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GLP — Professional Reliance
February 3, 2022 – As part of the memorandum of settlement signed by the parties in the last round of bargaining, the Professional Reliance Task Force prepared a report for government which documents the options and considerations for addressing the Professional Reliance Review recommendations. The Professional Reliance Task Force is hoping to meet with the employer to review the report.
The executive summary is provided below:
This document provides recommendations to improve the Professional Reliance model currently adopted in the Province’s Natural Resource Ministries so that the Ministries can fulfill their basic mandate to manage natural resources effectively and ensure the protection of the natural environment. These recommendations are the result of the work conducted by the Professional Reliance Task Force, a joint PEA-Employer group that was established as part of the 2019 Union Settlement Agreement. While the intent of the joint Task Force was to prepare recommendations endorsed by both the PEA-side and Employer-side of the Task Force, as agreed to during the last round of bargaining with the Employer, the Employer-side representatives moved to different roles and regrettably left the Task Force in early 2020, with no new representatives replacing them. As the mandate of the Task Force is due to expire on December 31, 2021, the PEA-side of the Task Force has prepared recommendations unilaterally.
In the area of Right to Title and Practice, it is recommended that the duties and responsibilities of both PEA and non-PEA professional staff should be reviewed, to ensure that professional registration is required when staff are required to practice in areas where right to title and practice apply. If professional registration is required to fulfill the position’s duties, Government should reimburse the professional registration fees and support the professional development requirements of the licensing professional body for professional staff, regardless of whether this staff are PEA members or not.
The recommendations related to Ministry staff levels speak to the need for an increased professional work force in Government but also highlight that the existing professional staff’s time could be better employed to maximize the use of their professional expertise and experience. Recruitment and retention strategies are also suggested to improve the Government’s ability to attract high-quality professionals.
Regarding the increase of resource information availability, the recommendations include improvement of the existing publicly accessible data platforms, the establishment of data sharing agreements, and outreach activities to educate the public on natural resource data access.
To improve the role of Government as a knowledgeable owner, more investment is recommended into the development and expansion of environmental monitoring programs, the development of robust integrated natural resource management plans and an increased professional capacity in the compliance and enforcement programs.
News
News & Meetings
2022 Minister Meeting Requests
The PEA has requested meetings with the following BC Ministers and Superintendent:
Honourable Josie Osborne
Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship
Honourable Mike Farnworth
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
Honourable Lana Popham
Minister of Agriculture and Food
Honourable George Heyman
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
Honourable Murray Rankin
Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation
Honourable Katrine Conroy
Minister of Forests
Honourable Bruce Ralston
Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation
Paul Craven
Office of the Superintendant of Professional Governance
Recommendations for an Improved Professional Reliance Model in the BC Natural Resource Ministries
Prepared by the PEA-side of the Professional Reliance Task Force
Foreword
At the time of writing, the Province is confronted with two urgent issues. One is the emergency response of the large-scale flooding and landslide damage that has affected much of the South Coast and Interior region. The other issue is related to the need to develop, jointly with Blueberry River First Nation’s (BRFN) and other Treaty 8 Nations, a robust process to account for cumulative impacts on Treaty 8 Rights in permitting decisions, in light of the BC Supreme Court decision in June 2021 (Yahey vs BC, 2021 BCSC 1287). View the full report.
2021 Minister Meeting Requests
The PEA has requested met with the following BC Ministers:
Honourable Rob Fleming
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure
Honourable Nathan Cullen
Minister of Lands and Natural Resource Operation
Honourable Lana Popham
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries
MLA Sonia Furstenau
Green Party BC Leader
Honourable Katrine Conroy
Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
Honourable Bruce Ralston
Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation
E4D Report: Spotlight on Integrity: An Update on the State of Science in BC
Spotlight on Integrity builds on a 2017 report investigating the state of science in the BC public sector. As an update to the 2017 report, E4D and the PEA conducted a survey of scientific professionals in the BC public service to evaluate changes to science integrity and capacity in BC over the past three years and to understand where improvements can be made. The report showed that scientific professionals in the BC public service lack sufficient resources to meet their scientific mandates and barriers limit the effective use of science and evidence in government decision-making. View the full report.
News: The Endangered Experts Report has been updated
In January 2021, the PEA updated a report released annually highlighting the change in licensed professionals in the BC Public Service.
News: The PEA presents to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services
On Monday, June 10, Executive Director Scott McCannell presented to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. He presented recommendations on the professional reliance model and encouraged the government to invest in more positions in the public service for licensed professionals.
News: Professional Governance Act tabled in the legislature
Professional Employees Association (PEA) was optimistic about the tabling of the Professional Governance Act.
Media Release: A first step towards fixing professional reliance
Today, the British Columbia government released the Professional Reliance Review.
“This report represents an important step towards fixing professional reliance in B.C.,” said Scott McCannell, Executive Director of the Professional Employees Association (PEA). “The government’s commitment to moving forward on the two main recommendations of the report are admirable.” Read more
The Professional Reliance Review has been released
The BC Government has released the Professional Reliance Review. Read more
Special Report: Opportunities to Improve the Forest and Range Practices Act
BC’s Forest Watchdog reports on 20 years of recommendations to the BC Government on improving forest management and concludes, “Government has told the Board that it accepts 56 (of 60) recommendations…Just over half these actions have been fully or partially implemented…However for many of the governments promised actions, the board has no evidence they have been carried out”. PEA licensed science officers positions have been cut by 25 per cent so it is not surprising the Government has not been able to take action. Read more.
Government review of Professional Reliance now open
The Government has committed to a review of professional reliance. This is the best opportunity for positive change since the professional reliance model was introduced in the early 2000’s. The participation of PEA members will impact the outcomes of this review. As previously communicated, the Province has announced that its public survey about professional reliance has opened and will close on January 19, 2018. We are strongly encouraging members to participate in the survey.
Government Review of Professional Reliance and PEA Political Outreach
The recent NDP and Green party Confidence and Supply Agreement to form government includes a specific commitment to review BCs professional reliance model. In August, the PEA wrote the leader of the Green party and NDP Ministers of Forests, Health, Mental Health, Environment, Energy and Mines, Agriculture and Advanced Education, requesting meetings.
Endangered Experts: Cutbacks in Government Licensed Science Officers
Overall the province has a decrease of one and a half per cent in the number of science officers since 2014, with some science officers continuing to see a year over year decline. This follows an 11.2 per cent decrease from 2009 to 2014 and a nine per cent decrease from 2009 to 2017. The number of licensed foresters employed by the province has decreased by 12 per cent since 2014.
E4D Report: Oversight At Risk – The State of Government Science in British Columbia
A report by Evidence for Democracy (E4D) released in April of this year, which surveyed the Government Licensed Science Officers, found that that the cutbacks impede the government’s ability to fulfil its responsibility for regulatory oversight. The E4D researchers stated that since 2001, BC’s public service has been reduced to the smallest per capita in Canada. Departments with science-based mandates have been particularly hard hit with a 25 per cent reduction in staff-scientist and government licensed science officer positions in the past decade. E4D found that 71 per cent of BC government scientists surveyed believe that cutbacks have negatively impacted their ability to produce expert reports and documents and 68 per cent feel that there are now insufficient resources to fulfil their branch or ministerial mandate effectively. Read the full report here
Media Coverage
Science integrity at risk in B.C., Vancouver Sun, June 26, 2020
How B.C. proposes to roll back industry self-regulation, The Narwhal, Oct 23, 2018
It’s time to rebuild public confidence in natural-resource decision-making, Vancouver Sun, August 7, 2018
Consultants to be put on shorter leash, Times Colonist, July 26, 2018
B.C. needs to restore ‘adequate public oversight’ to protect the environment The Province, June 29, 2018
B.C.’s big opportunity to fix under-regulated industry is here (and you’ve probably never heard of it) The Narwhal, June 23, 2018
Opinion: Devon Page, Pat Moss and Scott McCannell: Who’s in charge of B.C.? The Province, June 19, 2018
Opinion: Protect the heart of the Fraser Agassiz-Harrison Observer, June 7, 2018
Should we trust polluters to protect our health and environment? The Northern Review, June 7, 2018
Island Voices: Government managing public lands poorly Times Colonist, May 27, 2018
BC Environment Has Suffered from a History of ‘Reliance’ The Tyee, February 2, 2018
Resources
2022 Professional Reliance Task Force Recommendations Webinar
Recommendations for an Improved Professional Reliance Model in the BC Natural Resource Ministries
