Membership

The Technical Report Option: Candidates Guidelines 1. INTRODUCTION The Institute regards due recognition of engineering talent, at whatever stage it can be identified, as an important contribution to the profession and believes that individuals who achieve a high standard of professional competence during their careers should not be handicapped by a previous lack of educational opportunities. The Technical Report Option therefore provides individuals, who lack the required academic qualifications, with the opportunity to pursue (i) CEng and IEng registration with the Engineering Council (UK) and (II) Corporate and Associate membership with the Institute. Individuals must demonstrate that, whatever their education, they have nevertheless subsequently acquired knowledge (of relevant engineering principles) and understanding (of their practical applications) at the same educational level as those of their peers who hold acceptable academic qualifications. The length of Technical Reports varies and, for each candidate, is determined by the Institute taking into account his/her experience to date and whatever qualifications candidates might already have and that the Institute considers to be relevant. For example, to demonstrate that knowledge and understanding have been developed to the standard required for Chartered Engineer registration, a candidate who has no relevant academic qualifications but who has acquired, say, 15 years acceptable engineering experience might be required to produce a substantially longer report than a candidate with an accredited BEng (Honours) degree and, say, 5 years acceptable post-graduation experience. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Candidates with no relevant academic qualifications and who are seeking to be considered for registration/membership solely on the basis of their experience, i.e. mature candidates, must:-

1.1

1.2

1.3

2.

2.1

(a)

have held posts of increasing responsibility in measurement and control engineering commensurate with their age

(b)

have attained a position indicating a level of competence that would have admitted them to Chartered or Incorporated Engineer registration with the Engineering Council (UK) had they satisfied the normal academic requirements. METHOD OF APPLICATION 3.1 Mature candidates, referred to in 2.1., above, should complete a Membership Application Form A marking the form Technical Report Option.
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The supporters and referees must be advised of your intention to apply for membership/registration by this route. It is particularly important that you complete section 3.2 of the Application Form, "Details of Experience", with great care so as to identify your time in posts of increasing responsibility; use extension sheets if necessary. The Institute will assess your eligibility for this option predominantly from your account of your professional experience and from your referee/s report/s.

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3.2.1 Once accepted onto the Technical Report Option, you will be asked to submit
a synopsis of your proposed Report. The synopsis must indicate, briefly, how the paper will present your depth of technical knowledge on the chosen subject and identify the main divisions of the report*. You should also indicate the length of time you anticipate you will take to prepare the report. When the judged to be appropriate, an Institute appointed Mentor may meet or contact you to give constructive guidance ( see 7 below). 4. 4.1 THE REPORT You must offer an ordered and critical exposition of some aspect of measurement and control engineering in which you have played a significant role, defining the problems or development aims involved and demonstrating their resolution or achievement by the application of engineering principles and knowledge. It is important to distinguish between the application of engineering principles and knowledge on the one hand and, on the other, the employment of established good practice. The following examples may help to clarify these differences. Subjects which are likely to meet the Institute requirements include:-

(a)

A quantitative treatment showing (i) how scientific and engineering principles were used to create new equipment or systems or (ii) how existing technology was improved through a new approach and the application of different basic principles.

(b)

Mathematical representation and prediction of a control system behaviour together with an analysis of subsequent experience after the system has performed. (c) The application of basic principles to new or open-ended problems for which no previous guidelines or solutions are available. In many presentations, optimisation towards cost-effectiveness can be introduced into the text as fundamental to good engineering. Subjects which are unlikely to satisfy the Institute requirements include:(d) Historical reviews, except where necessary as essential background to the subject. (e) Descriptions of project management responsibilities including specification, design principles, contract placement, financial management and postcommissioning performance.
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(f)

A compendium of various problems experienced during a project or job responsibility, which were solved through the application of standard practices in a routine manner.

(g)

Anything that could be/is plagiarised. Most candidates will find it more profitable to concentrate in depth on a recent engineering achievement in which they themselves played a major role rather than attempt to cover a wide field.

4.2

The paper must be written in the English Language and must be presented in such a way as to make it readily understood by people unfamiliar with you or the organisation in which you work; do not use jargon or abbreviations. The paper must be typewritten or printed in double spacing on single sided A4 paper. Two copies, each separately bound, are to be submitted with a signed declaration that the content of the paper is your own work. Whenever the subject of the paper is commercially sensitive, you must seek your employers permission to use confidential information; when appropriate, the Institute will make special arrangements for security to be preserved. ASSESSMENT OF REPORT AND INTERVIEW When the final report is submitted for examination, the Institute will appoint two Assessors, normally from academia and industry. If the Assessors find the report satisfactory, you will be called for interview which, in normal circumstances, will be conducted by the same two Assessors. The Interviewers will examine your understanding of measurement and control engineering principles and the manner of application of those principles to the particular field of engineering covered by the Technical Report. They will judge whether you have demonstrated sufficient understanding of those principles to be exempted from the Institute's educational requirements. This judgment will be made by comparing your academic knowledge, as demonstrated in the report and at the interview, with that which would have been acquired by a normally qualified member of average ability, at the same age and in similar circumstances. The importance of this interview cannot be over-emphasised and you are recommended to prepare yourself very rigorously for this searching, but responsible, dialogue, in which you will be given every opportunity to demonstrate your technical knowledge in the chosen subject and related areas. It is your understanding of relevant engineering principles that is being examined and assessors will not be influenced by accounts of exceptional experience or by levels of responsibility in the workplace.

5. 5.1

5.2

5.3

6.

ELECTION Provided that the (Technical Report) interview is successful you will then be required to attend a Professional Review Interview, the principle purpose of
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which is to determine the acceptability, or otherwise, of your technical and professional competence and commitment to the goals of the Institute. Election to the appropriate class of membership of the Institute and registration as a Chartered or Incorporated Engineer or Engineering Technician, with the Engineering Council (UK), is dependent on the outcome of this interview. 7. MENTORING Throughout the various stages of assessment, the Institute will endeavour to provide constructive mentoring. The Mentor can advise you on content and subject matter, question/discuss your approach and assumptions and comment generally on drafts of your synopsis and report. He/she cannot and will not write the report for you, however, and advice and comment is given in good faith. You must not infer that this will necessarily lead to success. * At this stage you will be provided with a Synopsis Pro-Forma to assist you.

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