For the purposes of Certification, “Ecological Practice” is “the scientific study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with their nonliving environment of matter and energy. The field of ecology assists in understanding the importance of biodiversity and the interdependence between humans and their surrounding ecosystems.”
CEnvP Ecology certification does not differentiate between ‘types’ of ecologist, however, applicants are expected to apply based on their specific skills and role within the ecological community, whilst meeting general requirements.
Applications will not be accepted from candidates with no ANZ practice experience; applicants with overseas experience must also demonstrate at least two years of environmental practice in Australia and/or New Zealand.
Overview
To qualify for CEnvP Ecology certification you need:
• Educational Qualifications: An ecology degree, or a degree with a substantial ecological component, and evidence thereof. (Not required for current CEnvPs).
• Work experience in lieu of educational qualifications: In exceptional circumstances, at the discretion of the Certification Board, sufficient years of appropriate work experience may be submitted in lieu of a suitable tertiary qualification.
• Work Experience: Ten (10) years of full-time experience in the functional areas of ecological practice gained during the last seventeen (17) years.
• A Curriculum Vitae: Containing as much detail as possible (experience, roles and responsibilities, skills, outcomes, project list etc.) to evidence you are a respected, competent, ethical and active member of the profession.
Please avoid marketing-style CVs or promotional documents. CVs that are overly generic, visually stylised for sales or branding purposes, or lacking in technical substance may not meet assessment requirements.
• Referees: Nomination of three (3) experienced environmental professionals who are willing to act as Referees with at least one (1) being a current CEnvP-ECO or eligible to be a CEnvP-ECO and one (1) being external to your current place of employment.
• Areas of Practice: Nomination of one to three (1 – 3) areas of practice that you currently or have been working in.
• Key Proficiencies and Professional Competency: Through written demonstration and documentary evidence:
1- A brief personal testimony describing how you believe you achieve the six (6) Key Proficiencies listed below.
2- A list of published citations to demonstrate your professional competency as an ecologist such as publications, peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers or presentations, book chapters or authored books, technical reports, government or consultancy reports.
• Past CPD: Detailing previous undertaken training and professional development is highly recommended. (Not required for current CEnvPs).
• Future CPD: Demonstration of ongoing commitment to training and professional development via a CPD plan that will meet the minimum one hundred (100) CPD points biennially once certified. (Not required for current CEnvPs).
• Commitment to ethics and professional practice: Including acceptance of the EIANZ Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. (Not required for current CEnvPs).
• Statement of Claim: A signed and witnessed statutory declaration confirming the accuracy of the materials provided to the Certification Board.
• Optional additional documentation: Such as reports, publications, presentations, awards etc.
Application Process
Application Process
To be certified as an Ecology Specialist, practitioners must also hold CEnvP General certification.
Practitioners who do not already hold General certification can apply for both CEnvP General and Ecology Specialist certification simultaneously.
Applications can be submitted online anytime during the year and a non-refundable application fee applies.
Applications are usually processed within 3 to 6 months. However, incomplete or flawed applications will be delayed until all missing documentation is received.
As part of the application process, you will be required to attend an online interview with a panel of three certified practitioners. During the interview, you will be asked a series of questions related to training, skills, knowledge, experience, contribution to and understanding of environmental practice, ethical behaviour, and other professional attitudes.
For example, you will:
1. Be asked about how you applied your skills in an ethical and professional environmental practice context.
2. Be provided with one (1) or more Ethical Scenarios to respond to.
3. Need to elaborate on your work experience and comment on specific roles in the context of being a competent professional within your nominated areas of environmental practice.
4. Be expected to discuss your understanding of sustainability and how your work has contributed to sustainability, environmental protection and practice excellence.
5. Need to comment on your capacity to undertake Continuing Professional Development (CPD) while certified.
Successful applicants will receive an official CEnvP certificate, a personalised CEnvP seal to use and will be entitled to use the title ‘Certified Environmental Practitioner’ and the post-nominal letters ‘CEnvP-ECO’ as follows: Mr/s Alex Doe BSc CEnvP-ECO.
To maintain your CEnvP status renewal fees must be paid annually and evidence of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) must be provided on a two-year basis. The certification fee for the first year is calculated on a pro-rata basis from the month a practitioner was certified.
Unsuccessful applications can be either deferred for a period no longer than twelve (12) months or rejected and will receive an outcome letter from the Certification Board addressing their decision and shortcomings identified during the application process. Deferred applicants may re-apply within the deferral period without charge when the conditions of the deferral have been met.
Eligibility and Evidence
Educational Qualifications
An ecology degree or a degree with a substantial ecological component.
Evidence of your qualifications is required in the form of certified copies (refer to the FAQs on our website for a list of authorised signatories in Australia, and in New Zealand). These must be uploaded and submitted together with the online application. Alternatively, direct access via My eQuals is also accepted. Where necessary, transcript or academic record of your degree may be requested to verify its ecological content.
Evidence of Name Change will be required if your current name differs from the name on the educational qualifications.
Work Experience
The minimum requirement is ten (10) years of full-time equivalent professional experience in the functional areas of ecological practice gained during the last seventeen (17) years.
Only experience gained after obtaining the lowest level of eligible educational qualifications can be counted towards the experience required.
Work experience timeframe: The seventeen (17) year window allows part-time workers as well as those returning to the workforce from a long leave period associated with caring, illness or parental leave, to meet the required full-time equivalence work experience.
For the purpose of calculating full-time equivalent (FTE) work experience, no more than thirty-five (35) hours per week will be recognised (even if working for more than one (1) employer at the time) and the following metrics are used:
• Full-time / 1.0 (35 hrs / week),
• 4 days / 0.8 (28 hrs / week),
• 3 days / 0.6 (21 hrs / week),
• 2 days / 0.4 (14 hrs / week),
• 1 day / 0.2 (7 hrs / week).
Functional work experience: Supervisory, teaching, research, policy development, regulatory activities, community development work, and volunteer work may be recognised as contributing to the years of ‘functional experience’, providing you can demonstrate how these have contributed to relevant competence.
Applicants with experience in lieu of education: In exceptional circumstances, at the discretion of the Certification Board, sufficient years of appropriate work experience may be submitted in lieu of a suitable tertiary qualification.
Work Verifiers: The experience claimed must be independently verified by a “Work Verifier”, a current or former employer, senior colleague, or Referee who knew you at that time and can specifically confirm the experience claimed. Work Verifiers are required to complete an online form sent to them by email after the application has been submitted (please ensure they are notified beforehand). These individuals may be contacted by the Administration team, Registrar, Assessment Panel or Certification Board.
Referees
Applicants must nominate three (3) respected environmental professionals as referees, ensuring the following criteria are met:
• At least one (1) must be an experienced Ecology practitioner who is either a CEnvP-ECO Specialist or would be eligible to apply for CEnvP-ECO Specialist certification themselves.
• At least one (1) must be external to your current place of employment
• All referees must have must have known you for at least two (2) years in roles such as supervisor, educator, senior peer or client and must be able to comment on your experience, skills and attributes as they relate to the relevant areas of practice, ethics and professional integrity,
• Referees who are not CEnvPs must provide sufficient information / CV / LinkedIn in the Referee report to demonstrate that they are experienced environmental professionals.
Nominated Referees will be required to fill in an online Report sent to them by email after the Application form has been submitted. Please ensure the Referees are notified beforehand.
Areas of Practice
Areas of Practice are fields you are currently or have been working in (and not recognised as a CEnvP
specialisation). The Areas of Practice you nominate will be discussed during your interview. Once you are certified, these will be used in online profiles and directories.
Key Proficiencies
The following six (6) key proficiencies must be demonstrated by an Ecology Specialist in both written application and interview.
Professional practice
1- Plan & engagement in continuous learning (general):
• Undertakes sufficient field work to maintain skills.
• Attends identification workshops or short courses related to ecology.
• Continuous improvement through research or journal reviews.
• Continues specialised skill development throughout career.
• Broadens skill base throughout career
2- Use of appropriate information technology and techniques:
• Demonstrated understanding of assessment techniques and use of specialist equipment.
• Is proficient in the use, operation and maintenance of tools/technology as relevant e.g. GPS units, field detection canines, drones, etc.
Environmental awareness
3- Understanding of environmental values, current principles and frameworks:
• Is able to define ecological terms such as biodiversity, resilience, habitat etc.
• Has an intrinsic regard for the environment, natural processes and wildlife.
• Understands the cultural context of ecology i.e. why things are particularly important. Consideration of indigenous cultural values and philosophies and how these are linked to ecology practice.
• Understands how ecology sits within Ecologically Sustainable Development.
• Understands key principles of ecological theory e.g.: Source-sink models, population and community ecology, hysterisis and tipping points.
Analysis and assessment
4- Identification of impact sources, usage of appropriate environmental tools/ techniques/methods, and compilation of relevant information:
• Has demonstrated observation skills, knowledge and experience of particular habitats.
• Ability to develop statistically rigorous survey, impact and monitoring programs.
• Has a robust understanding of survey techniques, including:
a) the ability to critique techniques and select those that are appropriate;
b) the ability to design surveys;
c) the ability to incorporate relevant best practice guidelines, standards and protocols; and
d) an awareness of methodological bias and limitations.
• Demonstrates an appropriate skill level and knowledge in relation to their chosen specialist area.
5- Analysis of data, assessment of its reliability & accuracy, interpretation and presentation:
• Has a technical ability to manage data, analyse data and use appropriate statistical techniques.
• Ensures that a competent suite of statistical software/applications is readily available and accessible.
• Knows how to interpret ecological data to reveal trends, and to establish positions and judgement about what this means.
• Knows the difference between reporting facts and making an interpretation.
• Understands the limitations of uncertainty in ecology e.g. there can be no proof, and understands how to treat this uncertainty.
• Demonstrates capability in interpretation of the reliability and accuracy of data.
• Can clearly communicate findings in a graphical, targeted, oral, verbal, written and visual way.
• Understands the relationship between ecology and risk assessment.
• Understands the various types of qualitative and quantitative ‘models’ that are used in making ecological predictions.
Environmental policy and planning
6- Planning, implementation, evaluation and improvement of systems, policies and procedures. Understanding, assessment of conformance to and design regulatory frameworks, accountabilities and standards for policies & activities:
• Knows or knows how to find out about laws, regulations, schedules, codes, guidelines and policy.
• Has a working knowledge of international laws and conventions (e.g. Ramsar, CBD).
• Is up to date with ecological best practice.
• Has a broad understanding of ecology in environmental planning and assessment.
• Understands ecological principles in a way that will enable policy and procedure development.
• Is familiar with ecological impact assessment principles and practice.
• Has an understanding of what is meant by socio-ecological systems.
• Is able to prepare terms of reference, procedures, reports and manage / monitor impact and risk assessments.
Professional Competency
As evidence to support claims of Ecology specialist proficiencies you are required to:
• Submit a brief Personal Testimony describing how you believe you achieve the six (6) key proficiencies for practising ecologists. (no more than 4 sides of A4)
• Submit a list of published citations that demonstrates your expertise and contributions to the field of ecology. This may include publications, peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers or presentations, book chapters or authored books, technical reports, government or consultancy reports.
Recommendation: Where applicable, refer to published citations within your personal testimony to substantiate your claims and explicitly address the relevant competencies.
Commitment to CPD (Continued Professional Development)
To demonstrate commitment to CPD, you will need to provide details of:
• Past CPD. It is strongly recommended you submit a CPD log of the past two (2) years of activities or a statement explaining your past activities to enable the Registrar, Assessment Panel and Certification Board to ascertain your understanding of the requirement post certification.
• Future CPD. Provide a plan to accrue at least one hundred (100) CPD points biennially once certified. This should include the type of activities and the number of hours you are expecting to spend for each of them.
Ethical Conduct and Statement of Claim
It is intrinsic to the CEnvP Scheme that Certified Practitioners behave with the highest levels of integrity and professional conduct. Applicants are therefore asked to:
• ensure you have read, understood and confirmed that you abide by the EIANZ Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct.
• disclose matters relevant to past issues of professional conduct.
A statutory declaration confirming accuracy of the provided materials is required.
Important Information
Before you begin your online application form:
1- Read the Guidance Notes to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria for certification.
2- Review the Application Checklist to confirm you have all the necessary information and documents.
3- Download the following Templates: Official Statement of Claim, CPD Log, Commitment to CPD Statement and Key Proficiencies.
Once you start your application form you can save and resume later. However, the last saved link is only valid for 30 days.