As announced in February, the AIBC’s transition to the Professional Governance Act (PGA) is taking longer than originally anticipated. Part of the delay arises from the provincial government’s amendments to the PGA itself to allow for designation of new regulatory bodies. It is now expected that the AIBC will transition to the PGA in fall 2022. The exact date is yet to be determined.
The AIBC understands registrants are eager to hear more about the transition. While it has been more than a year since the transition was announced, there are many details still being finalized. More information will be shared when the bylaw consultation begins in the coming months. For now, there are general themes registrants should be aware of in regard to the Professional Governance Act:
- Changes in Terminology
With a change in legislation, registrants can expect to see changes in terminology. For instance, under the PGA the term “member” will be replaced with “registrant”, and the Registration Board will be renamed the Credentials Committee. A full glossary of terminology will be made available later in the transition, which will outline key terms registrants should be aware of, and how to use them in place of previous terms. One of the largest transition tasks will be the updating of AIBC documents to reflect the spectrum of terminology changes.
- Stronger Emphasis on Professional Regulator Role
Organizations under the PGA must focus their activities on regulating registrants as well as serving and protecting the public interest, and avoid activities that may lead to a perception of putting the interests of registrants ahead of the public. The AIBC will continue to move any remaining advocacy programs to external organizations (such as the Architecture Foundation of BC) whose missions and values are in alignment with advocating for the profession.
- More Public Representation
Public interest and representation are key components of the Professional Governance Act. Registrants can expect to see changes to the composition requirements for committees and council. For example, under the Professional Governance Act, AIBC Council will eventually be comprised of only seven elected registrant councillors and four appointed lay councillors, and a non-voting past president.
Next Steps
While the provincial government works on amendments to the PGA, the AIBC continues to review all bylaws and the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct to ensure they are compliant with PGA requirements. The AIBC looks forward to being able to share more information with registrants once available. The PGA will be discussed at the 103rd Annual Meeting on May 31, and the AIBC will be hosting another Town Hall and/or information session as the transition progresses. In the meantime, please send any questions you may have to pga@aibc.ca.
PGA Transition Resources
- AIBC PGA Transition Frequently Asked Questions
- Professional Governance Act
- OSPG Virtual Town Hall Presentation (Hosted on September 17, 2020)