Telling Assessors you are competent
The Competence Self Review form is the key document used by Assessors, as it gives them examples of evidence showing that you meet the various requirements of the relevant standard. The standard used to benchmark you against is the Professional Engineer Standard.
Here you are assessing yourself against the twelve competence standards outlined below. You are putting forward evidence to your engineering peers (Assessors), who consider your evidence from the work samples you provide. You are, in effect, telling the Assessors that you are Competent as a Professional Engineer — backing your claim with evidence.
Carrying out complex engineering activities, and solving complex engineering problems
Complex Engineering Activities
- Involve the use of diverse resources — including people, money, equipment, materials and technologies
- Require resolution of critical problems arising from interactions between wide-ranging technical, engineering and other issues
- Have significant consequences in a range of contexts
- Involve the use of new materials, techniques or processes — or existing ones used in innovative ways
Complex Engineering Problems
- Involve wide-ranging or conflicting technical, engineering and other issues
- Have no obvious solution and require originality in analysis
- Involve infrequently encountered issues
- Fall outside problems covered by standards and codes of practice
- Involve diverse groups of stakeholders with widely varying needs
- Have significant consequences in a range of contexts
- Cannot be resolved without in-depth engineering knowledge
The Professional Engineer Competence Standard
The competence standard sets the entry standard for engineers seeking formal peer recognition as a competent professional engineer, through a PERB/IEPNG competence assessment — covering registration as a Professional Engineer with PERB, and entry into the Member or Fellow class with IEPNG. To meet the minimum standard, a person must demonstrate they can practise competently in their practice area, to the standard expected of a reasonable professional engineer, across each of the following twelve elements.
Comprehend, and apply knowledge of, accepted principles underpinning widely applied good practice for professional engineering
Comprehend, and apply knowledge of, accepted principles underpinning good practice for professional engineering that is specific to the jurisdiction of Papua New Guinea in which he/she practices
Define, investigate and analyse complex engineering problems in accordance with good practice for professional engineering
Design or develop solutions to complex engineering problems in accordance with good practice for professional engineering
Be responsible for making decisions on part or all of one or more complex engineering activities
Manage part or all of one or more complex engineering activities in accordance with good engineering management practice
Identify, assess and manage engineering risk
Conduct engineering activities to an ethical standard at least equivalent to the relevant code of ethical conduct
Recognise the reasonably foreseeable social, cultural and environmental effects of professional engineering activities generally
Communicate clearly with other engineers and others that he or she is likely to deal with in the course of his or her professional engineering activities
Maintain the currency of his or her professional engineering knowledge and skills
Exercise sound professional engineering judgement
Forms used alongside CA03
Use CA03 when applying for Registration and Membership Assessment (AFA), and also for Continued Registration Assessment (CRA) when required by Assessors, to become registered as a Professional Engineer with PERB and a financial Member or Fellow of IEPNG.
Application for Registration and Membership
Submission for Continued Registration Assessment
Work History Summary Form — you can send in a "detailed CV" if it contains the same type of information requested by the CA04 form
CPD Summary Form
Referee Declaration and Evaluation Form, completed by your referees and submitted directly to IEPNG — plus your Work Samples
Preparing for Competence Self Review
If your practice area hasn't changed materially since your last assessment, continued registration essentially requires two things: that you've taken reasonable steps to maintain your competence, and that you're still able to practise competently in your practice area.
If your practice area has changed materially — meaning you've developed a new body of knowledge rather than extended your previous one — prepare your portfolio as if undertaking an AFA in your current practice area. Example: an electrical engineer now practising in fire engineering. (A promotion to managing fire engineers, without a change in your own practice area, would not count as a material change.)
Update your Work History Summary (Form CA04), or your CV if it includes the same information.
Update your Continuing Professional Development Activities Summary (Form CA05) to include CPD activities over the last 3 years — reflecting on the key learning gained and how it impacted your practice and current competence.
What your work samples must demonstrate
You're required to present work samples as evidence that you're still able to practise competently as a professional engineer. Across those samples, you must demonstrate the following.
Give evidence of the engineering knowledge used on the project
Applied knowledge of PNG — laws, standards, codes, geography, cultures, languages, etc.
What you did to define, investigate and analyse complex problems related to the project
What you did to design and develop solutions for the project
Decisions you made relating to complex engineering activities for the project
Where you managed and provided leadership on complex engineering activities
Where you identified, assessed and managed risks on the project
How you applied engineering ethics per the IEPNG/PERB code of conduct
How you recognised social, cultural and environmental effects on the project
How you communicated clearly with engineers and others on the project
Activities, courses or conferences undertaken to keep up with evolving practice
How you exercised sound professional engineering judgement on the project
What you're measured against — the 12 standards in full
Exactly what Assessors will be looking for, standard by standard.
What Assessors will be looking for:
- Identify, comprehend and apply appropriate engineering knowledge
- Work from first principles to make reliable predictions of outcomes
- Seek advice, where necessary, to supplement own knowledge and experience
- Read literature, comprehend, evaluate and apply new knowledge
What Assessors will be looking for:
- Demonstrates an awareness of legal requirements and regulatory issues within the jurisdictions in PNG in which you practice
- Demonstrates an awareness of and applies appropriately the special engineering requirements operating within the jurisdictions in PNG in which you practice
What Assessors will be looking for:
- Identify and define the scope of the problem
- Investigate and analyse relevant information using quantitative and qualitative techniques
- Test analysis for correctness of results
- Conduct any necessary research and reach substantiated conclusions
What Assessors will be looking for:
- Identify needs, requirements, constraints and performance criteria
- Develop concepts and recommendations tested against engineering principles
- Consult with stakeholders
- Evaluate options and select the solution that best matches needs, requirements and criteria
- Plan and implement effective, efficient and practical systems or solutions
- Evaluate outcomes
What Assessors will be looking for:
- Take accountability for your outputs and for those for whom you are responsible
- Accept responsibility for your engineering activities
What Assessors will be looking for:
- Plan, schedule and organise projects to deliver specified outcomes
- Apply appropriate quality assurance techniques
- Manage resources, including personnel, finance and physical resources
- Manage conflicting demands and expectations
What Assessors will be looking for:
- Identify risks
- Develop risk management policies, procedures and protocols to manage safety and hazards
- Manage risks through elimination, minimisation and avoidance techniques
What Assessors will be looking for:
- Demonstrates understanding of IEPNG and/or PERB codes of ethics
- Behaves in accordance with the relevant code of ethics even in difficult circumstances (including awareness of limits of capability, acting with integrity and honesty, and self-management)
What Assessors will be looking for:
- Consider, and where needed, take into account health and safety compliance issues and impacts on those affected by engineering activities
- Consider and take into account possible social, cultural and environmental impacts, and consult where appropriate
- Recognise the impact and long-term effects of engineering activities on the environment
- Recognise foreseeable effects and, where practicable, seek to reduce adverse effects
What Assessors will be looking for:
- Use oral and written communication to meet the needs and expectations of your audience
- Communicate using a range of media suitable to the audience and context
- Treat people with respect
- Develop empathy and use active listening skills when communicating with others
- Operate effectively as a team member
What Assessors will be looking for:
- Demonstrate a commitment to extending and developing knowledge and skills
- Participate in education, training, mentoring or other programmes contributing to professional development
- Adapt and update your knowledge base in the course of professional practice
- Demonstrate collaborative involvement with professional engineers
What Assessors will be looking for:
- Demonstrate the ability to identify alternative options
- Demonstrate the ability to choose between options and justify decisions
- Demonstrate that peers recognise your ability to exercise sound professional engineering judgement
Steps to prepare and submit your evidence
Select two (2) work samples (projects or tasks) from your practice field where you can demonstrate you've put the twelve competency standards into use.
Structure your write-up logically — start with an overview of the project, then write a paragraph for each of the twelve standards stating how you were involved and what you did. Use language like "I designed this" or "I made the decision to…".
When applying for Assessment for Admission (AFA), you're strongly encouraged to submit evidence in the form of work samples — especially the examples cited in your Competence Self Review form. For example, one sample could show your risk identification and management skills, while another demonstrates your engineering analysis and problem-solving skills.
Clearly identify the parts of projects or activities you were personally responsible for, to show your personal contribution. Cross-reference your work samples in your other documents (especially your Competence Self Review form) to help assessors find the critical evidence of your competence.
Work samples should make it easy for the assessment panel to verify competence — choose your examples carefully, since the choice itself can help demonstrate sound engineering judgement. Outline at the start of each sample exactly how and why you chose it.
Types of work samples
An engineering problem requiring a physical solution — for instance, 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 the work has taken you from investigation and design through to implementation.
Development of standards or policies which rely heavily on engineering inputs and judgments.