This note contains advice from two members of the Reservoirs Committee on the requirements to demonstrate continued professional development when applying or re-applying for appointment to a reservoirs panel.
Continuing professional development (CPD) is an essential part of a civil engineer’s career. Without it we risk being unable to perform our duties to an appropriate standard. In this respect, many of you will be aware that the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is currently asking 1% of the membership to provide evidence of their CPD for the past year as part of an exercise to highlight the importance of CPD within the profession.
For reservoir panel engineers, both practising and aspiring, there is an additional requirement to maintain an appropriate level of reservoir specific development.
In the past the Reservoirs Committee has tried not to be too prescriptive in stating what level of training and engagement with reservoir duties is appropriate for a panel engineer seeking a first appointment, except a general statement that about 5 years of experience is required and that the candidate should have attended at least ten section 12 examinations and five section 10 inspections. Likewise, for re-appointment, the Reservoirs Committee has previously required the applicant only to have kept abreast of relevant developments in reservoir safety and to keep a record of CPD.
In the light of the ICE’s renewed efforts to encourage a more robust approach to CPD within the profession and also because of a noticeable reduction in the quality of CPD presentations to the Reservoirs Committee in recent years by panel engineers applying for both first time appointments and for re-appointments, the Reservoirs Committee has now decided to state a normal minimum standard of reservoir-specific CPD. Candidates who are unable to demonstrate such CPD will find it difficult to convince the Reservoirs Committee as to their suitability for appointment.
This normal minimum standard is described in sections 2.4 (iv) and 3.2 (i) of the Appointments to Panels Set Up under the Reservoirs Act 1975 (1975), Guidance Prepared by the Reservoirs Committee of the Institution of Civil Engineers, 2 February 2011, version 1.12, which are repeated below.
2.4 (iv) Applicants for first appointment must be able to demonstrate adequate reservoir safety related Continuing Professional Development (CPD) during the five year period prior to applying for appointment (see also paragraph 3.2). It is an expected and important component of pre-application preparation that applicants should have attended at least one Supervising Engineers Forum, or one biennial British Dam Society (BDS) Conference. Additionally, applicants should also have attended, or accessed via the BDS website, at least five BDS evening meetings. Applicants who have not undertaken adequate pre-application CPD will not convince the Reservoirs Committee that they are qualified for appointment.
3.2 (i) Applicants for reappointment should show a broadening and updating of their knowledge since appointment by means of a detailed record of continuing professional development (see paragraph 2.1(iv)) together with evidence of practical experience and involvement in duties under the Act. Applicants should also demonstrate satisfactory, competent and reasonable actions in the performance of their duties under the Act with regard to owners, constructors and enforcement authorities.
The above should be supplemented with regular reading of engineering journals and all applicants should be familiar with relevant engineering guides and be able to demonstrate that they adopt a structured approach to CPD.
The intention of the above statements is not to make the application for panel engineers more onerous, but instead it is hoped that the new guidance on the normal minimum standard expected by the Reservoirs Committee will assist applicants.
The Reservoirs Committee considers this approach to be a welcome move forward and trusts that existing and future panel engineers see this as a requirement within the framework of CPD operating in the civil engineering profession.
