One of a series of frequently asked questions from North West ICE members on Professional Review.
I understand from ICE 3001A (Appendix A) that at the Professional Review I must demonstrate a sound understanding of core engineering principles. What does this mean?
At any Professional Review (CPR, MPR or TPR) a candidate will be expected to demonstrate a sound practical understanding of the core engineering principles appropriate to those fields of engineering in which they have gained their experience and appropriate to the level of review they are sitting. Candidates are also expected to be able to exercise sound independent judgement on the basis of that knowledge.
This means not only having theoretical knowledge, but understanding:
- the basis of it,
- where it comes from,
- how to apply it
- and what happens when the external physical world changes.
Candidates should be able to:
- understand,
- analyse,
- assess
- and describe
- the effects of loads and forces acting upon or within a:
- material,
- body or structure,
- the stresses thus developed,
- and the consequential strains, deflections and, ultimately, failure of the structure or some element within it.
The ‘structure’ could be a wall, a building, a bridge or gantry, a pipe, a pipe network, a road pavement, a highway network etc. The application of engineering principles almost invariably involves some degree of mathematical analysis or modelling, which must include some form of ‘reality check’.
How do you develop this?
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Candidates would normally begin to gain this engineering knowledge during their academic study.
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During their Initial Professional Development (IPD) it is expected that this knowledge would be broadened and deepened into a sound understanding of the theoretical principles within their field of work.
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This means that candidates need to have an enquiring mind and be willing to answer questions, rather than just accepting things at face-value.
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ICE’s Development Objectives (ICE 3005A) will help to give a framework for this process.
What do reviewers look for?
Reviewers will:
- take into account your background,
- and will be looking to see how you have gained and enhanced your understanding from the projects you’ve worked on.
Some of the evidence comes from your Experience and Project reports. Much will be in response to questions during the review. Perhaps you will get a straightforward question, but sometimes you could be presented with a “what if?” scenario. For those who’ve worked extensively with proprietary software, there could be a question about the analytical principles on which it is based and possibly how they would do the analysis if the software is not available.
Need more information?
Check the key reference document Membership Guidance Note 47 and/or contact your local Membership Development Officer.
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