PART III

PRACTISING CERTIFICATES AND ANNUAL REGISTER OF PRACTITIONERS

10A Definitions of this Part
10B Application
14A Requirements as to continuing professional education
14B List of activities, etc., with professional development units
14C Issue of guidelines and directives
14D Transitional provision

PART III

PRACTISING CERTIFICATES AND ANNUAL REGISTER OF PRACTITIONERS

Definitions of this Part
10A. —(1)   In this Part —

"professional development unit" means a professional development unit which a registered professional engineer obtains by successfully completing any structured activity or unstructured activity;

"qualifying period" , in relation to a registered professional engineer, means —

(a) if he makes an application on or before 31st December of any year for a practising certificate authorising him to engage in professional engineering work in the ensuing year, a period of 12 months immediately preceding 1st November of the year in which the application is made; or

(b) if he makes an application on or after 1st January of any year for a practising certificate authorising him to engage in professional engineering work for the remainder of that year, a period of 12 months immediately preceding 1st November of the previous year;

"requisite professional development units" , in relation to a registered professional engineer, means the number of professional development units he is required to obtain under rule 14A (2) or (3), as the case may be;

"structured activity" means any activity, course or programme identified under rule 14B as a structured activity;

"unstructured activity" means any activity, course or programme identified under rule 14B as an unstructured activity.

(2)   In this Part, a registered professional engineer obtains a specified number of professional development units if he successfully completes one or more of the activities, courses or programmes in the list published under rule 14B, the total number of professional development units of which equals or exceeds that specified number.

Application
10B.   Rules 14A to 14D shall apply only to a registered professional engineer who applies on or after 1st January 2004 for a practising certificate authorising him to engage in professional engineering work after 31st December 2004.

Requirements as to continuing professional education
14A. —(1)   For the purposes of section 18 (4) (f) of the Act, the Board may refuse to issue a practising certificate to a registered professional engineer if he fails to satisfy the Board that he has obtained the requisite professional development units during the qualifying period.

(2)   The requisite professional development units that a registered professional engineer is required to obtain before a practising certificate may be issued to him is 40 professional development units, of which —

(a) at least 15 professional development units shall be obtained from successfully completing one or more structured activities; and

(b) the remainder shall be obtained from successfully completing one or more structured activities or unstructured activities, or both.

(3)   Where a registered professional engineer has not held a practising certificate for a continuous period of 3 years or more immediately preceding the date of his application for a practising certificate, the requisite professional development units that he is required to obtain before a practising certificate may be issued to him is 80 professional development units, of which —

(a) at least 30 professional development units shall be obtained from successfully completing one or more structured activities; and

(b) the remainder shall be obtained from successfully completing one or more structured activities or unstructured activities, or both.

(4)   The Board may issue a practising certificate to a registered professional engineer notwithstanding that he has failed to obtain the requisite professional development units applicable to him during the qualifying period if the registered professional engineer gives an undertaking that he will make up for the shortfall in the requisite professional development units during the period of 12 months immediately following the last day of the qualifying period.

(5)   If a practising certificate has been issued to a registered professional engineer by virtue of an undertaking given under paragraph (4), any professional development units obtained by the registered professional engineer to make up for the shortfall in the requisite professional development units referred to in that paragraph shall be disregarded for the purpose of a subsequent application for a practising certificate.

(6)   Notwithstanding paragraphs (2), (3) and (4), the Board may, in such special circumstances as it may determine, issue a practising certificate to a registered professional engineer even though he has failed to satisfy the Board that he has obtained the requisite professional development units applicable to him during the qualifying period.

List of activities, etc., with professional development units
14B. —(1)   The Board shall publish on its Internet website a list of activities, courses and programmes for the purposes of this Part and the number of professional development units which a registered professional engineer obtains by successfully completing each of the activities, courses and programmes.

(2)   The Board shall, for each activity, course or programme set out in the list, state whether it is a structured activity or unstructured activity for the purposes of this Part.

Issue of guidelines and directives
14C.   For the purposes of rules 14A and 14B, the Board may issue such guidelines and directives, not inconsistent with the provisions of these Rules, as the Board considers necessary.

Transitional provision
14D.   Where —

(a) a registered professional engineer applies on or after 1st January 2004 for a practising certificate authorising him to engage in professional engineering work in the year 2005; and

(b) he had, at any time during the period of 12 months immediately preceding 1st January 2004, successfully completed any activity, course or programme —

(i) published on the Internet website of the Board before 1st January 2004; and

(ii) identified therein as an activity, course or programme for which a registered professional engineer will obtain a specified number of professional development units (referred to in this rule as the earlier points) if he successfully completes it,

then the earlier points will be treated as professional development units obtained by the registered professional engineer during the qualifying period for that application.