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Part of Search public engagements

Regulated professions engagement

Regulated professionals, regulatory bodies and other interested groups shared input to ensure standards of competence and ethics are maintained without infringing on individual rights and freedoms.

Overview

We gathered input from regulated professionals, regulatory bodies and other interested groups to support a review of regulated professions that looks at whether professional bodies are acting within their authority, and whether these bodies are limiting the scope of regulation to professional competence and ethics.

We heard from a wide variety of regulated professionals that regulatory bodies in Alberta may be going too far in limiting individual freedom of expression and imposing compulsory training not related to professional competence.

Albertans must be confident in the expertise and ethics of regulated professionals. These professionals must also be free to express their personal opinions and beliefs when not practicing or representing their profession.

Status

  • Open

  • Results under review

  • Completed

Who is listening

Ministry of Justice and 10 other government ministries.

Get informed

Regulatory bodies protect the public interest by setting standards of competence and conduct for their members and disciplining those who fail to meet them.

There are 189 regulated professions and designated trades across 12 ministries in Alberta. As part of this review, government is looking at 118 regulated professions and designated trades across 11 government ministries.

Each ministry did an inventory of the regulated professions under their mandate and determined which should be included in the review. Professions were be excluded from the review if:

  • they are not self-regulating
  • regulation for the profession is not yet in force
  • there is no regulatory body or means to handle public complaints or disciplinary action against any member
  • there is little or no regulatory role beyond certification

Stakeholder engagement

We contacted select professional regulatory bodies, regulated professions and other interested groups to get input on how potential changes would impact their role and what would need to be considered in introducing such changes.

Each ministry determined the most appropriate approach for gathering input from the regulated professions under their mandate. Some professionals are regulated directly by a ministry, so there were no external regulatory bodies to contact. In these cases, ministries engaged directly with regulated professionals or other interested organizations, or they did an internal review.

  • Advanced Education

    Advanced Education:

    • sent a questionnaire to identified professional regulatory bodies and collected their written responses
    • meetings were held with regulatory bodies to provide information and seek clarity on written responses.

  • Education

    Education regulates teachers and teacher leaders and invited key education partners to engage through meetings and through written feedback.

  • Environment and Protected Areas

    Environment and Protected Areas oversees certifications for drinking water well drillers, drinking water and wastewater operators and pesticide applicators. No engagement was required.

  • Forestry and Parks

    Forestry and Parks met with professional regulatory bodies under their mandate and invited organizations to complete a survey and provide written responses.

  • Health

    Health invited professional regulatory bodies and professional associations to complete a survey.

  • Jobs, Economy and Trade

    Jobs, Economy and Trade (JET) certifies and oversees the compliance of Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) as they work in licensed child care programs. There is no governing professional body for this sector; however, JET will continue to meet collaboratively with key partners who represent the early learning and child care workforce, specific to ECEs, both in facility-based and home-based child care.

  • Justice

    Justice contacted the Law Society of Alberta and several legal organizations and academics and invited them to provide written responses.

    In-person meetings were held with the Law Society of Alberta and other key legal organizations.

    Individual lawyers had an opportunity to complete a survey.

  • Municipal Affairs

    Municipal Affairs contacted impacted regulatory bodies to make them aware of the review and requested input through a questionnaire. Input has been received and is under review.

  • Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction

    Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction sent identified professional regulatory bodies and affiliated industry associations a questionnaire to provide written responses. In addition, the ministry met with respondents as needed to provide information and seek clarity on written responses.

    There are 4 professions which Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction directly oversees through licensing (cemetery pre-need salesperson, collector, debt repayment agent, and home inspector). A department review of these professions was completed.

  • Transportation and Economic Corridors

    Transportation and Economic Corridors invited individuals licensed as driver examiners, driving instructors and vehicle inspection technicians to participate in an online survey.

  • Treasury Board and Finance

    Treasury Board and Finance held meetings with the professional regulatory bodies under their mandate.

Outcomes

Responses may help inform potential legislative changes to clarify that professional regulatory bodies are limited to regulating members’ professional competence and behaviour.

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