A – Z of registration with ECSA

• Rod Harker Place your company logo here NB: Your

company’s logo is only permitted on the
• Engineering Council of South Africa first slide!

• South Africa
 ENGINEERING COUNCIL OF
SOUTH AFRICA
REGISTRATION and CANDIDACY
MATTERS : THE A -Z
Cape Town

18 May 2016
 ECSA
o Statutory body

o Academic standards

o Professional development and registration

o Identification of engineering work

o Professional conduct

o Government liaison

o International recognition
 CATEGORIES
CATEGORY SECTION IN ACT SUB-CATEGORY

PROFESSIONAL 18.(1)(a)  Professional Engineer

 Professional Engineering
Technologist
 Professional Certificated
Engineer
 Professional Engineering
Technician
CANDIDATE 18.(1)(b)  Candidates for above
categories

SPECIFIED 18.(1)(c)  Lift Inspector

CATEGORY  Lifting Machinery
Inspector, etc. 4
 WHY REGISTER (1)
o Professional status

o Marketability and financial gain

o Trust and recognition by peers in the profession

o Professional competence

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 WHY REGISTER (2)
o Prerequisite in terms of external legislation
impacting on the engineering profession

o Statutory requirement

o Work reservation

o International recognition

o High risks involved in engineering

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 THE ENGINEERING TEAM
Engineer Technologist Technician
(Visionary/ (Doer/Achieve) (Operator/Fixer)
Innovator)

Analyse, Apply, Install,

Innovate, Implement, Commission,
Create, Develop Develop Maintain, Operate

WORLD 1 5 5
UK (Ideal) 1 10 100
Research 1 - 4
Maintenance 1 10 100

Different education and training but of equal value in the team

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 THE ENGINEERING TEAM
o It is useful to understand the engineering team concept to
explain how the different categories of registration work
together. It must be stressed that those registered are “
different but of equal value”. Each member has a vital
part to play in the Engineering Team, a point emphasised
by ECSA

o The focus and composition of the engineering team will be

determined by the scope and business of the employing
organisation.

o All members of the engineering team contribute in some

way to the creation of products, systems, procedures,
and the rendering of engineering services. 8
 PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER
(Pr Eng)
Experience competencies are characterised by:

o Activities that are essentially intellectual

o Analysing and solving complex problems
o Developing and applying new technologies creatively
and innovatively
o Exercising professional judgement
o Managing resources

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 PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING
TECHNOLOGIST
(Pr Tech Eng)
Experience competencies are characterised by:

o Solving broadly defined problems through application of proven

techniques and procedures

o Developing, maintaining and managing today’s technologies

o Exercising Professional judgement

o Managing resources

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PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATED
ENGINEER (Pr Cert Eng)
Experience competencies are characterised by:
o Solving broadly defined problems through application of proven
techniques and procedures

o Developing, maintaining and managing today’s technologies

o Exercising professional judgement

o Managing resources

o Assumes responsibility as the appointed competent person

in terms of OHS, MHS and Merchant shipping Acts

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 PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING
TECHNICIAN
(Pr Techni Eng)
Experience competencies are characterised by:

o Solving well defined problems using proven techniques and

procedures.

o Supervision and technical responsibility.

o Contributing to implementation, operation and maintenance of

products, equipment, processes and services.

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Professional Development Model
5 - Yearly Renewal
of Professional Observe Code of Conduct and
Registration Practice Maintain Competence through
(Life long) CPD

Professional Registration Meet Standard

For Professional
Training Competency
And
Candidate Registration Experience
Meet Standard
Graduation / Certification
for Engineering
Education
Accredited
Programme
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 PROCEDURE TO REGISTER
WITH ECSA
Step 1:“Candidate” Registration in order to have qualifications
evaluated.

o All applicants with non-accredited and non South African qualifications

have to apply for “Qualification Evaluation” which is done by ECSA’s
Qualification Evaluation Committee(QEC).

Candidate Engineer BSc(Eng)/BEng

Candidate Eng Techno BTech

Candidate Cert Eng Cert of Competency

Candidate Eng Techni NDip

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 HOW TO PREPARE
o Register as a Candidate

o Acquire the necessary professional skills

o Commitment and undertaking

o Obtain a mentor

o Assume responsibility for your training

o Record your initial professional development

o Join a recognised voluntary association

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PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
REQUIREMENTS

Worldwide - Based on two requirements:

o Academic entry level qualification (Educational

standard).

o Min of three years of practical / technical post qualification

training at the appropriate Engineering level for the category of
registration concerned (Experience standards for category of
registration concerned).

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 ACCEPTABLE EXPERIENCE
(1)
o Design

o Planning

o Synthesis

o Analysis

o Problem identification

o Problem solution

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 ACCEPTABLE EXPERIENCE
(2)
o Application of Engineering Principles

o Supervision and leadership

o Responsibility

o Conditions of contract / finance

o Code of conduct

o Safety, health and environment

o Legal implications 18
 NEW REGISTRATION SYSTEM

o To be implemented as from May 2014 for the Engineer category

and evolving for the Technologist and Technician categories.

o New policy guideline documents are competency based and will

substitute current documents.

o Moving towards electronic system of applying for registration as

from Late 2016.

o Acceptance of applications on the Old Legacy Registration System

ceased on 31 March 2016

o New documents already available on the following

link: [Link]
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 New Registration Process
Guideline Documents
New Guideline format:

o R-01-P Policy on Registration of Persons in Professional Categories

o R-02-PE Competency Standard for Registration as a Pr Engineer
o R-03-PE Processing of Applications for Registration as Candidate
Engineer and Professional Engineer
o R-04-P Training and Mentoring Guide for Professional Categories
o R-08-PE Guide to the Competency Standards for Registration as a
Professional Engineer
o R-05-PE Discipline-specific Training Guidelines (still under development)
o E-17-P Criteria and Processes for Recognition of Educational Qualifications
(all professional categories)

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 PLANNING PRINCIPLES:
TRAINING PROGRAMMES

Two principles must be followed by supervisors and mentors when

planning training programmes for candidates:
o Firstly, a variety of work activities is necessary for the proper
development of a candidate.
Variety may be obtained at the various stages in the lifecycle of an
engineering activity: conception, planning, design, construction,
implementation, operation and closure.
Associated with this lifecycle are specific functions, including
commissioning, testing, improving, trouble-shooting. Candidate
should experience several stages in the lifecycle of a project or
projects.

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 PLANNING PRINCIPLES:
Continued…

o Secondly, increasing responsibility and accountability

within the organization must be imposed on and accepted by

the candidate until he/she is capable of accepting professional

responsibility in making and executing engineering decisions

at the full professional level.

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ECSA Professional Competencies – where
training must lead

7: Meet
D 8: regulatory C
Act Ethically requirements
9: 6: Address
Exercise CEP- Impacts on
Judgement Level People and
1: Analyse Environment
2: Synthesize
10: Be Engineering
Solutions
Responsible Problems
3: Use
DoR 4: Manage
Engineering and A Engineering
Contextual
Activities
11: Life-long Knowledge
5:
Learning Communicate B
Effectively
CEA-
E Level
A Outcome Group
CEP = Complex Engineering Problem
DoR = Degree of Responsibility
CEA = Complex Engineering Activity 23
 R-02-PE, PT, PN: Formal Outcomes
with Levels (NRS)
Group A: Engineering Problem Level Descriptor: Complex Engineering Problems require:
a) Require in-depth fundamental and specialized
Solving engineering knowledge;
and one or more of:
1:-Define, investigate and analyse b) are ill-posed, under- or over specified, requiring
complex/broadly defined/ well identification and refinement;
c) are high-level problems including component parts or
defined engineering problems. sub-problems;
d) are unfamiliar or involve infrequently encountered
2:-Design or develop solutions to issues;
complex/broadly defined/well and one or more of:
defined engineering problems. e) solutions are not obvious, require originality or analysis
based on fundamentals;
f) are outside the scope of standards and codes;
3:-Comprehend and apply g) require information from variety of sources that is
advanced knowledge: principles, complex, abstract or incomplete;
h) involve wide-ranging or conflicting issues: technical,
specialist knowledge, jurisdictional engineering and interested or affected parties;
and local knowledge.
and one or both of:
i) requires judgement in decision making in uncertain
context;
j) have significant consequences in a range of contexts
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 R-02-PE, PT, PN: Formal
Outcomes
Group B: Managing Engineering Complex engineering activities are
Activities characterised by several or all of:

4:- Manage part or all of one or • Scope of activities may encompass entire complex
more complex/broadly defined/well engineering systems or complex subsystems.
defined engineering activities. • The context is complex and varying, is
multidisciplinary, requires teamwork,
5:- Communicate clearly with others unpredictable, may need to be identified.
in the course of his or her • Requires diverse and significant resources:
engineering activities. including people, money, equipment, materials,
technologies.
• Significant interactions exist between wide-
ranging or conflicting technical, engineering or
other issues.
• Are constrained by time, finance, infrastructure,
resources, facilities, standards & codes, applicable
laws.
• Have significant risks and consequences in a
range of contexts. 25
 R-02-PE, PT, PN: Formal
Outcomes
Group C: Impacts of Engineering Group D: Exercise judgement, take
Activities responsibility and act ethically
8:-Conduct engineering activities ethically.
6:-Recognize and address the
reasonably foreseeable social, 9:-Exercise sound judgement in the course of
cultural and environmental effects of complex engineering activities.
complex/broadly defined/well
defined 10:-Be responsible for making decisions on
engineering activities. part or
all of complex engineering activities.
7:-Meet all legal and regulatory Group E: Initial Professional Development
requirements and protect the health
and safety of persons in the course of 11:-Undertake professional development
his or her complex/ broadly activities
defined/ well defined engineering sufficient to maintain and extend his or
activities. her
competence.
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 ENGINEERING REPORT
Engineering Report of up to 6000 words (par 4.5 of R-03-PE)
covering aspects of work at the Perform Level that
demonstrates an applicant’s fulfillment of the 11 outcomes.
Not “simply report on a specific project.” Work drawn on
for the report does not have to be project based ; in an
operational environment, problem solving and
engineering management may provide evidence of
performance against required outcomes.
Report should be reflective rather than narrative. It is a
test of written communication ability.

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BROADLY-DEFINED ENGINEERING
PROBLEMS (TECH)
Broadly-Defined Engineering Problems
a) require a coherent and detailed knowledge of defined aspects of a
professional discipline with a strong emphasis on the application of
developed technology;
and the problem has one or more of the characteristics:
b) may be concrete or ill-posed, requiring identification and refinement;
c) are parts of, or systems within complex engineering problems of the
sub-discipline;
d) maybe unfamiliar but involve frequently encountered issues;
and solutions are characterised by one or more of:
e) can be solved by application of well-proven analysis techniques;
f) may be partially outside those encompassed by standards or codes of
practice
g) require information from variety of sources that is generally well
known, or possibly incomplete;
h) involve a variety of factors which may impose conflicting constraints:
technical, engineering and interested or affected parties.
and one or both of:
i) requires judgement in decision making in practice area, considering
interfaces to other areas;
j) have significant consequences which are important in practice area,
but may extend more widely. 28
 BROADLY-DEFINED ENGINEERING
ACTIVITIES (TECH)
Broadly-defined Engineering Activities: are characterised by several or all of:
(a) Scope of practice area is linked to technologies used and
changes by adoption of new technology into current practice;
b) Practice area is located within a wider, complex context, requires
teamwork, has interfaces to other parties and disciplines;
(c) Involve the use a variety resources (including people, money,
equipment, materials, technologies);
(d) Require resolution of occasional problems arising from interactions
between wide-ranging or conflicting technical, engineering or other
issues;
(e) Are constrained by available technology, time, finance, infrastructure,
resources, facilities, standards and codes, applicable laws;
(f) Have significant risks and consequences in practice area and in
related areas.

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WELL-DEFINED ENGINEERING PROBLEMS
(TECHNI)
Well-Defined Engineering Problems
a) require limited theoretical knowledge but normally requires extensive
practical knowledge;
and the problem has one or more of the characteristics:
b) are concrete, requirements are largely complete but may require
refinement;
c) are discrete components of engineering systems ;
d) maybe unfamiliar but occur in familiar contexts;
and solutions are characterised by one or more of:
e) can be solved by standardised methodologies or codified best practice;
f) are encompassed by standards, codes and documented procedures;
judgment of outcome is required
g) require information that is concrete and largely complete, requires
validation and possible supplementation.;
h) involves several issues, but with few of these impose conflicting
constraints: technical, engineering and interested or affected parties.
and one or both of:
i) requires practical judgement in practice area in evaluating solutions,
considering interfaces to other roleplayers;
j) have consequences which are locally important but not far reaching.
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WELL-DEFINED ENGINEERING ACTIVITIES
(TECHNI)
Well-defined Engineering Activities: are characterised by several or all of:

(a) Scope of practice area is defined by techniques applied; change by

adopting new techniques into current practice;
(b) Practice area is located within a wider, complex context, with well-
defined working relationships with other parties and disciplines;
(c) Work involves familiar, defined range of resources (including
people, money, equipment, materials, technologies);
(d) Require resolution of interactions manifested between specific
technical factors with limited impact on wider issues;
(e) Are constrained by operational context, defined work package,
time, finance, infrastructure, resources, facilities, standards and
codes, applicable laws;
(f) Have risks and consequences that are locally important but are not
generally far reaching.

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 PRACTICAL WORK EXPECTED FROM
LECTURERS (ENGINEER CATEGORY)

•Consulting work in which the applicant has demonstrated ability at a

professional level to identify engineering problems and produce solutions

•Planning, design, development, commissioning and/or application of

research equipment or processes associated with engineering projects;

•Be responsible for the management of workshops, laboratories and

ancillary facilities;

•Execution of research projects and results (preferably published), which

includes the application of the essential practical training elements stated
in section 5 of R2/1A

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 TRAINING PROGRESSION
Level Nature of Responsibility Level of Typical
Work Support time
A. Being Exposed Induction/ None Explains challenges/
Observes solutions 6
to
B. Assisting Performs under Limited for work Coaches and 12
close output feedback months
supervision
C. Participating Performs Full for supervised Progressively
under limited work reduces support 12 to
supervision 18 months
D. Performs with Full to supervisor Candidate articulates
Contributing approval of for quality of work own reasoning and
work output compares

E. Performing Works without Full as appropriate Candidate takes on 12 months

supervision for a registered without support/
person limited guidance
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 COMMON REPORT PROBLEMS
 Lack of application of technical knowledge
 Lack of professional appreciation
 Over-specialization… giving a narrow view
 Poor organization of thoughts displayed in reports
and essays
 Poor communication
 Poor English writing skills
 Insufficient Experience

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TIPS ON EXPERIENTIAL
REPORTS
Sell yourself

Write in the first person

Detail what you have done

Describe what you have done and

indicate you level of responsibility

Do not generalize

All periods must be covered

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 THANK YOU!
Website : [Link]
Email : engineer@[Link]
Tel No : (011) 607 9500
Offices : Waterview Corner,
Building 2 Ernest
Oppenheimer Avenue,
Bruma

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