registration once on a
current-competence register. These involve an interactive assessment –
most likely by videoconference – where evidence is presented by way of
work samples and a professional conversation. If evidence is weak, the
panel may require a further face-to-face interactive assessment. CRAs are
required at intervals not exceeding 6 years.
2.1 PUBLIC NAMING OF CANDIDATES BEING ASSESSED
Changes made in 2011 to the CPEng Rules and IPENZ Regulations covering competence
assessment means that from 1 January 2012 any person presenting for competence
assessment will have his or her name posted on the IPENZ website for no more than 21
days. During this period any person may make a statement to IPENZ about the
candidate‘s competence. Any such statement received will be forwarded to the
candidate along with an invitation to the candidate to make a response. Both the
statement and the response will be given to the assessment panel for its consideration
in conducting the assessment.
1 ‗Design Verifier‘ in this document means a Design Verifier as defined in Schedule 1 of the
Health and Safety in Employment (Pressure Equipment, Cranes, and Passenger Ropeways)
Regulations 1999. 2 ‗Recognised Engineer‘ in this document means a ‗Recognised Engineer‘ as defined in section
149 of the Building Act (2004).
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 5 of 38
SECTION B - ASSESSMENT FOR
ADMISSION APPLICATIONS
3. HOW TO APPLY
The portfolio of evidence from engineers applying for an AFA must include the following
forms:
CA01 - Application form for assessment for admission to a register or
Membership class.
CA03 – competence self-review form - this is a key document as it gives
assessors examples of evidence where you consider you show you meet the
various requirements of the standard.
CA04 – work history summary form - you can send in a ‗detailed CV‘ (i.e., a CV
that you‘d use for a job-search, so long as it contains the same type of
information requested by the CA04 form).
CA05 – CPD summary form for CPD activities covering the last 6 years.
Assessors will have access to your on-line records if you have been tracking your
CPD using IPENZ‘s on-line recording system – only use the CA05 to cover the
balance if you have not used the on-line system for the whole of this period.
CA06 –Referee Declaration and Evaluation form which your referees complete
and submit directly to IPENZ.
You can either submit copies of your portfolio of evidence electronically (if it is larger
than 2MB, please do not email it but send it on a memory stick or CD) or in hard-copy,
but if you submit printed copies, you must send in 3 copies of the documents. Collate
papers into 3 separate bundles containing 1 copy of each form and send all 3 copies to
the IPENZ national office at the address listed on the application form. If you require a
Knowledge Assessment (see SECTION G - on page 30), you will need to provide an extra
set of application documents (i.e., 4 in total).
If you are applying for IPENZ membership ONLY via credit schedule (see paragraph 23.1
on page 28) your portfolio of evidence need only consist of ONE copy of the CA01 form,
including contact details for two referees and certified copies of your qualifications and
memberships/licenses. You do not need to pay an application fee.
3.1 COMPETENCE STANDARDS FOR INITIAL REGISTRATION
The assessment panel will assess your evidence against one of the following
competence standards:
The standard for registration as a Professional Engineer - used for assessing
CPEng, MIPENZ and IntPE(NZ)
The standard for registration as an Engineering Technologist - used for assessing
ETPract, TIPENZ and IntET.
The standard for registration as an Engineering Technician - used for assessing
CertETn and AIPENZ.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 6 of 38
3.2 CANDIDATES WITH OVERSEAS QUALITY MARKS
Check the credit schedule (see paragraph 23.1 on page 28) for details on how previous
assessments may reduce the amount of evidence you need to submit.
3.3 NON-IPENZ MEMBERS
Non-IPENZ members who have not previously been assessed for any recognised quality
mark may wish to apply for Graduate Membership in the interim to take advantage of
the on-line services (such as the referee request) offered to Members. Graduate
Membership only requires that you have an engineering qualification.
4. PREPARING FOR ASSESSMENT FOR ADMISSION
We recommend the following steps:
Familiarise yourself with the competence standard that you will be assessed against
– see the table in SECTION A - on page 3).
Update your Work History Summary (Form CA04) or your CV (if it includes the same
information) or online graduate development records for the last 6 years.
Update your Continuing Professional Development Activities Summary (Form CA05)
to include CPD activities over the last 6 years. IPENZ members recording their CPD
online in the IPENZ Members‘ area may submit a copy of those records instead.
Take the time to reflect on the key learning that you gained and how it impacted on
your practice and contributed to demonstrating competence against the relevant
competence elements.
Use the Competence Self Review Form (CA03) to document 2 examples of evidence
you believe shows you meet the standard for each of the 12 elements.
5. COMPLETING CA01 APPLICATION FORM
Use the ―AFA: Competence Assessment for Admission (Form CA01)‖ if you are
a) applying for admission to a current competence register; or
b) applying for IPENZ membership via credit schedule (refer to paragraph 23.1 on
page 28) or
c) wish to become a Design Verifier or Recognised Engineer but you are not yet
CPEng registered.
Do not use this form if you are already CPEng registered and wish to become a Design
Verifier or Recognised Engineer - you should use the CA02 form as the assessment will
be treated as a continued registration assessment.
5.1 APPLICANT DETAILS
Provide your full name and your IPENZ identity record number, if you know it, and your
date of birth.
5.2 SELECT WHAT YOU ARE APPLYING FOR
You can apply for one or more of the registers and IPENZ membership with one
application. Use the links in SECTION A - on page 3 to explore the different registers and
membership classes before deciding what you would like to apply for. Refer to SECTION
F - on page 27) if you wish to apply for Recognised Engineer or Design Verifier.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 7 of 38
If you wish to apply for one of the IPENZ competence-based membership classes and
you have been assessed to an IPENZ-recognised level of competence previously, no fees
or assessment is required.
5.3 CONTACT DETAILS
IPENZ needs a contact address when communicating with you. You can select either
your home or business address as the address you would prefer IPENZ to use.
The registers are publicly accessible and searchable so if you consent to your contact
details being listed on a register, IPENZ will only use a business address for your contact
details on the register.
You may choose not to have your contact details listed on the online registers. Indicate
your preference under section 9.2 of the CA01 form.
5.4 QUALIFICATIONS
You should provide certified copies of your qualifications with your application.
There is no ‗required qualification‘ in a competence-based assessment system but the
knowledge benchmark is the relevant Accord exemplar qualification – that is:
a Washington Accord or recognised equivalent (four year) BE degree for
professional engineers, or
a Sydney Accord or recognised equivalent (three year) BEngTech degree, or
a Dublin Accord or recognised equivalent (2 year) Diploma or Certificate for
Engineering Technicians.
To meet the quality mark requirements you must demonstrate you have acquired
knowledge to a level equivalent to the exemplar qualification. For example, CPEng
applicants must demonstrate they can ‗comprehend and apply‘ knowledge to the level
equivalent of a Washington Accord degree. As quality marks are competence based,
there is no prescribed qualification required – the exemplar qualification is ‗good
evidence‘.
Most applicants with the relevant Accord qualification (or recognised equivalent) and
their summary of on-going learning are able to demonstrate they meet the knowledge
requirement without a specific knowledge assessment.
If you do not have qualifications recognised under these Accords, you should assume
you will be required to undertake a knowledge assessment (refer to SECTION G - on page
29).
5.5 CERTIFIED COPIES OF DOCUMENTS
Certified copies are copies of your original academic qualifications or memberships that
have been certified by third party as true copies of the original. The person certifying
your copies could be one of the following:
o an AIPENZ, TIPENZ, MIPENZ or FIPENZ member (they must also state their
membership number)
o Justice of the Peace
o IPENZ National Office staff member
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 8 of 38
Whoever certifies the qualifications needs to print their name, signing the statement ―I
certify this to be a true copy‖.
If you are currently an IPENZ member, you do not need to submit certified copies of your
qualifications unless requested to, as records of your qualifications should be held on
file. However, if you have obtained further qualifications since your last assessment,
then include certified copies of these as outlined above.
Important note: you should always retain possession of your original documents.
5.6 PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/REGISTRATIONS/LICENSES
List any memberships of overseas engineering bodies or any registrations or licences to
practice which you have held or currently hold. You may be eligible to ‗credit‘ being
given for these previous demonstrations of competence, resulting in your requiring less
documentation for assessment- check the ‗credit schedule‘ (see paragraph 23.1 on
page 28) for details..
5.7 OVERSEAS-BASED APPLICANTS
There is nothing in the CPEng Rules or IPENZ Regulations that requires applicants to
reside or practice in New Zealand. However, element 2 of the competence standard
requires applicants for a current competence-based register (CPEng, ETPract or CertETn)
to demonstrate that they are able to comprehend and apply knowledge of good
engineering practice that is specific to New Zealand. This is practice area dependent
and will impact more significantly on those areas of engineering where there is high level
of New Zealand specific good practice (for example, as determined by the regulatory
environment) than those areas where there is a high-level of international codes,
standards and regulations.
If an applicant‘s practice area has limited New Zealand-specific engineering knowledge
(such as for software engineering) because engineering practice is based largely on
international standards and codes, there will be minimal evidence required. If, however,
the candidate‘s practice area demands a high level of New Zealand-specific engineering
knowledge (such as seismic engineering), evidence will be required to show that he/she
is ‗able to practice competently‘ in the New Zealand context, through activities such as:
a. Performing engineering work for New Zealand-based clients;
b. Working in an international company which has New Zealand offices, and he/she
participates in New Zealand-based activities;
c. Working in an environment where design codes, standards etc are based on New
Zealand standards and codes. In such a situation, the candidate would need to
show how he/she is aware of and applies these in the context of the New Zealand
regulatory environment (e.g. application of the New Zealand Building Code);
d. CPD includes development and/or training on New Zealand-specific practice. This
CPD would normally be evidence in addition to one or more of (a) through (c) above.
Note that passive CPD (e.g., private reading) alone is unlikely to provide sufficient
evidence to satisfy the requirements for this element.
5.8 PRACTICE AREA
Practice area means your area of practice, as determined by —
a. the area within which you have engineering knowledge and skills; and
b. the nature of your professional engineering activities.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 9 of 38
Your practice area is likely to change over the course of your engineering life – as your
knowledge and skills are developed and/or as the nature of your engineering activities
changes (such as taking on engineering management responsibilities).
Assessment panels are required to assess whether your practice area description is a
reasonable summary of your practice area (based on the evidence presented) and then
they will assess your competence within that practice area.
You are required to describe your practice area through a small number of succinct
statements of 15-25 words in total. Here are some tips for when drafting your practice
area description:
1. describe both the nature of your engineering activities (using words like ‗design‘,
‗production‘, ‗construction monitoring‘ or ‗certification‘) and the area in which
you have current knowledge and skills (using terms like ‗electricity generation
and reticulation‘, ‗biomass fuels‘, ‗roading networks‘, ‗heavy road transport
vehicles‘ or ‗reinforced concrete structures‘).
2. If using generic terms in describing the nature of your engineering activities
(such as ‗project management‘, ‗asset management‘ or ‗contracts
management‘) ensure that you include suitable qualifying terms to show the
engineering aspects of the work. For example, ‗project management the design
of wideband telecommunications networks‘.
3. Use ‗bullet point‘ type statements rather than full sentences.
4. Include supporting evidence (work samples, or descriptions of the work in either
or both of your work history or your competence self-review form) for everything
specified in your practice area description and
5. Exclude things from the practice area description that are not supported by
evidence in your portfolio of evidence. If you are unable to provide supporting
evidence for some engineering activity included in your practice area description
- remove it.
5.9 PRACTICE AREA DESCRIPTION - EXAMPLES
The following are examples of acceptable practice area descriptions and how they align
with the most appropriate practice field(s) in completing Sections 6.1 and 6.2.
Applicant/
Candidate Practice Area Description
Practice
field(s)*
Engineer 1
Design of coastal and marine structures including
floating structures
Project management of dredging and reclamation
projects
Project manage construction monitoring of jetties,
breakwaters and submarine pipelines
Civil
Engineer 2
Highway design and construction
Design of sewerage reticulation and treatment
facilities
Design and construction monitoring of water supply
systems
Storm water drainage and flood control system design
Civil,
Environmental
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 10 of 38
Applicant/
Candidate Practice Area Description
Practice
field(s)*
Engineer 3
Engineering educator in process control and
thermodynamics
Post graduate student supervision
Research and consultancy in biomass energy and
biofuels
Chemical, Bio
Engineer 4
Design of precast concrete structures
Project management in construction monitoring of
industrial and commercial buildings
Design and construction monitoring of steel framed
industrial buildings and plant structures
Structural
Note: The practice field information is only used for the selection of assessors. It
has no impact on the candidate‘s assessment, as the assessment panel will be
assessing the candidate in his or her practice area.
5.10 POOR PRACTICE AREA DESCRIPTIONS
Some examples of poor practice area descriptions include:
i. ―I have specialised in management and have over 30 years experience as an
engineer, currently leading multidisciplinary teams consisting of engineers,
architects, IT specialist and planners located in New Zealand, Thailand,
Singapore and Malaysia advising on the facilitation of key strategic infrastructure
projects valued at up to NZ$500 million.‖
ii. Structural design.
iii. Project management; Procurement; Contracts management
The reason why these practice area descriptions are poor is that they do not identify the
engineer‘s knowledge base and the nature of his/her engineering activities.
Description (i) gives no indication of any engineering involvement in the projects
- is it transportation, energy management, water supply or waste water
management? Engineering management is acceptable but the practice area
description needs to show how engineering is involved - the candidate has to
provide clear evidence that he/she analyses and solves complex engineering
management problems and manages complex engineering management
activities in this practice area.
Description (ii) lacks specific detail – is the engineer claiming to be competent
across all aspects of structural engineering? Some details - such as ‗reinforced
concrete structures - dams, bridges and related structures‘ – are required to give
a more accurate description of the practice area.
Description (iii) – like description (i) – lacks any indication of the engineering
involvement. Additional information is required to show the engineer‘s
engineering involvement – such as ‗Project management of design and
construction of industrial plant‘.
5.11 DESIGN VERIFIER APPLICATIONS
Design Verifiers must identify one or more of the three types of equipment that they wish
to perform design verifications for – Pressure Equipment, Cranes or Passenger
Ropeways.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 11 of 38
5.12 PRACTICE FIELDS
You are asked to select one or two practice field(s) with which your practice area most
closely aligns. Your practice area may partly lie within two or more practice fields, but
IPENZ asks that you select no more than two practice fields when completing the
application form.
The 17 Practice areas are Aerospace, Bio, Building Services, Chemical, Civil, Electrical,
Environmental, Fire, Geotechnical, Industrial, Information, Management, Mechanical,
Mining, Petroleum, Structural, and Transportation. These fields are the disciplines
adopted by the APEC Engineer Agreement.
5.13 ASSESSMENT CENTRES
Assessments are normally carried out in one of the three main centres in New Zealand.
However, if there are sufficient applicants from other centres where there are a number
of locally based assessors available, then assessments may be arranged in that centre
with the agreement of all parties involved. In the past a limited number of interactive
assessments have been held in Hamilton for example.
5.14 UK ASSESSMENTS
Applicants practising in the UK who have a Washington Accord accredited degree (or
recognised equivalent) may apply for assessment for MIPENZ and/or CPEng in the UK.
However, such applicants should be warned that completing the assessment may take
longer and cost more than assessments carried out in New Zealand. Arrangements will
be made on a case-by-case basis.
5.15 REFEREES
Please record the names and contact details of your two independent referees who
meet the eligibility criteria (see SECTION E - on page 25). Referees will need to fill out a
Referee Declaration and Evaluation Form and send it directly to the IPENZ National
Office – Members can use the on-line system to do this electronically (see paragraph 9
on page 14).
5.16 APPLYING FOR IPENZ MEMBERSHIP OR CHANGED CLASS OF MEMBERSHIP
Complete this section if you are applying for IPENZ membership or if you are already a
member but wish to move to another class of membership (eg. GIPENZ moving to
MIPENZ, or TIPENZ moving to MIPENZ etc). This section determines the level of IPENZ
communications that you will receive in future.
5.17 PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS AND DECLARATIONS
You must fill in all of these sections. If you leave a section blank, processing your
application will be delayed until all sections are completed.
5.18 APPLICANTS FOR CPENG VIA TTMRA
If you are a Registered Professional Engineer Queensland (RPEQ) and wish to apply for
CPEng in New Zealand, you are eligible for registration under the Trans Tasman Mutual
Recognition Act (TTMRA) which is a government-to-government agreement between New
Zealand and Australia. TTMRA applies to both goods and services (occupations). If
someone is in an occupation that requires registration in both countries, being
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 12 of 38
registered in one jurisdiction is ‗deemed‘ to be registered in the other so long as
‗occupational equivalence‘ is established.
CPEng is deemed to be a registered occupation in New Zealand for the purposes of the
TTMRA. The only jurisdiction with registration for engineers in Australia is Queensland –
thus if you are registered as RPEQ in Australia, you only need to show that occupational
equivalence has been achieved to be registered as CPEng(NZ). The term to your next
assessment would be calculated from the date of your last assessment.
To establish occupational equivalence in New Zealand, engineers need to be assessed
in their practice area as there is no such thing as a CPEng ‗structural engineer‘ as there
is in Queensland. Occupational equivalence can only be established by having RPEQ-
applicants show they are able to ‗comprehend and apply‘ current good practice that is
specific to New Zealand in their practice area. Thus if a RPEQ applicant does design and
construction monitoring of buildings and bridges, then he/she would have to show
competence in New Zealand-specific good practice (especially the seismic aspects) in
design and construction monitoring of buildings and bridges as if he/she was a New
Zealand engineer.
TTMRA applicants only need to complete the CA03, CA04, CA05 forms in relation to New
Zealand-specific good practice (i.e. Element 2 and relevant CPD) in their practice area.
If applying for CPEng via Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement (TTMRA) please
fill in the details of your RPEQ registration.
5.19 REGISTERS OF EQUIVALENT COMPETENCE
IPENZ gives ―credit‖ to engineers who have previously demonstrated competence to an
equivalent level (of that required for admission to a register) in an overseas jurisdiction -
refer to the ‗credit schedule‘ as a general rule, if you were last assessed within the last 5
years, you will only be required to meet the ‗occupational equivalence‘ test – which
means that you are ‗able to comprehend and apply‘ knowledge of good engineering
practice ‗specific to New Zealand‘ in your practice area (i.e., element 2 of the
competence standard), supported by appropriate CPD (element 11). If you have any
overseas memberships or licenses then you should see
http://www.ipenz.org.nz/IPENZ/Forms/pdfs/Credit_for_Registrants_from_other_Jurisdic
tions.pdf for details.
If you were last assessed more than 5 years ago, you should submit a more
comprehensive portfolio of evidence, as you were undertaking a continued registration
assessment.
5.20 DECLARATIONS AND AUTHORISATION FOR MEMBERSHIP/REGISTRATION
Please tick the relevant boxes which relate to the membership classes and registers you
are applying for. The final two declarations (that authorise IPENZ to contact referees and
certify that all the information you have provided is accurate) must be ticked by all
applicants.
5.21 ASSESSMENT FEE
The fee for an AFA is payable on submission of your application and portfolio of
evidence. Use the table at the rear of the form to calculate your fee. This can be paid by
either cheque or credit card. A refund will be given if the assessment is completed
without needing to use all the assessment tools you paid for.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 13 of 38
6. COMPETENCE SELF REVIEW FORM (CA03)
This is the key document for AFAs and provides assessors with examples of evidence
you believe demonstrates your competence for each of the elements of the relevant
competence standard. In general terms you should:-
Always write in the first-person. Use ―I‖ statements as opposed to ―we‖ - even if
you were working as part of a group. It is important you identify your personal
contribution and the work you were personally responsible for.
Cross reference examples to your work samples, work history or CPD records.
When using the same piece of work for a number of elements, you can give full
information when you first describe the work then cross-reference as appropriate
elsewhere later. As a guide you should provide: the name of the job, scale of
significance of the work (e.g. size and cost), your role and the key issues and
outcomes.
Note the technical or engineering managerial complexity of the project, taking into
account the definitions provided at the rear of the form. Examples cited should
demonstrate a level of complexity consistent with the quality marks you are being
assessed for.
Check out the code of ethical conduct for either CPEng or the other IPENZ registers
to assist you preparing evidence for element 8 (ethical conduct) of your competence
self-review. The codes require an identical level of conduct and only differ in how
they refer to an engineer (i.e. as either a ‗Chartered Professional Engineer‘ or as
‗the registrant‘).
Back up examples in the Competence Self Review with work samples highlighting
the things you believe show how you demonstrate competence for each of the
elements of the standard. Remember it is your responsibility to provide your best
evidence of competence for assessment – don‘t rely on assessors to ask you to
submit further information.
Please exercise judgement on the level of detail provided - less detail may be needed for
substantial, obviously complex projects or activities while smaller scale projects may
require more as the complexities may not be immediately apparent. The objective is to
supply sufficient information to enable straightforward verification by the panel.
The questions in the form are a guide to identify suitable projects or activities from your
CV, work history records or CPD records that best demonstrate competence against
each element. Alternatively check out the performance indicators in the relevant
competence standard for guidance on ‗good evidence‘ of competence.
Assessment panels cannot rely on ‗implied evidence‘ – they can only use evidence
which clearly shows you are able to do the things required by the competence element.
For this reason it is important to identify specific examples that best demonstrate your
competence. As an example, for element 10 giving specific examples of your
communication requirements (e.g. chairing client meetings, managing contractors,
reporting to senior management) is better than saying ―I am a senior executive and must
be able to communicate clearly to perform my job‖.
You may find the Practice Field Guidelines in SECTION H - on page 31 give more
information if guidelines covering your field of engineering have been developed.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 14 of 38
7. WORK HISTORY SUMMARY (FORM CA04) OR ANNOTATED CV
Your work history summary should show the type of engineering you are doing in your
practice area and summarise your responsibilities, key projects and activities, and your
achievements. If you have a detailed CV which includes the same information required
by the CA04 form, it is acceptable to provide this instead of the CA04 form.
It is also acceptable to use the on-line work history records instead of the CA04 form if
you have been recording your competence development on-line over the last 6 years (or
since graduation if that was a lesser period).
Experience has shown that graduates with Washington Accord recognised qualification
who have participated in a recognised graduate development programme – (either the
IPENZ graduate development programme, or a graduate programme run by an IPENZ
endorsed employer or Professional Development Partner) typically take at least 3½ to 4
years of post graduate work experience to develop the required level of competence
before applying. Engineering technologist and technician graduates may achieve
competence in a shorter period.
If you do not have Accord recognised qualifications and you have not undertaken
significant post graduate study you will probably need a much longer period of
experiential learning before being able to demonstrate that you meet the competence
standard.
8. RECORDING YOUR CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
ACTIVITIES (FORM CA05)
IPENZ Competence Assessments require a summary of your professional development
activities over the last six years to demonstrate that you have ―taken reasonable steps
to maintain the currency of‖ your professional knowledge and skills. IPENZ encourages
members to have a professional development plan in place - details of your plan would
be good evidence to include for element 11 in your competence self review.
Taken as a whole the CPD activities you present should show how you have taken
reasonable steps to maintain your competence in your practice area, taking account of
the full range of competence elements. IPENZ guidelines are for 50 hours per year, but
achievement is assessed on the learning and its application, NOT the total hours spent.
The emphasis is on the quality and relevance of CPD, rather than the quantity. For this
reason applicants are asked to comment on the learning benefits of key CPD activities
to their engineering practice.
If you are currently an IPENZ member you may have been using the web-based system
for recording your CPD activities, in which case you may use a printed version of your
records instead of the CA05 form.
9. REFEREE DECLARATION AND EVALUATION FORM (FORM CA06)
Applicants must select two referees who meet the specified eligibility criteria (see
SECTION E - on page 25
IPENZ Members can use the on-line referee request system to enter their practice area
details and up-load their completed competence self-review form (CA03). On entering
the referees‘ email contact details, referees will be sent an email containing a link to the
CA06 form which can be completed on-line. When they have completed the form, they
can ‗submit‘ it directly to your assessors – applicants will get an email confirmation once
the report has been submitted.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 15 of 38
Using this on-line system will save time and expedite the process. You should follow up
with your referees if you do not receive an email within a reasonable time indicating that
they have completed and submitted their report.
Non-IPENZ Members will need to give each referee
1. A Referee Declaration and Evaluation Form (CA06), with your practice area
description copied from your CA01 or CA02 form, along with the date the referee
must submit the completed form to National Office;
2. A copy of their completed competence self-review form (Form CA03).
Referees must fill out the CA06 form referencing your competence self-review form and
send it to the IPENZ National Office by the date you specified on the CA06 form. To make
it easier for your referees we suggest you provide them with a stamped envelope
addressed to the IPENZ National Office.
It is your responsibility to set the due date referees are to submit the completed form to
IPENZ. This is specified on the front page of the CA06 form.
10. WORK SAMPLES
When applying for Assessment for Admission (AFA), you are strongly encouraged to
submit evidence in the form of work samples – especially the examples cited in your
Competence Self Review form. For example you might use one sample to show your risk
identification and management skills, while another could demonstrate your engineering
analysis and problem solving skills.
You should clearly identify those parts of projects/activities you were personally
responsible for to indicate your personal contribution. You are also encouraged to cross
reference work samples in your other documents (especially your competence self-
review form) to assist assessors in finding the critical evidence of your competence.
The work samples should make it easy for the assessment panel to verify competence.
Choose your examples carefully. The choice of samples is also important as it can help
demonstrate that your decision making demonstrates sound engineering judgment. You
should outline at the start of each sample exactly how and why you have chosen each
sample.
10.1 EXAMPLES OF TYPES OF WORK SAMPLES
Work samples could relate to:
an engineering problem requiring a physical solution – for instance your work may
have involved the investigation and/or design and implementation of a structure, a
product, a transmission system or other physical subject;
an engineering problem requiring an abstract solution, such as software
engineering, information technology, chemical or some other type of process;
an engineering research project, provided that the work has taken you from
investigation and design through to implementation;
development of standards or policies which rely heavily on engineering inputs and
judgements.
For more specific guidelines relating to different practice fields, please refer to the
Practice Field Guidelines in SECTION H - on page 31.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 16 of 38
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 17 of 38
SECTION C - ASSESSMENTS FOR
CONTINUED REGISTRATION
11. WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
The forms required in your portfolio of evidence for continued registration assessment
are:
CA02 - Submission for continued registration assessment
CA04 – work history summary form - you can send in a ‗detailed CV‘ (i.e., a CV
that you‘d use for a job-search, so long as it contains the same type of
information requested by the CA04 form).
CA05 – CPD summary form
CA26 – Referee Declaration and Evaluation form which your referees complete
and submit directly to IPENZ. Access the form (or use the on-line referee request
system) via the IPENZ website.
Work samples – refer to paragraph 15 on page 19 for details.
You need to submit a portfolio of evidence consisting of the documents listed above.
You can either submit your portfolio of evidence electronically (if it is larger than 2MB,
please do not email it but send it on a memory stick or CD) or submit printed versions,
but if you submit printed copies, you must send in 3 copies of the documents. Collate
papers into 3 separate bundles containing 1 copy of each form and send all 3 copies to
the IPENZ national office at the address listed on the application form.
12. PREPARING FOR CONTINUED REGISTRATION ASSESSMENT
We recommend the following steps:
If your practice area has not changed materially since your last assessment, the
standard for continued registration requires essentially two things – (i) that you
have taken reasonable steps to maintain your competence and (ii) that you are ‗still
able‘ to practice competently in your practice area.
If your practice area has changed materially – in other words you have developed a
new body of knowledge rather than extended your previous body of knowledge –
then you need to prepare your portfolio of evidence as if you were undertaking an
AFA in your current practice area. Examples of such a situation would be an
electrical engineer who is now practising in fire engineering. A change where an
electrical engineer had been promoted to a position where he or she was
responsible for fire engineers would not be regarded as a material change to his or
her practice area.
Update your Work History Summary (Form CA04) or your CV if it includes the same
information. IPENZ Members recording their work history online in the IPENZ
Members‘ area may submit a copy of those records instead.
Update your Continuing Professional Development Activities Summary (Form CA05)
to include CPD activities over the last 6 years. IPENZ Members recording their CPD
online in the IPENZ Members‘ area may submit a copy of those records instead.
Take the time to reflect on the key learning that you gained and how it impacted on
your practice and contributed to demonstrating your current competence.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 18 of 38
It is important that overseas candidates undertaking a CRA show they have
maintained their competence New Zealand specific good practice through relevant
CPD and work samples. The extent of CPD required will be dependent on the extent
to which New Zealand-specific practice in their practice area has changed. In areas
of engineering which experience significant changes (due to changes in the
regulatory environment, ‗good practice‘ or technology), candidates will be expected
to demonstrate a higher level of New Zealand-specific CPD. Overseas candidates
should consider ways in which they may be able to demonstrate this – see
paragraph 5.7 on page 8 for further information.
13. COMPLETING CRA SUBMISSION FORM (CA02)
The CA02 form contains many fields that are similar to those required on the CA01 form.
The following sections of the CA02 form are the same as the CA01 so refer to the
relevant sections of paragraph 5 on page 6 for guidance.
Personal and contact details;
Qualifications (only if gained since last assessment);
Professional memberships and or registrations (only if gained since last
assessment);
Current practice area description
Practice fields;
If you wish to also be assessed for registration as either a Design Verifier or a
Recognised Engineer, then at the minimum you will need to provide a completed CA03
competence self-review form as well as suitable supporting work samples. The
assessment panel may also request additional information to enable it to complete the
assessment.
If you are a Design Verifier or a Recognised Engineer, competence for these quality
marks will be assessed as part of your assessment for continued CPEng registration.
IPENZ as the Registration Authority will notify registrants who are due for a CRA and
provide a deadline for submitting portfolios of evidence.
14. REFEREE DECLARATION AND EVALUATION FORM (FORM CA26)
You must submit the names and contact details of two independent referees who meet
the eligibility criteria (see SECTION E - on page 25). However, unlike the AFA, your
referees will need to fill out a Referee Declaration and Evaluation (Form CA26), and send
it directly to the IPENZ National Office.
IPENZ Members can use the on-line referee request system to enter their practice area
details and up-load their completed CA02 form. On entering the referees‘ email contact
details, referees will be sent an email containing a link to the CA26 form which can be
completed on-line. When they have completed the form, they can ‗submit‘ it directly to
your assessors – applicants will get an email confirmation once the report has been
submitted.
Using this on-line system will save time and expedite the process. You should follow up
with your referees if you do not receive an email within a reasonable time indicating that
they have completed and submitted their report.
Non-IPENZ Members will need to give each referee
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 19 of 38
A Referee Declaration and Evaluation Form (CA26), with your CA02 form (which
includes your practice area description and work sample annotations), along with
the date the referee must submit the completed form to National Office;
Referees must fill out the CA26 form referencing your annotations on the completed
CA02 form and send it to the IPENZ National Office by the date you specified on the
CA26 form..
It is your responsibility to set the due date referees are to submit the completed form to
IPENZ. This is specified on the front page of the CA26 form.
15. WORK SAMPLES
Candidates for CRA must now include work samples as part of their portfolio of
evidence.
The purpose of work samples is to allow the assessment panel to verify your current
competence. Choose your examples carefully. The choice of samples is also important
and reflects your decision making and engineering judgment. You should outline at the
start of each sample exactly how and why you have chosen each sample.
The onus is on you as the registrant to provide evidence that you think demonstrates
your current competence. The thrust of the continued registration assessment is not
―tell us what you do‖ but to ―show us what you do‖. The Rules (see Rule 23 for details)
require work samples ―with annotations explaining how the samples demonstrate that
the candidate meets the minimum standard for continued registration‖. Section 6.2 of
the CA02 is where you provide the annotations.
As CRA candidates are already registered, those who have been competently practising
engineering since last assessment and have been taking reasonable steps to maintain
their competence are likely to show they meet the standard for continued registration by
a relatively quick interactive assessment (see Rule 24 for details). This expectation
being based on candidates presenting actual work samples with annotations to clearly
identify evidence of current competence.
Some portfolios of evidence received early after the rule changes were not only
voluminous but lacked any labelling to identify the critical evidence among the work
samples - no page numbers, masses of computer printouts without any annotations, no
tags or labels to highlight critical pieces of work as evidence. Candidates are expected
to use the interactive assessment to lead the assessment panel through their portfolio
of evidence, highlighting key evidence that shows the standard has been met. A poorly
presented portfolio of evidence makes it difficult to pin point critical evidence without
time consuming descriptions to locate it.
To assist you in presenting your work samples and annotations, ask yourself the
following questions:
a. Have I explained the changes that have occurred in my practice area since my
last assessment?
b. Does my CPD summary show that I have taken reasonable steps to address
these changes and keep up to date?
c. Do my work samples show how I am able to apply the new knowledge in the
course of my work?
d. Have the work samples I have provided show that I am ‗still able to practice
competently‘ in my current practice area?
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 20 of 38
e. Have I clearly identified the critical evidence so that it is easy for the assessors
to find it?
f. Does my portfolio of evidence demonstrate my sound judgement and my
professionalism as a CPEng?
15.1 EXAMPLES OF WORK SAMPLES
Work samples could relate to:
an engineering problem requiring a physical solution – for instance your work may
have involved the investigation and/or design and implementation of a structure, a
product, a transmission system or other physical subject
an engineering problem requiring an abstract solution involving software
engineering, information technology, chemical or some other type of process
an engineering research project, provided that the work has taken you from
investigation and design through to implementation.
For more specific guidelines relating to different practice fields, refer to the Practice
Field Guidelines in SECTION H - on page 31.
16. VIDEOCONFERENCE INTERACTIVE ASSESSMENTS
CRAs now require an interactive assessment. To facilitate the process and keep costs to
a minimum, this will normally be done by videoconference. There are some essential
steps you must take to ensure the process runs smoothly and effectively.
16.1 PREPARATIONS FOR VIDEOCONFERENCE INTERACTIVE ASSESSMENTS
IPENZ has invested in technology that enables videoconferencing via the internet but
does not require you to download any proprietary software to your PC – this eliminates
any concerns of viruses or the like. However, to connect to the videoconference, the
computer you plan to use must have:
a. a webcam; and
b. Adobe Flashplayer (this is commonly used software and is required to view
videos such as those on YouTube).
Before the interactive assessment, you will receive an invitation from IPENZ National
Office to test your computer‘s ability to join an on-line videoconference using the IPENZ
technology. If your computer is able to satisfactorily connect to the on-line
videoconference, you should make sure you can use it for your interactive assessment.
16.2 ATTENDING VIDEOCONFERENCE INTERACTIVE ASSESSMENT
Your Staff Assessor will send you a link which includes an invitation to the
videoconference interactive assessment. This will give you a date and time and the link
to click on to join the videoconference.
You are expected to make every effort to be available on the appointed date. If this time
and date is not convenient, you should take immediate action to either change your
other commitments if it possible to do so, or contact your Staff Assessor to see what
alternative dates your assessment panel can offer you.
Please be considerate to your assessors – they are doing many of these assessments
each year (some are doing one or more each week!), whereas you are only likely to do
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 21 of 38
one once every 5 or 6 years. If you are not available for the alternative date, it will then
be your responsibility to make arrangements that are mutually suitable for yourself and
your assessors within a reasonable timeframe. If you make unreasonable demands, the
assessment panel will be directed by National Office to make a recommendation on the
evidence it has available.
17. ASSESSMENT FEE
The cost of a CRA is covered by the annual fees so no fee is payable when you submit
your portfolio of evidence. However if the assessment panel requires the use of a
second interactive assessment to complete the assessment, you will be advised as you
will need to pay a further fee (as listed on the CA02 form) before the panel can complete
the assessment.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 22 of 38
SECTION D - ASSESSMENT PROCESS
18. ASSESSMENT PROCESS
What does competence assessment involve? To apply for a competence
assessment, you must submit a portfolio of evidence which shows that you meet
the relevant competence standard. Your portfolio includes your Work History
Summary, CPD Activities, competence self-review and work samples. Assessors will
also have access to the referee inputs as well.
Remember: Actual performance is the only determinant of competence. The
evidence you present must show that you are able to do the things required by each
of the competence elements. The applicant is responsible for presenting his/her
best evidence to demonstrate competence.
Once an application has been received IPENZ will convene an assessment panel of
at least two assessors to assess the application. Assessors are required to use the
following assessment tools unless they decide they are unnecessary.
Interactive assessment – This is usually a physical face-to-face meeting with the
assessment panel but videoconferencing is another tool that can be used -
especially for CRAs. The interactive assessment is an opportunity for you to explain
to the assessment panel how your evidence shows you meet the competence
standard. Accordingly, you should be well-prepared prior to the meeting. The
interactive assessment is usually run in the style of a professional conversation,
with the focus on your leading the conversation and explaining how you consider
your portfolio of evidence shows you meet the required standard of competence.
The conversation is designed to empower and enable you to demonstrate the way
you do things. Assessors do not expect a PowerPoint presentation, but they do
expect you to be ready to provide your strongest evidence and to respond to
questions related to that evidence. All candidates should expect to undertake an
interactive assessment.
Written assignment – The Assessment Panel will use the written assignment as
further evidence for the assessment. If your evidence of competence is strong and
the Assessors are satisfied that you meet the standard, they may exempt you from
this assignment. However, if you have qualifications not assessed as equivalent to
the relevant Accord qualification you should not expect any exemption from a
written assignment.
The assessment panel will decide on the nature and topic of the written assignment
and provide you with clear instructions as the purpose of the exercise – which
elements they seek further evidence on, whether the assignment is to be a ‗closed
book‘ or ‗open book exercise‘ etc. If you are unclear on anything, you should
discuss these concerns with the panel. Assessment panels may require you to do a
written assignment at any stage through the assessment. For example, the
Assessment Panel may set a written assignment where you are expected to
complete in your normal work environment, with the topic title being emailed to you,
say, at 9am in the morning with a deadline of 5pm for you to email your written
assignment back to the assessors. They may then wish to discuss it with you at
your interactive assessment.
Knowledge assessment – The knowledge assessment is an assessment tool to
assist in determining the extent to which you meet the engineering knowledge
component of the competence standards (element 1). The performance indicators
for element 1 require you to demonstrate that you:
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 23 of 38
(i) have acquired the level of engineering knowledge equivalent to a relevant
Accord qualification, and are able to:
(ii) apply this knowledge in working from first principles; or
(iii) read literature, comprehend, evaluate and apply new knowledge.
Knowledge assessments are most likely if you do not have a Washington, Sydney, or
Dublin Accord qualification. You can apply for a knowledge assessment separately
from applying for membership or registration. For further information see page 30).
Request for further information – If the assessment panel does not receive the
information it requests, then progress of your application will cease until the panel
receives it. If you are requested to supply additional information or referee details,
and this information is not received within 6 months, your application may lapse.
They may approach you or your referees for further information to help assess
whether you meet the competence standard.
Additional referees – The panel may also require you to provide extra independent
referees if it feels it is necessary.
What are ‗relevant registers‘? For AFAs, the assessment panel will assess your
portfolio of evidence and make a recommendation for the relevant register(s) based
on the level of complexity of the work you are doing competently. If the panel
considers that you are performing ‗complex engineering‘ competently then it will
recommend CPEng - and if you are eligible for IntPE(NZ) it would also recommend
that (even if you did not apply for it). If on the other hand you applied for CPEng but
the assessment panel considered you are competently performing ‗broadly defined
engineering‘ then it will recommend ETPract – you will, of course, be invited to make
a natural justice submission on this recommendation before the Competency
Assessment Board makes its final decision. Assessment panels are required to
consider not only those registers for which an applicant has applied, but also other
registers for which the applicant may qualify – these are referred to as the ‗relevant
registers‘. For example, an applicant for CPEng may also be considered for IntPE.
Natural justice submissions All competence assessment recommendations made
by assessment panels are presented to the IPENZ Competence Assessment Board
for final approval as a quality assurance measure. If the Board proposes to decline
your application, you will be notified of the proposed decision along with the
reasons, and you will be invited to make a written submission within a specified
time. The Board will then consider your submission before making its final decision
on your application.
18.1 TRACKING PROGRESS OF YOUR ASSESSMENT An online system allows candidates to check the progress of their assessment at their
convenience by accessing the Members‘ Area of the IPENZ web site.
As soon as you lodge documents for a competence assessment for any register or
Membership class with IPENZ, a link will be automatically generated in the entry page to
the Members‘ Area under the heading ―Competence Assessment‖. The date this record
was last updated will be shown, reflecting the last action taken in regard to your
assessment.
Typically this will be in a list with the last line being the current status of the assessment,
such as:
• Application received – 20/05/12 View Details
• Assessment panel assigned to application – 27/05/12
• Interactive assessment scheduled – 27/05/12
• Written assessment scheduled – 17/08/12
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 24 of 38
• Initial assessment completed, recommendation made – 27/08/12
• Competence Assessment Board decision made – 03/09/12
• Application referred back to assessment panel– 04/09/12
The link ―View Details‖ in the Application received line takes you to a page listing the
documents (and dates) received as your portfolio of evidence and other details such as
fees paid, practice area description, practice fields, referee names and referee reports
received.
All continued registration assessments will have ―CRA Notification‖ as the first line in the
process.
The example above shows the events involved for a typical assessment for admission
involving an interactive assessment. It shows that the assessment panel made a
recommendation to the Competency Assessment Board (CAB) but after it met, the CAB
decided that it needed clarification on the recommendation or supporting
documentation and referred the matter back to the assessment panel.
Once an assessment is completed, the above information is removed from the web site.
Members are encouraged to regularly check on progress of their assessments via the
Members‘ Area. If after checking the web site you still have questions about the progress
of your assessment, either email or telephone IPENZ National Office for clarification.
18.2 NOTIFICATION OF ASSESSMENT OUTCOMES
You will normally be advised in writing of the assessment result within a week of the
Competency Assessment Board making its final decision on your assessment.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 25 of 38
SECTION E - REFEREE ELIGIBILITY
19. WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO BE A REFEREE?
The requirements for referees are that they (i) have successfully undertaken a
competence assessment to at least the same level of competence as you are applying
for, and (ii) are ‗independent‘.
To meet requirement (i), referees should either have been assessed in the last 5 years,
or be members of a recognised professional engineering body which has an ethical
obligation on its members to maintain their professional competence. The list of
recognised bodies is at: http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/Join/Credit_For_Registrants.cfm
Referees must also be independent. ‗Independent‘ is not defined in the Rules or
Regulations, but is taken to mean they should have no vested interest in the outcome of
the assessment. While it may be alright for you to have one engineer from your
immediate workplace as a referee, it is preferable that the other referee is from outside
your immediate workplace – especially if you work for a small organisation.
Ideally referees will have sufficient first-hand experience of your recent engineering
activities to be able to evaluate your competence against the quality mark(s) for which
you are applying. Generally speaking your referees are likely to be a current or former
manager/supervisor, engineering colleague or client – so long as they are able to
confidently assess your competence as an engineer and attest to your ethical behaviour.
Referees do not need to be in the same field of engineering as yourself.
If you are unsure if one or both of the engineers you wish to select as referees meet the
eligibility criteria - they may not be sufficiently independent or they may not have
demonstrated competence to the required level, you could use them as a third (or
fourth) referee after identifying 2 referees who clearly comply with the eligibility criteria.
19.1 REFEREES FOR CPENG APPLICANTS
Referees must either be CPEng registered or have CPEng equivalence. ‗CPEng-
equivalent‘ is not defined in the Rules, but for the purposes of being a CPEng referee the
Registrar applies the following interpretation.
‗CPEng equivalence‘, for the purposes of being a referee, means a qualification or title
requiring the same level of competence to that required of a Chartered Professional
Engineer.
It requires
(i) attainment of competence to the CPEng standard; and
(ii) reasonable evidence that the competence is current.
As the rule is currently interpreted, to demonstrate CPEng equivalence a person must:
1. have undergone a competence assessment to the same standard as CPEng, as
evidence by either of
a. registered on the International Professional Engineers Register in any
jurisdiction
b. Professional Membership of IPENZ or an equivalent professional body; or
registration which requires competence assessment meeting the standard
implied by the Engineers Mobility Forum and APEC Engineers agreement
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 26 of 38
2. provide evidence of currency in the form of proof of
a. having undergone a competence assessment as described above in the last
five years
b. membership of a professional body or registration which requires
compliance with a code of ethical conduct that includes active participation
in CPD to maintain competence, and proscribes practicing beyond one‘s
current competence; and being actively engaged in professional engineering
activities.
The acceptance of CPEng equivalence will be determined by the Registrar on a case-by-
case basis.
19.2 REFEREES FROM OUTSIDE NEW ZEALAND
Referees need not work in the same field of engineering as the applicant, but should
have a sound knowledge of good professional engineering practice in New Zealand. This
does not require that they currently reside or practise in New Zealand, but if they are
currently overseas, they should comment on the extent to which they can make an
evaluation of the candidate's competence for element 2.
If a referee with membership or registration from another jurisdiction is normally
resident outside New Zealand, he/she should also submit a copy of his or her CV so that
the assessors can make a judgement on the referee‘s knowledge of good engineering
practice specific to New Zealand.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 27 of 38
SECTION F - OTHER USEFUL
INFORMATION
20. RECOGNISED ENGINEER – CATEGORY A AND CATEGORY B
A Recognised Engineer must be a CPEng and must demonstrate competence in dams
safety engineering. There are two categories of Recognised Engineer – Category A and
Category B. Category A Recognised Engineer is required sign off certain prescribed
documents relating to high and medium potential impact dams – and must be assessed
as competent to perform this work by the Competency Assessment Board. A Category B
Recognised Engineer can be any CPEng with a general background in civil engineering.
For more details refer to Practice Field Guidelines on page 31.
21. DESIGN VERIFIER
A Design Verifier is a statutory function and requires a background in design in relation
to prescribed equipment – pressure equipment, cranes and passenger ropeways (as per
the PECRP regulations). IPENZ is a Qualifications Issuing Agency and is required to
assess and issue certificates of competence to engineers who have demonstrated the
appropriate level of competence in this work. A Design Verifier is expected to be able to
demonstrate competence to the CPEng competence standard. Guidelines for
assessment are located on the IPENZ website. , For more information refer to Practice
Field Guidelines on page 31.
22. CPENG(AUST) AND CPENG(NZ)
There are some critical differences between CPEng in Australia and CPEng in
New Zealand. Engineers Australia has a Royal Charter (IPENZ does not) and uses the
CPEng title as a membership quality mark. In New Zealand the CPEng title is
established by statute. IPENZ in its role as the ‗Registration Authority‘ (as defined in the
CPEng Act) must assess applicants for CPEng registration. IPENZ has no discretion in
how it processes and registers CPEng applicants.
In Australia, Engineers Australia uses the CPEng title as a mark of competence for its
Members in a similar manner to the way IPENZ uses MIPENZ – except CPEng(Aust) are
subject to a 5 yearly CPD audit.
The ‗MIEAust‘ postnominal marks 3 years of post-graduate work experience. There is no
New Zealand-equivalent to the MIEAust title - the nearest equivalent is the GIPENZ
postnominal used by Graduate Members.
IPENZ treats CPEng(Aust) and NPER registration as registers of equivalent competence
to CPEng(NZ).
23. USEFUL LINKS
The following links provide access to useful reference documents.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 28 of 38
23.1 CREDIT SCHEDULE
The credit schedule lists the extent to which IPENZ (or the Registration Authority)
recognises demonstrations to equivalent levels of competence in overseas jurisdictions.
The extent of recognition or ‗credit‘ given depends on what quality mark the engineer
seeks admission to in New Zealand. The credit schedule is located on the IPENZ
website at
http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/forms/pdfs/Credit_for_Registrants_from_other_Jurisdictions.pdf
23.2 CPENG ACT
A pdf copy of the Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand Act 2002 is located
on the IPENZ website at
http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/forms/pdfs/CPEngAct.pdf
23.3 CPENG RULES (AS AMENDED)
A copy of the amended version of the Chartered Professional Engineers of New Zealand
Rules (No 2) 2002 is located on the IPENZ website at
http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/forms/pdfs/CPEngRules.pdf
23.4 IPENZ COMPETENCE REGISTER REGULATIONS
These regulations are on the IPENZ website at
http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/forms/pdfs/IPENZ_Competence_Register_Regula
tions.pdf
23.5 CODES OF ETHICS AND REGULATIONS FOR COMPETENCE REGISTERS
A summary of IPENZ quality marks including competence standards, performance
indicators and the CPEng code of ethical conduct (which is the basis of the IPENZ Code
of ethocs).
The full IPENZ Regulations for Competence Registers. (PDF, 163kB) (including code of
ethics).
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 29 of 38
SECTION G - KNOWLEDGE
ASSESSMENTS
KNOWLEDGE ASSESSMENTS AS PART OF THE COMPETENCE ASSESSMENT PROCESS
The general process for those needing a knowledge assessment is as follows:
a. IPENZ identify those applicants who need a knowledge assessment and a
knowledge assessor is appointed to the assessment panel. The knowledge
assessor is someone with a background in both engineering education and
professional engineering in industry.
b. The knowledge assessor reads your paperwork to become familiar with your
application.
c. You are then contacted by the knowledge assessor, usually first by telephone and
then by email. This assessor introduces him/herself to you and requests the
following if it has not already been provided with your initial application (for example
on the CA03 form, and by way of extra documentation)
Review of Study and learning
o Transcripts and grades for papers studied at school/ college/ polytechnic/
university in all areas (not just engineering)
o a few words on post-school papers/units taken to describe the subject
material (more than is provided in a transcript)
o a note on any major topics studied, either by formal learning, CPD and other
learning in or outside of work
o notes on what you consider to be the key new developments and critical
issues in your practice field.
Modelling and Application
o brief notes on the key mathematical, physical or conceptual models that you
have used to predict engineering outcomes
o a list of the tools (especially software tools) you have used for analysis,
simulation, visualisation, synthesis, design
o brief notes on your views of the accuracy and limitations of these tools and
how you know they give reliable, usable results
Handling Information, Experimental Methods
o a list of laboratory procedures that you are familiar with
o brief notes on: the sources of research information that you use at work;
your methods for drawing conclusions; some experiments that you have
designed/conducted including your assessment of experimental error; any
construction and test of components/sub-systems that you have carried out.
d. Once the information requested in (c) has been supplied, a meeting is arranged
between you and the knowledge assessor. Where possible, this is face-to-face at
your workplace, but in many cases for practical reasons it has been carried out by
telephone.
e. The interview takes place and the assessor discusses the following with you:
o The extent of your knowledge across a broad spectrum of mathematics,
engineering and management topics.
o The design process you used.
o Modelling and application examples supplied by the candidate
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 30 of 38
o Application of research by the candidate.
f. After the interview the assessor documents the assessment findings and provides a
report to the other panel members.
g. The whole panel reviews the material supplied by the candidate, the knowledge
assessment, the interactive assessment and the written assessment before making
recommendations to the IPENZ Competence Assessment Board.
FAQs about Knowledge Assessments
Q. What is the profile of a typical candidate for knowledge assessment?
A. Every case has been different in many ways and so there is not a single profile.
However, some typical examples include:
People who have completed NZCE (or similar qualifications overseas) and worked for
several years in organisations which value on-the-job learning and career
development.
Those who have degrees in subjects allied to engineering followed by further study in
engineering (say at Masters level) or in other areas.
Those who have completed non-Washington Accord engineering degrees overseas.
Experience to-date has shown that the majority of knowledge assessment applicants
have university qualifications - but in non-engineering disciplines. These include
architecture, chemistry, geography, geology, management, mathematics, physics,
science and surveying. In reality, it is not the profile that is important; it is the
candidates' quest for knowledge and the way in which they apply it.
Q. Why do you need such detailed information on my education including my time at
school?
A. This information helps to build up an educational profile of the candidate. In many
cases, subjects studied at school have relevance to engineering. Examples of this would
include mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering drawing. Also by being asked for a
complete list of subjects, candidates have revealed a large amount of relevant
information that has not been disclosed in the initial application to IPENZ. In one case a
successfully completed year of relevant study at university was disclosed.
Q. As a candidate, how can I make the knowledge assessment as painless for myself as
possible?
A. The IPENZ processes are competence-based. This means that the assessment panels
are not there to "test" the candidate or to "trip them up". Rather they are there to gather
sufficient valid and reliable evidence that shows that the candidate meets the elements
of the competence standard. For the knowledge assessment, it is helpful if candidates
provide as much of the information outlined above as possible.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 31 of 38
SECTION H - PRACTICE FIELD GUIDELINES
Currently guidelines have been written for:
Academics
http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/join/documents/Guidance-Notes-for-Engineering-
Academics-October-2007.pdf
Transportation Engineering
http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/forms/pdfs/IPENZ%20Transportation%20Assessment%2
0Guidelines%20-%20May%202007.pdf
Structural Engineering
http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/forms/pdfs/Practice_Field_Guidelines-
Structural_Final_version.pdf
Recognised Engineers
http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/Forms/pdfs/Guidelines_for_assessment_of_recognised_
engineer.pdf
Design Verifiers
http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/forms/pdfs/Design_Verifier_Guidelines.doc
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 32 of 38
SECTION I - IF YOU ARE UNHAPPY
WITH OUTCOME
24. APPEALS AND PROCEDURAL REVIEWS
24.1 APPLICANTS FOR INTPE(NZ), ETPRACT, INTET(NZ) AND CERTETN:
You can apply for either a procedural review or a review of the evidence if you are not
satisfied with the final decision on registration on only one of the two following grounds:
(a) that the assessment was not carried out in accordance with the procedures set
out in the IPENZ Regulations, or
(b) that the decision reached by the Competency Assessment Board is manifestly at
odds with the evidence presented in the application.
You must apply in writing within 14 days after being notified of the assessment decision;
and your application must include a statement supporting one of the two grounds given
above. The application fee for review is $1,000 + GST. If the reviewer finds in your
favour and considers that you have been disadvantaged by the decision, you will have
the fee refunded.
24.2 CPENG APPLICANTS
CPEng applicants have the choice of making an appeal to the Chartered Professional
Engineers Council or applying to the Registration Authority for a procedural review.
There is nothing stopping an applicant pursuing both a procedural review and lodging an
appeal – except he/she must lodge the appropriate documents within the prescribed
times.
If you apply for a procedural review, you should also apply to the Chartered Professional
Engineers Council within the appeal time period requesting an extension of deadline for
lodging an appeal. This will preserve your appeal rights, as the CPEng Council is likely to
await the outcome of the procedural review before considering any appeal.
Under Rule 31 of the CPEng Rules:
(1) A person may, in accordance with this rule, apply to the Registration Authority
for a review on the ground that the assessment was not carried out in accordance with
the procedures set out in the Act or these rules.
(2) The application must be—
(a) made in writing within 14 days after the applicant is notified of the
assessment decision; and
(b) accompanied by—
(i) a statement of how the applicant considers that the assessment
was not carried out in accordance with the procedures set out in the Act
or these rules; and
(ii) any evidence that the applicant wishes to be considered in the
review; and
(c) accompanied by the charge for reviews set out in Schedule 2.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 33 of 38
The charge for a procedural review is $1,000 + GST.
CPEng applicants who are dissatisfied with the Registration Authority decision on their
application or the outcome of any procedural review may lodge an appeal to the CPEng
Council. Appeal rights are not affected in any way by a decision to seek (or not to seek) a
procedural review of the Registration Authority‘s decision. Further information on how to
lodge an appeal can be obtained from the Chartered Professional Engineers Council
website or by writing to:
The CPEng Council
Level 4
32 The Terrace
PO Box 3058
Wellington.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 34 of 38
SECTION J - CAB POLICY: TERM TO
NEXT ASSESSMENT
The Competency Assessment Board approved a policy to provide assessment panels
with guidance on what factors to consider when deciding on a candidate‘s term to next
assessment. The policy is copied in full below.
1. POLICY ON TERM TO NEXT ASSESSMENT
1.1. OBJECTIVES
To achieve a consistent application of the term to next assessment based on
competence-related risk factors and to protect the integrity and credibility of the quality
mark of the current competence registers.
The two proxies considered relevant to this risk and risk trajectory are:
1. The level of an engineer‘s competence when assessed against the standard (either
as marginally meeting the standard, or satisfactorily meeting the standard, or
demonstrating competence well-above the standard); and
2. An engineer‘s assessment history. Past evidence of engineers having maintained
competence over a period of time is a good indicator of their being able to maintain
competence into the future. Thus, engineers who have previously demonstrated an
equivalent level of competence are likely to be a lower risk than those who have not
previously been assessed. Similarly, those who marginally met the standard in the
past can be considered a higher risk.
A candidate is considered to meet the standard marginally when his or her competence
is marginal in elements covering critical aspects of his or her practice area.
1.2. POLICY APPLICATION An assessment panel should apply this policy once it has decided to recommend that a
candidate meets the relevant standard of competence for registration and is deciding its
recommendation for the candidate‘s term to next assessment. If a Panel deviates from
the policy in its recommendation it must document its reasons.
2. POLICY FOR TERM TO NEXT ASSESSMENT
The table below summarises the proposed policy for term to next assessment and uses
a risk-based approach in setting the term to next assessment.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 35 of 38
Term AFA CRA
Two years
The applicant meets the
standard for registration but
only marginally (i.e. one or
more of the elements regarded
as critical to the applicant‘s
practice area were assessed at
lower than ‗consistently
demonstrates competence‘).
The candidate demonstrates that
he/she is still able to practice
competently, but only marginally (eg.
competence was not demonstrated in
the initial holistic assessment so an
element by element analysis was
undertaken; and/or the candidate‘s
competence was assessed as
marginal in elements covering critical
aspects of his or her practice area).
Four years The applicant meets the
standard for registration
The candidate demonstrates (through
work samples) that he/she is still able
to practice competently,
AND EITHER
There is evidence of reasonable steps
being taken to maintain the currency
of his/her knowledge but the steps
being taken to maintain competence
are barely adequate.
OR
He/she has taken reasonable steps to
maintain the currency of his/her
knowledge and skills but the last term
to re-assessment was less than four
years.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 36 of 38
Term AFA CRA
Six years
The applicant meets the
standard for registration
AND EITHER:
The assessment panel has
identified evidence of the
applicant demonstrating
competence at a significantly
higher level than the minimum
standard for registration;
OR
The applicant was successful in
an assessment to an
equivalent standard of
competence within the last six
years;
OR
The applicant is currently
registered on a register
recognised as requiring an
equivalent level of competence.
The candidate satisfactorily
demonstrates (through work samples)
that he/she is still able to practice
competently;
AND
He/she has taken reasonable steps to
maintain the currency of his/her
knowledge and skills;
AND
The last term to re-assessment was
not less than four years.
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 37 of 38
SECTION K - INDEX Appeals and procedural Reviews
CPEng registration ................................. 32
IPENZ Registers ..................................... 32
Applicant Details Contact details .......................................... 7
Applicants based overseas CPEng applications ................................... 8
Assessment Centres UK Assessments .................................... 11
Within New Zealand ............................... 11
Assessment Fee For AFAs.................................................. 13
For CRAs ........................................... 20, 21
Assessment Process Additional Referees ............................... 23
Interactive assessment ......................... 22
Knowledge assessment ........................ 22
Natural justice submissions .................. 23
Notification of outcomes ....................... 24
Public Naming of Candidates ................... 4
Relevant registers .................................. 23
Requesting further information ............ 23
Tracking progress .................................. 23
Written Assignment ............................... 22
Codes of Ethics Links to codes ........................................ 28
Competence standards Links to website ................................. 6, 17
Continuing Professional Development Record of activities ................................ 14
Definitions Assessment for admission (AFA) ............. 4
Continued registration assessment (CRA)
............................................................... 4
CPEng equivalence ................................ 25
Credit Schedule ..................................... 28
Current competence ................................. 3
Design Verifier ........................................... 4
Practice area ............................................. 9
Quality Marks ............................................ 3
Recognised Engineer ................................ 4
Design Verifier Guidelines for applicants ...................... 31
Requirements for assessment .............. 27
When to use a CA02 .............................. 18
Forms CA02 ....................................................... 18
CA03 Form ............................................. 13
CA04 form .............................................. 14
Completing CA01 ..................................... 6
Forms Required for AFA ........................... 5
Forms Required for CRA ........................ 17
Knowledge Assessment Frequently asked questions .................. 30
Process involved .................................... 29
Occupational equivalence TTMRA Applicants .................................. 12
Practice Area Description required ................................ 9
Examples .................................................. 9
Examples of poor descriptions .............. 10
New Zealand specific good practice ....... 8
Practice Field Use of extended postnominals .............. 10
Practice Field Guidelines Links ....................................................... 31
Professional Development Partner Documenting work history ..................... 14
Qualifications Certified Copies ........................................ 8
Listing on application form ...................... 7
Quality Marks Registers ................................................... 4
Recognised Engineer Guidelines for applicants ....................... 31
Requirements for assessment .............. 27
When to use a CA02 .............................. 18
Referees CPEng equivalence ................................ 25
CPEng referees from outside New
Zealand .............................................. 26
Eligibility criteria ..................................... 25
Referee Requirements for AFAs ............ 11
Use of a third referee ............................. 25
Using CA06 form .................................... 15
Term to next assessment CAB Policy ............................................... 34
TTMRA candidates ................................. 12
TTMRA Applicants Competence Self review ........................ 12
RPEQ registration details ....................... 12
Work Samples Examples ......................................... 16, 20
For AFAs .................................................. 15
For CRAs ................................................. 19
Competence Assessment Reference Guide Revision 8.3 (3 August 2012) Page 38 of 38
