It is the responsibility of each Registrant to accurately record an ongoing record of participation in professional development activities in order to assure the public of their expertise in their declared practice area(s).

Registrants can and should choose professional development activities that maintain, improve and expand their skills and knowledge, and are relevant to their practice area(s) or support the development of a new area of expertise.

Registrants are expected to sign in to their BCIA profile and go to the PD Reports section to report PD activities on an ongoing basis. In addition to reporting Professional Development activities under PD Reports, Registrants are encouraged to maintain a personal detailed record of all professional development activities, including the dates, locations, subject material, and a rationale on what was learned and how that relates to the Registrant's area of practice.

Practicing registrants are required to complete and accurately report a minimum of 30 PDH per year, an average of 42 PD hours (PDH) annually, with a minimum of 125 PDH over three years. Non-practicing Registrants are required to report a minimum of 50% of the annual PDH requirement during their time on leave and declare practice area(s).

*Note: new articling registrants if accepted mid-year are not required to fulfill the annual PDH requirement in the first year of registration though at least one claim must be entered when proceeding through the payment process at renewal time. At minimum, this could be prorated hours for working in agrology under Professional Practice AND/OR self-study up to 15 PDHs AND/OR completion of any articling program element.

When reporting PD, Registrants should document:

• the topic or title or article
• the area of practice/relevancy to the profession
• the type of activity, i.e., webinar, tour, seminar
• the date of activity
• the length of activity
• a short description of the activity

Registrants are required to self-declare their practice area(s) annually.

A practice area is defined as a unique functional area of professional practice within the agrology profession, which requires specialized knowledge based on education, work experience, and skill sets. If the activities are performed for protective purposes as defined within the Agrologists Regulation, that work is considered within the reserved practice of the profession.

A Registrant is allowed to self-declare in as many practice areas as the Registrant is qualified for and competent in.

The new BCIA Practice Areas were implemented as of September 1, 2022. There are 12 recognized Practice Areas across five different practice sectors listed by BCIA.

Download the Practice Areas - A Summary for BCIA Registrants and Applicants document for detailed information.

Relevant professional development should relate to either:

• the Practice of Agrology as defined under the Professional Governance Act; or
• special knowledge areas relating to the performance of professional activities

The Practice of Agrology is defined as:

a) Advice or services that are

i) based on agricultural or natural sciences or agricultural or resource economics, and

ii) relate to

(A) Cultivation, production, improvement, processing, marketing or management of aquatic or terrestrial plants or animals,

(B) Classification, management, use, conservation, protection or enhancements of aquatic, terrestrial or atmospheric ecosystems that are affected by, sustain or have the potential to sustain the cultivation or production of aquatic or terrestrial plants or animals, or

(C) Restoration, reclamation or remediation of aquatic, terrestrial or atmospheric ecosystems;

Special Knowledge Areas in the Performance of Activities

All Agrologists are expected to maintain knowledge within five particular areas as related to their declared practice area(s).

Policy and Regulation

Each Registrant of BCIA is required to maintain current knowledge of the Agrologist Regulation, its amendments, and any other provincial legislation and or policies relevant to the broader agrology profession in BC and their particular practice areas and activities.

Climate Change

A global consensus now exists that the climate is in an unprecedented state of change and that an overwhelming driver of this change is human activities [²]. Furthermore, this change rate impacts everything from natural ecosystems to agriculture to public infrastructure. These impacts are expected not to be in the public interest, with rare exceptions. To address these challenges and avoid the worst of these impacts, Agrologists are expected to show due care in providing their advice and services by maintaining knowledge and expertise in four specific activities within their practice area:

• The mitigation of climate change.
• The mitigation of the impacts of climate change.
• Adaptation to climate change.
• The adaptation to climate change impacts.

Professional Ethics

All registrants of BCIA are expected to maintain knowledge concerning ethical standards of not just the BCIA but of the expectations of broader society, including legal recourse.

Professional Boundaries and Limits to Practice

BCIA is one of five regulatory bodies currently governed by the PGA. In performing their tasks, Agrologists may find themselves in situations where professionals of regulatory bodies under other legislation may also be engaged.

Registrants of the BCIA are expected to have a clear understanding within their practice areas as to where their authority borders that of the Registrant of another regulatory body. It should be clearly understood that there can be no overlap between the reserved practices of two regulatory bodies (unless the overlap is legislatively recognized), but rather that the practices can compliment each other.

Indigenous Reconciliation

Registrants of all regulatory bodies subject to the PGA are explicitly required to facilitate the provision of knowledge to their Registrants for facilitating reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in the province of BC as per section 57 (¹) (f):

57 (¹) Subject to subsections (²) and (³), the council of each regulatory body must make bylaws establishing the following:

(f) continuing education programs or requirements that support reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia;