"The PGA was created in response to recommendations made in the independent Final Report of the Professional Reliance Review submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy in June 2018. The PGA implements two of the Review’s recommendations by legislating best practices for professional governance and establishing the OSPG for consistent and independent oversight of the professional regulators. The PGA received Royal Assent on November 27, 2018.
The Professional Governance Act (PGA) provides a consistent governance framework for self-regulating professions in BC that incorporates best practices of professional governance. The PGA currently governs the five regulatory bodies overseeing agrologists, applied biologists, applied science technologists and technicians, engineers and geoscientists, and forest professionals.
The PGA also strengthens government oversight by establishing a statutory Office of the Superintendent of Professional Governance (OSPG in the Ministry of Attorney General in June 2019. The OSPG is responsible for administering the PGA and for ensuring that best practices for professional governance are implemented. The establishment of the OSPG simplifies and standardizes how professions governed by the PGA are regulated by government. The OSPG strengthens government oversight while being independent of the ministries that regulate the sectors in which professionals practice. The OSPG provides the impartiality needed to create an effective and trusted framework for professional governance.
The Agrologists Act was repealed with the PGA in effect on February 5, 2021. The PGA and its regulations, including the Agrologists Regulation can be viewed on the bylaws website.
"The PGA enables regulatory bodies to establish protected titles for their professions as well as reserved or protected areas of practice for their professions. The PGA also provides authority for regulatory bodies to regulate firms as Registrants." ~ Excerpts from the OSPG website
Office of the Superintendent of Professional Governance Resources and Others:
- Practice Rights (reserved practice)
- OSPG PowerPoint Presentation at the BCIA 2021 AGM
- Duties of Regulatory Bodies under the PGA
- OSPG 2020-2021 Annual Report
- OSPG Questions & Answers
- Professional Governance Amendment Act - OSPG Q&As for Regulatory Bodies
Professional Governance Act Announcements:
- Bill 21 - Professional Governance Amendment Act, June 2022
- BC Cabinet Grants Reserved Practice Rights to Professional Agrologists, September 2021
- President's Special Report: Practice Rights Granted to Professional Agrologists, September 2021
- Regulated Practice and Title Rights, February 2021
- Full Enactment of the Professional Governance Act, February 2021
- Duty to Report under the Professional Governance Act, January 2021
- Practice Rights Update - Professional Governance Act, January 2021
- Indigenous Awareness Training Requirement, October 2020
- Visible Employer Information Required of Registrants, October 2020
- Lay Councillors Appointed as per Professional Governance Act Requirements, September 2020
- Update on the PGA and Regulated Practice Submission, July 2020
- Message to BCIA Registrants from Paul Craven, Superintendent of Professional Governance, Oct 2019
- BCIA President's Update on Professional Governance Act, March 2019
- Summary of the Professional Governance Act, November 2018