The Realizing Accreditation and Academic Assessments (RAAA) Program is a strategic direction in the 2025-2029 Engineers Canada Strategic Plan. It builds on the research, engagement, and co-design undertaken through the Futures of Engineering Accreditation (FEA) project, and focuses on implementing the recommendations that emerged from the FEA Path Forward Report to modernize and align Canada’s engineering accreditation and academic assessment systems.
The Program is divided into four workstreams that address different recommendations. Here’s an update on each workstream and the work underway:
Faculty licensure requirements and students' meaningful involvement with licensed professionals
This workstream addresses recommendations 7 through 9 of the FEA Path Forward Report, which call for reconsideration of the accreditation criteria requiring a minimum curriculum-hour volume of engineering science or engineering design to be delivered by faculty members holding or progressing toward professional engineering licensure in Canada. To that end, the CEAB was tasked by the Engineers Canada Board to develop and recommend for Board approval appropriate changes to those accreditation criteria. This work was undertaken by the CEAB’s Policies and Procedures (P&P) Committee in collaboration with the Engineering Deans Canada’s (EDC’s) Deans Liaison Committee (DLC).
Workshops were held earlier this year, resulting in a statement defining the purpose and outcomes for substantial and meaningful student involvement with licensed engineers, and proposing revisions to and removal of selected criteria associated with faculty licensure requirements. A national consultation on these was held in recent months and the feedback received during the consultation is currently being reviewed and incorporated into proposed changes to criteria, with the changes to be presented to the Engineers Canada Board for approval in February 2027.
By moving beyond contact-hour input measures to an outcomes-based approach that demonstrates students’ substantial and meaningful involvement with licensed engineering professionals, this work marks an important first step in the broader transformation toward outcomes-focused accreditation.
Full Spectrum Competency Profile (FSCP) Pilot Study
The FSCP Pilot Study addresses recommendations 12 and 13 of the FEA Path Forward Report. Establishing an FSCP and National Academic Requirement for Licensure (NARL) that are robust, defensible, and that can be applied fairly and consistently are foundational to the shift to outcomes-focused accreditation, and to aligning accreditation and academic assessments.
Currently, this work is in its first phase: the FSCP Advisory Group has selected six competencies to develop; have collaboratively developed competency descriptors, statements, and indicators; and have developed competency assessment rubrics and processes. In the coming months, these six competencies, indicators, and assessment processes will be sent out for consultation, ahead of the pilot study, which will take place in 2027.
The results of the pilot study will inform a future decision on the wider development of a full FSCP and NARL.
Outcomes-Focused Accreditation (OFA)
This workstream addresses recommendations 4 and 5 of the FEA Path Forward Report, mandating a shift to outcomes-focused accreditation and removal of accreditation units (AUs). Preliminary work planning has begun, taking into consideration current work being done under the other workstreams.
Business Case for Academic Assessments
This workstream originated in the 2025-2029 Engineers Canada Strategic Plan and is investigating a national intake process for the assessment of the academic qualifications of non-CEAB applicants. This is part of ensuring that the processes for academic assessment of CEAB and non-CEAB applicants are more aligned and meet requirements for equitability for applicants.
Engineers Canada recently hired a consultant who will be engaging with regulators and the Canadian Engineering Qualifications Board (CEQB) throughout the fall in an effort to examine the feasibility and options for a possible future national body that assesses academic qualifications of non-CEAB applicants for licensure. The results of those consultations will inform the development of a draft business case document with recommendations, which will be shared for general consultation in 2027.