All internationally trained individuals and graduates from programs in Canada that are not accredited by the Canadian Forestry Accreditation Board (CFAB) who are aiming for Full Membership (R.P.F.) are required to meet a number of registration requirements, one of which is to complete the national Credential Assessment Process to have their education, and potentially their work experience, evaluated against the competencies listed in the current Certification Standards for the Profession of Forestry in Canada.

Please refer to this step-by-step guide for a description of the registration process after approval as a Provisional Membership (R.P.F. in Training) to becoming an Associate Member (Associate R.P.F.) and/or a Full Member (R.P.F.), for graduates of programs that are not accredited by the CFAB.

 

Forms & Instructional Documents

To apply for Provisional Membership (R.P.F. in Training):

Please contact the OPFA Assistant Registration Manager at office@opfa.ca  with a copy of your CV/resume to determine eligibility before applying. If you decide to proceed, you will need to submit:

• Provisional Membership Application Form
• A line numbered CV/resume (work experience in YYYY/MM/DD format) if you have not already submitted one.
• Complete the online Professionalism and Ethics Evaluation* (contact office@opfa.ca for access)
• Pay the Application Fee – can be paid using the following methods:
  • e-transfer to opfa@opfa.ca (please provide your name and type of fee in the message section)
  • call the office to pay by Visa or Mastercard
  • mail a cheque or money order payable to Ontario Professional Foresters Association to the OPFA office
  • Pay the fee online in the Special Payments section.

*The results of the Professionalism and Ethics Evaluation do not affect your application; they are simply used to determine whether you currently meet the Professionalism and Ethics Standard or will be required to complete the Bridge Training module as one of the requirements for Associate or Full Membership. Please contact OPFA staff for access to the online evaluation. Applicants who submit their application for Provisional Membership by June 20th are not required to complete this evaluation to apply for Provisional Membership, but will be required to do so at a later date or complete the Professionalism and Ethics Bridge Training module. 

When received, this application material will be considered by the Registration Committee at their next regularly scheduled meeting. You can find a list of upcoming Registration Committee meeting dates and the deadline to submit materials for them here. You will receive formal written notification within 2 weeks of the meeting date.

After approval as a Provisional Member (R.P.F. in Training):

• Mentoring Agreement – please also review the Mentorship Instructions
• Provisional Member Guide to Developing a Personal Practice Focus and a Learning Plan
• Provisional Membership Work History Form
• Criteria For Relevant Experience
• Request for Prior Experience Form (eligible experience only – please refer to the Criteria for Relevant Experience or contact the Assistant Registration Manager at office@opfa.ca to determine eligibility to submit this form)

You will need to have official transcripts submitted directly to the OPFA from the academic institution(s). For international qualifications, a course-by-course credential evaluation must be completed and submitted directly to the OPFA. We recommend World Education Services (WES) or the University of Toronto CES (others may be accepted please contact to confirm)- these service providers can also include copies of official transcripts in their evaluations which will be accepted by the OPFA.

Provisional Members are also required to update their Progress Report Table every February and August to show how they are working towards meeting the registration requirements. This is an individual online report; the link will be provided to you.

 

For the Credential Assessment Process (CAP):

The Credential Assessment Process (CAP) is a national process that is developed and implemented by the Forest Professional Regulators of Canada (FPRC). For information regarding the CAP, please visit the Credential Assessment Website, complete the Pre-Screening Tool, and contact the OPFA Registration Manager at registration.manager@opfa.ca for guidance through the process. Please note that assessment fees are set and received directly by the FPRC.

All information for the assessment is entered by the Provisional Member using an online web portal. The Registration Manager will provide you access to the portal when you are ready to begin the CAP. Beginning October 1st, 2023, the CAP will be moving to a 2 phase process:

1. Phase 1 – Academic Assessment
2. Phase 2 – Assessment of experience (optional)

After you have completed the academic assessment in Phase 1, the Registration Manager and/or Registrar will meet with you to discuss the results and determine whether a Phase 2 assessment is appropriate, and whether you are eligible to apply for Associate Membership while you continue with the process to meet the requirements for Full Membership.

User guides for the web portal are available for Provisional Members and witnesses (these are also available within the portal):

• Applicant Web Portal User Guide
• Witness Web Portal User Guide

Additional guidance documents:

• Example Learning Narratives
• Sample CV

Please note: the CAP guidance documents will be being updated soon for the new 2 phase process. If you have any questions about the change, please contact the Registration Manager at registration.manager@opfa.ca

To be eligible to undergo the CAP you are required to have a minimum of a 4-year Bachelor of Science degree, or the equivalent in other education & experience. The Registration Manager can advise you of your eligibility and options if you do not have a 4-year Bachelor of Science degree; you may still be eligible to work towards Associate Membership (Associate R.P.F.) and potentially work towards Full Membership (R.P.F.) in the future.

Gap Filling

The Registrar & Registration manager will explain the options available for filling any competency gaps that are identified during the CAP. One option is the Bridge Training Program for Foresters: you can find more information on this program here. 

After completion of the Phase 1 academic assessment you may be eligible to apply for Associate Membership if you already have 18 months of relevant mentored experience and have met the Professionalism and Ethics Standard and the Ontario Forest Policy & Legislative Framework Requirement. As an Associate Member (Associate R.P.F.) you would be able to provide some services with a limited license while you work on filling the additional competency gaps to work towards Full Membership.

The Professionalism and Ethics Standard must be met by all candidates for Associate or Full Membership. This standard is specific to professionalism and ethics within forestry as a regulated profession, and is a common competency gap among Provisional Members. The completion of the Professionalism and Ethics Bridge Training module is recommended; successful completion of this module meets all competencies within the Professionalism and Ethics Standard. The Professionalism and Ethics Bridge Training module is a single online, self-paced module which can be begun at any time (even prior to approval as a Provisional Member). Provisional Members do have the option to attempt to provide evidence that they already meet this standard to the Registration Committee; if they are unsuccessful then completion the Professionalism and Ethics Bridge Training will be required.

Ontario Forest Policy & Legislative Framework Bridge Training

Provisional Members who have not graduated from a CFAB accredited program are required to complete modules 1-4 of the Ontario Forest Policy & Legislative Framework Bridge Training. These are online self-paced modules that can be begun at any point during the registration process. You can register for them here (the last 4 modules listed). If you have equivalent education in these areas or extensive experience in policy and legislation you may request an exemption from some or all of the modules. Exemption requests will be considered by the Registration Committee at their next regularly scheduled meeting.

Ontario Forest Policy & Legislative Framework Requirement Policy

After completion of the Credential Assessment Process (CAP) & the experience requirement has been met:

The following documents will be required to be submitted when the 18 months of relevant mentored experience requirement has been met. The Criteria for Relevant Experience describes eligible experience, as well as how to make a request to get credit for eligible experience that you already have. Please note that 6 months of this experience must be attained after 80% of the competencies have been demonstrated (or 80% of the competencies required for the scope of practice if applying for Associate Membership).

If you have successfully demonstrated that you meet all competencies within the Certification Standards by the time you have 18 months of relevant mentored experience and the Ontario Forest Policy & Legislative Framework requirement, then you will be able to apply for Full Membership. If you have demonstrated some, but not all of the competencies, then you will apply for Associate Membership and can work towards expanding your scope of practice or applying for Full Membership once the remaining competency gaps have been met. The Registration Manager is available to provide guidance.

• Character Witness Form (2 required- please review the eligibility requirements at the top of the form)
• Sponsorship Form (2 required – please review the Sponsorship Instructions)
• Your sponsors will also be required to review a completed copy of your Work History Form
• Full Membership Application Form (if all competencies have been met) OR Associate Membership Application Form (if some but not all competencies met)
• You will be required to report (via email is acceptable) that your Personal Practice Focus and Learning Plan are complete and up to date.

When received, this application material will be considered by the Registration Committee at their next regularly scheduled meeting. You can find a list of upcoming Registration Committee meeting dates and the deadline to submit materials for them here. You will receive formal written notification within 2 weeks of the meeting date.

Have questions? Please contact the Assistant Registration Manager at office@opfa.ca for assistance.