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How does IET define Innovation to meet CEng Standards

I am hoping that the senior PRAs can guide me to better understand the definiton of Innovation and what is expected to meet CEng Standards. My personal interpretation is that Innovation is any new product, new process or new idea.


As a person working as a Construction Manager building critical infrastructure projects, i dont make complex calculations or use complex softwares for analysis apart from using Planning tools like MS Project or Primavera . Hence it is important for me to understand what constitutes Innovation to meet the CEng standard. I have plenty of examples to demonstrate innovation but for this particular instance I am using an example where I developed a planning tool (Excel sheet) where it estimates the optimal utilisation of construction resources by extrapolating data from the characteristics that i analysed in the project life cycle and evaluated each projects. I am not giving full detail here for confidetiality. This innovation could be seen in the eyes of a Rocket Scientist as trivial since it does not do complex calculations or no patents involved. However, in the eyes of my business or working in my sector could be seen as Innovation as this is a new product which improves efficiency in working.


By textbook defintion of the UKSPEC A2 competency, they have made it ambigous by choosing very few scenarios and saying "could include an ability " rather than "should include an ability " leaving it to the reviewer for subjective interpretation.

Engage in the creative and innovative development of engineering technology and continuous improvement systems.


This could include an ability to: 

' Assess market needs and contribute to marketing strategies

' Identify constraints and exploit opportunities for the development and transfer of technology within own chosen field

' Promote new applications when appropriate

' Secure the necessary intellectual property (IP) rights

' Develop and evaluate continuous improvement systems.



I spoken to PRA on this and receieved his response that contradicted the PRI conclusion. Since i have already been told by IET Professional Registration Team that the PRA is only to advice and their advice does not mean this can be accepted by the review committee, I believe that this is the right forum to raise the query as it makes clearer for everyone similar to my position where the definition is vague.
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  • Hi Alasdair,


    Thanks for your reply. My application was supported by two CEng qualified managers and a PRA. However my application was rejected by the PRI after submitting the application and before the interview which frustrated the hell out of me. Rather than giving me the opportunity to provide specific information during the application, they rejected it. This is after myself going through many Professional Regisration Workshops (At least 4 workshops in my local network), speaking to PRAs and working on the Career Manager for the last 5 years.

    The disappointing part is that they said my application did not show technical leadiership involving complexity. I build 400KV, 275KV & 132KV substations and cable networks as a Construction Manager for an Electrical Transmission Operator and for a PRI to say that my technical leadership is not complex is disappointing. I manage projects as a Principal Contractor and we do the detailed design. Although my application said what i did clearly, but this did not satisfy them. I think they wanted to see budget or more greater complex scenarios which i would have given them if they asked me. More worrying is that they would not let me discuss with the PRI after the rejection and they asked me to speak to the same PRA who said that my application was strong. When i spoke of the rejection soon after i heard from the IET, i contacted the  PRA  who said that this is strange and a first for him in the last three years of PRA. After that i tried contacting him and he would not reply. 

    I raised my disappointment in the process to the Professional Registration Team and they were kind enough to redo my application free of cost. But i will have to write the full application and go through the whole vetting again through the PRA and CEng supporters. They informed me that they will find me a new PRA which i am waiting.

    I am Electrical disciplined working in an Electrical Utility building electrical assets which involves civil, electrical and mechanical works. Surely there will be other candidates like me who have the same scenario. But i have noticed that in my 10 years of working in the substation construction, i have never seen a CEng qualified site management or construction management staff gained through the IET although the work requires technical knowledge and leadership. However i have seen many who gained CEng through ICE / IMechE.
Reply
  • Hi Alasdair,


    Thanks for your reply. My application was supported by two CEng qualified managers and a PRA. However my application was rejected by the PRI after submitting the application and before the interview which frustrated the hell out of me. Rather than giving me the opportunity to provide specific information during the application, they rejected it. This is after myself going through many Professional Regisration Workshops (At least 4 workshops in my local network), speaking to PRAs and working on the Career Manager for the last 5 years.

    The disappointing part is that they said my application did not show technical leadiership involving complexity. I build 400KV, 275KV & 132KV substations and cable networks as a Construction Manager for an Electrical Transmission Operator and for a PRI to say that my technical leadership is not complex is disappointing. I manage projects as a Principal Contractor and we do the detailed design. Although my application said what i did clearly, but this did not satisfy them. I think they wanted to see budget or more greater complex scenarios which i would have given them if they asked me. More worrying is that they would not let me discuss with the PRI after the rejection and they asked me to speak to the same PRA who said that my application was strong. When i spoke of the rejection soon after i heard from the IET, i contacted the  PRA  who said that this is strange and a first for him in the last three years of PRA. After that i tried contacting him and he would not reply. 

    I raised my disappointment in the process to the Professional Registration Team and they were kind enough to redo my application free of cost. But i will have to write the full application and go through the whole vetting again through the PRA and CEng supporters. They informed me that they will find me a new PRA which i am waiting.

    I am Electrical disciplined working in an Electrical Utility building electrical assets which involves civil, electrical and mechanical works. Surely there will be other candidates like me who have the same scenario. But i have noticed that in my 10 years of working in the substation construction, i have never seen a CEng qualified site management or construction management staff gained through the IET although the work requires technical knowledge and leadership. However i have seen many who gained CEng through ICE / IMechE.
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