In 2006, our national association – the Canadian Institute of Planners – in partnership with the other affiliate associations (including PIBC) began a major project to re-examine, update, renew, and improve professional membership standards and processes in Canada. The project was initially called the Membership Continuous Improvement Project (MCIP) and later renamed the Planning for the Future (PFF) project. It has been led by CIP's National Membership Standards Committee (NMSC) assisted by a consultant.

The Planning for the Future Project - Background:

At the commencement of the PFF project, it was strongly believed that, as a profession, planning needed to address contemporary trends and expectations with respect to professional standards and processes. The project was also responding to the fact that many of the Institute's membership certification standards and processes had not been substantially revised in many years. These contemporary trends and expectations are represented by a variety of factors, including greater awareness and concern about the public interest, greater expectations of accountability, trends and precedents in other professions, labour mobility both within Canada and across international boundaries, and new, emerging skill and competency expectations within planning theory and practice.

Essentially, the project was to answer some of the following key questions:

• What basic knowledge, skills and abilities should a professional planner be expected to have in Canada today?
• What basic ethical and professional standards should the planning profession have and how should they be upheld?
• What requirements and steps should the Institute adopt to certify a practitioner as a professional planner and Full Member?
• What requirements and steps should the Institute adopt to accredit a university degree program as a professional planning program in Canada?
• What other membership issues, policies, and processes should be updated in the current context of the planning profession?

Learn More:

As the project nears completion, efforts continue to inform members about the range of proposed changes and how they may effect the profession, individual members, future applicants, recognized planning schools and others going forward.

The major PFF Task Force reports have been finalized and endorsed by CIP Council, and affiliate Councils - inlcuding PIBC Council. Work is continuing to finalize a variety of policy details, and prepare for the new administrative processes as proposed.

Members and other stakeholders are encouraged to review the available information, and inform themselves about this important project. (See below for information about the results of the recent national vote).

To assist and inform members, PIBC has developed a short, comprehensive review of the project and the proposed changes in the form of an article which appeared in the December 2010 edition of Planning West magazine. To download the article [PDF] click here.

Next Steps - National Vote Results & Implementation:

The Planning for the Future Project is nearing completion with a recent important national vote on basic enabling bylaw amendments. These proposed changes were basic amendments to the existing CIP bylaws that will enable and underpin the many more detailed policy-level changes and improvements proposed by the PFF project. Voting took place among all members in good standing across Canada between April and May, 2011. The results of the bylaw amendment vote were announced on June 3, 2011. The Planning for the Future Project-related amendments were approved with 90% voting in favour. Another set of separate governance-related CIP bylaw amendments were also approved.

Now that the national vote approving amendments to CIP's bylaws has been successfully concluded, amendments to affiliate association bylaws – including those of PIBC – will be undertaken in the coming months to ensure consistency. In addition the more detailed final policy and implementation work for the new standards and processes will be completed. The expected 'effective' date of the new membership standards and processes is December, 2011 or early 2012.

And for more information from CIP on the Planning for the Future Project, including the detailed PFF project Task Force reports, please visit the Planning In Canada website: www.planningincanada.ca

Questions?
Contact PIBC:
Tel: 604.696.5031 Toll Free: 1.866.696.5031
Email: info@pibc.bc.ca