PROTECTING THE PUBLIC INTEREST
The Agrologists Act formed the BC Institute of Agrologists in 1947. The agrology profession in 1947 was narrowly defined by today's standards, applying almost exclusively to those working in the agri-food industry. In 2003, a new Agrologists Act broadened the focus to include the environment and natural resources. The new Act was part of a government policy to place greater reliance on the professions for regulating professional behaviour and setting and maintaining professional standards.
On February 5, 2021, The Cabinet of British Columbia repealed the Agrologists Act, and the Professional Governance Act was enacted.
GENERAL DUTY OF THE INSTITUTE
(a) To serve and protect the public interest for the exercise of a profession, professional governance, and the conduct of Registrants in the Registrants' regulated practice, and
(b) To exercise its powers and discharge its responsibilities in the public interest.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE INSTITUTE >
(a) To superintend the regulated practice;
(b) To preserve and protect reserved titles or reserved practices, as applicable, in the public interest;
(c) To guard against the unlawful use of reserved titles or the unlawful practice of reserved practices;
(d) To govern the Registrants of the regulatory body according to this Act, the regulations, and the bylaws;
(e) To establish the conditions or requirements for registration of a person as a Registrant of the regulatory body;
(f) To establish, monitor, and enforce standards of practice to enhance the quality of practice so that Registrants avoid:
(i) Professional misconduct,
(ii) Conduct unbecoming a Registrant, and
(iii) Incompetent performance of duties undertaken while engaged in the regulated practice;
(g) To establish and maintain a continuing competency program to promote high practice standards amongst Registrants;
(h) To establish, monitor, and enforce standards of professional ethics amongst Registrants;
(i) To establish and employ registration, investigation, and discipline procedures that are transparent, objective, impartial, and fair;
(j) To administer the affairs of the regulatory body and exercise its powers and perform its duties under this Act or other enactments;
(k) In the course of exercising the powers and performing the duties of the regulatory body under this Act or other enactments, to promote and enhance the following:
(i) Collaborative relations with other regulatory bodies, post-secondary education institutions and the government;
(ii) Interprofessional collaborative practice between its Registrants and persons practising another profession;
(iii) The ability of its Registrants to respond and adapt to changes in practice environments, advances in technology and other emerging issues;
(l) Any other responsibility that the Lieutenant Governor in Council may prescribe.
A regulatory body may only act in an advocacy role following this Act and per rules, conditions, or limits prescribed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.