Engineers Society

Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ)

The Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) is the professional body which represents professional engineers from all disciplines in New Zealand. The terms "engineering profession" and "professional engineer/engineering" are used by the Institution in the broadest possible way, to include all those who use a systematic process of analysis, design/synthesis and implementation, strive to operate in a responsible way, are governed by a code of ethics set by their peers, and engage in continuing professional development to maintain the currency of their competence.

The terms adopted do not specify how such skills are achieved, and thus IPENZ seeks to include people from widely varying educational backgrounds. IPENZ provides services for about 12,000 members, who are classified into various membership classes according to their levels of education and extent of experience in engineering practice. The Institution sets internationally bench-marked qualifying standards for degree qualifications in engineering and thus serves engineers by securing formal recognition for their professional standing.

IPENZ assesses foreign qualifications, encourages and assists continuing professional development, and provides awards and scholarships that recognise achievement. IPENZ provides a widening range of membership services. It also represents engineers' interests with government, provides contact with other professionals through branches and technical groups, and maintains a vigorous publication and conference programme. IPENZ promotes public debate on engineering issues in the community, and seeks to contribute, on behalf of the engineering profession, to the resolution of issues affecting the wider community.

IPENZ is governed by an elected Board, chaired by the President and including eleven other members. This Board sets strategy and employs the Chief Executive, who manages the expenditure of the budget to provide services to members and to fund activities defined by the strategy.

Registration

If you wish to apply for competence based membership and registration, you will need to show evidence that you meet the relevant competence standard. The nature of the assessment will vary depending on whether you have had a previous competence assessment by IPENZ and if so how long ago. 
Generally the steps involved are as follows:

• Submission of a portfolio of evidence: this includes continuing professional development (CPD) records, referee reports, work history summaries and self-review forms.  Refer to the Competence Assessment Reference Guide (CARG). for further details
• Evaluation by an Assessment Panel: a panel made up of an IPENZ Staff Assessor and at least one Practice Area Assessor is appointed to assess each portfolio and prepare an assessment report and recommendation for the Competence Assessment Board.  If you have not been assessed before, the evaluation process will involve an interactive interview and, typically, a written assignment.
• Registration decision: the Competence Assessment Board (CAB) is the body authorised to make decisions on each application.  The CAB meets monthly to consider assessment reports and recommendations from assessment panels.
• Outcome advised: successful applicants receive a certificate and are placed on the relevant registers They can then use the relevant postnominals (e.g. CPEng, MIPENZ, ETPract etc.) after their name. 

If you live overseas and you are applying for CPEng you are required to demonstrate current competence in a New Zealand context - knowledge and application of New Zealand codes, regulations and practices.  If you have been overseas for a period of time then it may be difficult for you to demonstrate this, particularly in some fields of practice, such as geotechnical or structural engineering where there is significant New Zealand contextualisation.  In other disciplines, such as IT or Telecommunications, where international codes and standards predominate, this is less of an issue.  You will need to demonstrate how you have developed or maintained your knowledge of New Zealand-specific engineering good practice.  This may be because you have been working with New Zealand clients; you may be employed by a multi-national company with a NZ office which distributes work around various offices; you maybe doing work based on New Zealand design standards and codes.

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