Help and information in applying for Chartership

THE APPLICATIONPROCESS

KNOWLEDGEEXPERIENCECOMMITMENTEXCELLENCE

AUGUST 2016

The non-disclosure of information relating to candidates and/or the companies they work for while applying for Chartered or Incorporated status is essential.

CONFIDENTIALITY

We understand that confidentiality is an important consideration in the engineering profession and we have taken steps throughout the application process to ensure and accomodate this.

All reviewers, assessors and mentors partaking in the Chartered Engineer Structure at KIVI are asked to sign a confidentiality agreement.This includes, but is not limited to, information in candidate portfolios, CVs, presentations, candidate’s supporting evidence, discussions with or concerning the candidate, and other information of a personal nature.

Each stage must be passed before the candidate can proceed to the next stage.

ASSESSMENT STAGES

CVA comprehensive English CV must be submitted for review.

PortfolioThe portfolio must be completed in accordance with the NL-Spec, which consists of the 5 core competences. Relevant evidence can be submitted alongside this.

QualifiedUpon qualification, the newly Chartered or Incorporated Engineer will appear on the Chartered Engineer Register. They will receive a certificate and can use the professional title of CEng or IEng. They must carry out CPD in order to maintain the qualification.

InterviewThe Professional Review Interview lasts for 90 minutes and is conducted by two experienced engineers. The candidate must prepare a 10 minute presentation on one or two projects. Questions will be asked on both the presentation and portfolio.

The portfolio consists of 5 competences, with each one including sub-competences. The requirements for each competence differ for both CEng and IEng.

PORTFOLIO

Knowledge &understanding of Engineering

Design &development of processes, systems, services or products

Leadership, responsibility& management

Communication & interpersonal skills

Professional commitment

A B C D E

Focuses on your engineering knowledge and technical language.

Focuses on other professional and soft skills.

The NL-SPEC consists of a detailed explanation of the 5 core competences, along with other important information.

THE NL-SPEC

Before beginning your portfolio:

• Read through the entire document carefully.

• Read all of the competences thoroughly.

• Plan your response for each sub-competence, this will enable you to have a general overview of the content of your portfolio before you begin.

• Structuring and delegating the relevant sub-competences to your experience will be taken into consideration during portfolio assessment.

You are responsible for developing your thoughts and explaining how your experience meets the required standard of the 5 competences.

WRITING YOUR PORTFOLIO

Write in the 1st person.

Be specific and use clear, technical language.

Include the project name, company name and date of the project, of which you are discussing.

Ensure you match your statements/evidence with the correct sub-competence.

Example:“I worked on the development of a solution...”

You are responsible for developing your thoughts and explaining how your experience meets the required standard of the 5 competences.

WRITING YOUR PORTFOLIO

Provide at least 2 examples for each sub-competence. You can provide evidence to support your portfolio.

If you cannot provide evidence for particular sub-competences, provide more detail and specifics within your statements.

Think of specific activities when providing examples, not ‘types’ of activities.

For example,Instead of ‘I am a mentor’, use:‘I mentor two junior engineers in my company, specifically in…’

You can use examples from your entire career. If you are using examples from a long time ago, ensure you also have recent ones (specifically the last 5 years). A broad portfolio can be very interesting.

The purpose of the portfolio is not just to record your past experiences but to also reflect on them. Reflective learning is an essential part of Chartership.

BE REFLECTIVE

This reflection shows your understanding of your work and your responsibilities, as well as your ability to plan for continual professional development.

TIPS

• Focus on your personal involvement.

• What did you learn from the project(s)?

• What decisions did YOU make and what was your reasoning? Think ‘Why?’.

• What may you do differently next time?

• Avoid generic statements such as “I worked for six months in the rail department using relevant codes and standards”. This isn’t reflective, it doesn’t explain anything about your personal competence either.

Excerpt of an unsatisfactory statement.

EXAMPLE STATEMENTS

C3“In 2013, my team worked on a bridge repair project where we had a temporary road closure throughout the night. The project went according to plan and finished on schedule.”

Why is this example unsatisfactory?

• It is not written in the first person, and there is no evidence of personal reponsibility and involvement.

• It is not specific enough.• There is no project details.• There is no reflection.• It is not relevant to the selected sub-

competence.

Excerpt of a satisfactory statement.

EXAMPLE STATEMENTS

C1“(Bellevue Bridge Project, Company-Z, Sept-Dec 2013) During the project planning, I took responsibility for the decision to conduct the repairs using a temporary road closure at night rather than a reduced lane speed. My decision was based on an evaluation of the bridge assessment. The primary reason for this was the improved safety that could be achieved by a road closure.”

Why is this example satisfactory?

• It is written in the first person.• Personal involvement and

reponsibility is demonstrated. • Reflection and reasoning for decision

making is included.• It is specific.• There is project details, including the

project name, company name and dates.

• The correct sub-competence has been allocated. Please note: This is an excerpt of an example statement. It is not a detailed and complete response.

Upon successful completion and review of your portfolio, a professional review interview will follow. This will last for 90 minutes and will be carried out by two assessors. The interview consists of three stages:

THE PROFESSIONAL REVIEW INTERVIEW (PRI)

A 10 minute presentation focusing on one project from the last 5-7 years. This should include technical detail and reflection on your personal role and responsibilities within the project.

Questions in relation to the content of the presentation. Prepare to get technical as one of the assessors will be an expert in your workfield/discipline.

Questions in relation to your portfolio and CV. Please do not repeat information you have provided in your CV or Portfolio in the presentation.

The Chartership team are here to help at all stages of the process.

HELP AND GUIDANCE

You can send your questions or remarks to chartered@kivi.nl.

Or if you’d prefer to have a chat call us on 070 3919 900.

We can also arrange a mentor to help and advise you.

All information and applications are treated with confidentiality.