Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

This page offers answers to frequently asked questions. It is updated regularly to include answers to new questions.

If you do not find the answer to your question, email your question to eacertify@intekom.co.za.

1. How can I become a certified environmental assessment practitioner ?
2. What does ICB stand for ?
3. What does CBEAPSA stand for ?
4. What does EAP or EAPs stand for ?
5. How come the experience required for someone with a degree and for someone with a Masters degree is the same (3 years)?
6. Why are Honours and Masters degrees simply grouped together as postgraduate degrees? Quite clearly there is an order of magnitude difference in acceptance criteria, commitment required, exposure and knowledge obtained between these two degrees.
7. What incentives are there to encourage mid career professionals to voluntarily register as an Environmental Assessment Practitioner e.g. someone who has already registered with SACNASP as a Natural Scientist or a Professional Engineer etc? These people will already have developed quite a few of the core competencies required, and will also have been working under a code of ethics for some time. To subject them to the same requirements as a 24-year-old with a three year degree and three years experience does not seem fair.
8. I have three degrees in environmental practice but only two years of professional experience in this field so far. Does this mean I cannot be certified (according to the information booklet criteria of three years)?
9. Why is it specified that degrees should be from a South African university when there are solid environmental courses offered from reputable institutions around the world?
10. How will Core Competencies be proven/demonstrated? Who will assess these?
11. What happens after the end of the ICB's two year trial period? Will registered members have to re-apply?
12. Has the certification of government officials who actually review the "impact reports" been considered as your application procedure is skewed towards "consultants"?
13. What do I do if I am eager to apply for certification but do not know any of the referees on the ICB's list?
14. Where can I get answers to questions which do not appear here ?

Answers to your questions

1. How can I become a certified environmental assessment practitioner ?

You have to meet the criteria set out in the Information Booklet and you must apply for certification with the Interim Certification Board. Find more detailed help on Becoming Certified ...
2. What does ICB stand for ?

The acronym ICB stands for the Interim Certification Board which was established in February 2001 to initiate Certification System for Environmental Assessment Practitioners and whose term will expire after two years (January 2003).
3. What does CBEAPSA stand for ?

The acronym CBEAPSA stands for the Certification Board for Environmental Assessment Practitioners of South Africa. The CBEAPSA is the current name for the body that will take over the task of Certification once the Interim Certification Board's two year term expires.
4. What does EAP or EAPs stand for ?

EAP/s is an acronym for Environmental Assessment Practitioner/s. In the context of this web site and the ICB and CBEAPSA it specifically refers to a Certified Environmental Assessment Practitioner.
5. How come the experience required for someone with a degree and for someone with a Masters degree is the same (3 years)?

In our early deliberations on certification (some 3 years ago), it was seen by many people to be essential that certification didn't emerge as an elitist and exclusive initiative, where higher degrees counted heavily and, by implication, less privileged folk would be excluded. Also, due to the wide range of initial degrees from which environmental assessment practitioners may emerge, it was felt that a focus on the core competencies and specific content of academic studies, rather than the time spent studying, was critical. So, if one does a degree in environmental practice in terms of the ICB definition [which could be a 3 / 4 year degree], or a degree which wouldn't qualify as a degree in environmental practice per se, followed by a postgraduate degree to ensure that the resulting scope of academic studies would qualify in terms of the Interim Certification Board definition, the point of departure for gaining professional experience specifically in Environmental Assessment would be similar. Hence the same period of time required for professional experience.
6. Why are Honours and Masters degrees simply grouped together as postgraduate degrees? Quite clearly there is an order of magnitude difference in acceptance criteria, commitment required, exposure and knowledge obtained between these two degrees.

For the same reasons given in the answer to the question above - certainly, additional study would give wider exposure, knowledge, etc. But the Environmental Assessment Practitioner's core business is in co-ordinating, integrating and managing the process. The Interim Certification Board believes that these core competencies can be acquired without extensive study although additional experience, either gained through ongoing education or experience, would add value.
7. What incentives are there to encourage mid career professionals to voluntarily register as an Environmental Assessment Practitioner e.g. someone who has already registered with SACNASP as a Natural Scientist or a Professional Engineer etc? These people will already have developed quite a few of the core competencies required, and will also have been working under a code of ethics for some time. To subject them to the same requirements as a 24-year-old with a three year degree and three years experience does not seem fair.

Environmental assessment is seen to have particular requirements in a practitioner [as detailed in the Information Booklet on Certification], over and above those acquired by a professional engineer, natural scientist, etc. At present, there is no form of certification for people undertaking environmental assessments, and the quality of Environmental Assessments is highly variable and, in many instances, inadequate. SACNASP does certify environmental professionals, as does the South African Institute of Ecologists and Environmental Scientists, but both these organisations place emphasis on the natural or physical sciences. The Environmental Assessment Practitioner needs to be a "specialist generalist" who appreciates the full spectrum of environmental issues, including socio-economic issues and the field of human sciences, and who understands and can manage interdisciplinary specialists and the integrated environmental management process. The Code of Ethics and Code of Practice linked to EAP certification are tailored specifically to the challenges presented by EA, and would introduce a measure of quality assurance in EA in SA; currently absent. The incentives for mid-career professionals to be certified are essentially the same as for younger professionals, as spelt out Sections 1.2 and 2.1 of the Information Booklet. If the individual has the core competencies and would meet the requirements for certification, the benefits of being certified would need to be evaluated by that individual, and would probably depend on the relative proportion of his/her work spent on EA. Membership and/or registration with professional organisations is tax deductible! Again, when initiating a certification system within a particular field, it is seen to be critical that the proposed system is not seen to be elitist and exclusive. The entrance requirements, therefore, need to be - and have been - thoroughly and carefully thought through and pitched at what is considered to be an appropriate level for South Africa.
8. I have three degrees in environmental practice but only two years of professional experience in this field so far. Does this mean I cannot be certified (according to the information booklet criteria of three years)?

Our minimum requirement is three years of working experience in a position of responsible charge; we believe that practical experience is a vital contributor to an EAP's competence. However, should you wish to apply as a special case, the ICB would consider the merits of your application and motivation for waiving this criterion.
9. Why is it specified that degrees should be from a South African university when there are solid environmental courses offered from reputable institutions around the world?

Currently, we are targeting Environmental Assessment Practitioners in the South African environment. Given that our legal, policy, planning, socio-economic and biophysical context is different from other countries in the world, we feel it is appropriate to focus on graduates from SA institutions. We agree that other reputable institutions offer excellent courses in environmental assessment. Provided that sufficient motivation is given that the contextual issues associated with EA in the South African environment, specifically, have been covered by the applicant, either through working experience in the SA environment or relevant additional training, consideration would be given to an application for certification.
10. How will Core Competencies be proven/demonstrated? Who will assess these?

The applicant should motivate that he/she has the core competencies, drawing on his/her experience, written reports/papers, and/or practical examples. The referee/sponsor should confirm that the applicant has these core competencies, based on either personal experience of the applicant or adequate exposure to his/her EA work. Ultimately, the ICB certification committee would evaluate the applicant's motivation in support of certification and demonstration of core competencies, as attested to by referees/sponsors. Where appropriate, an interview may be arranged to assist the ICB evaluate the applicant.
11. What happens after the end of the ICB's two year trial period? Will registered members have to re-apply?

One of the first tasks of the new certification body would be to decide on a time period for EAP certification; i.e. after how many years of being registered as an EAP would certified practitioners have to re-apply, providing evidence of continued competent practice in the EA field, an up to date knowledge of legislation and policy, etc. Drawing on experience elsewhere, it is anticipated that a 4-5 year period could be appropriate.
12. Has the certification of government officials who actually review the "impact reports" been considered as your application procedure is skewed towards "consultants"?

The intention of the certification process, is to introduce quality assurance in the field of environmental assessment. In Section 3 of the Information Booklet which can be viewed on the EAPSA website, entitled "Who would be Certified", it states clearly that certification targets the EA practitioner, "whether in private practice, or in the employ of academic institutions, industry, government or non-government organisations".
Following on from the above, it is seen to be particularly important that those government officials who are tasked with reviewing EA reports, which in future (it is hoped) would be prepared by certified EA practitioners, would themselves meet the criteria for certification. That is, that they could provide the assurance that their judgement in reviewing EA reports was based on both sound academic experience, professional experience and proven competency in a number of core areas. Also, their work would then also be bound by a Code of Ethics and Practice. The assurance provided by certification would be advantageous in terms of promoting public confidence in these officials in particular, and in the wider EA practitioner body in general.
13. What do I do if I am eager to apply for certification but do not know any of the referees on the ICB's list?
Applicants could in this case either use their own sponsors provided they were outstanding members of the environmental profession or they could ask the ICB to appoint a referee/s for them.
14. Where can I get answers to questions which do not appear here ?

Email your question to eacertify@intekom.co.za.