How Do We......

Here is a fundamental question that I have been going back and forth with in my head.  How do we improve the profession of Surveying without undo regulation?  It has been my observation that most of the surveyors I know are working at a pretty high standard that they have set for themselves.  This self imposed regulation is above the state required minimum; and the public benefits.  Yet there exists amongst us a group of practitioners that exist to get by with the minimum allowable.  We know who they are; we know where they are; we know what they do; we know they get away with it.  How do we fix it? or Do we fix it?

I am an advocate of MANDATORY continuing education.  That is no secret.  I personally believe that education is the key to raising the level of practice.  It isn't about APLS having a monoploy on seminars or the like.  The internet killed that idea.  Education is the key.  I honestly believe that most of the substandard practitioners out there do so because that is how they were trained.  I have seen examples of these ill-trained technicians get licensed and start to educate themselves and turn out to be good surveyors. I believe that once a person learns what they should be doing they quickly adjust what they are doing.  As far as the mandatory part.  Well quite simply some people have to be told they have to before they will.  Anyone that has children or had children knows exactly what I am talking about.

So now we face a question in Arizona...Do we change the minimum standards?  To be honest I am perched firmly on the fence.  On the one hand hand I agree that the current standards need to clarify some grey areas.  On the other hand I don't want the standards to micro-manage my practice.  There needs to be flexibility to make professional judgement.  If we kill professional judgement by over standardizing then we are a trade and not a profession.  I have loosely been apart of reviewing the draft of the new standards and can live with most of what is in there.  However I do not like the fact that the reason this is even coming up is because of people gaming the system.  Then again this isn't about what I like or dislike; it's about improving the profession.  So my internal boxing match shall continue.

Let me go back to professional judgement.  I think professional judgement is, at the end of the day, the final word.  Standards can be written but judgement is the key. Judgement is the why we do what we do.  Standards dictate how.  Standards cannot regulate judgement.  Nor can they fix faulty judgement.  Education is the key to bringing a positive change to faulty judgement.  In my ever so humble opinion.

Where does APLS fit in?  Well friends and neighbors I am here to tell you.  First and foremost; there is no reason that anyone should be excluded from APLS.  If you feel the dues are to high then let's address it.  If the Board of Directors needs fixed; let's address it.  If APLS has problems then the members need to fix it.  If the Board of Directors is made up of representatives from each chapter then there should be no disconnect between the chapters and the Board of Directors.  UNLESS of course directors tell one story at the chapter meeting and then tell a different story at the Board of Directors meeting.  We need a clear and honest picture of who we are; where we are going; and how we are going to get there.

So here is my vision:
1.  Mandatory Continuing Education will/can raise the level of professional judgement through education.
2.  The Minimum Standards do need to be updated at some level.
3.  The requirements for licensure in Arizona are no longer sufficient to define minimum competency.
4.  More interaction with the Board of Technical Registration to address violations and enforcement.

And to my Compadres' in the south.... Viva La SALSA!!!!!!