Key points
Professional competencies
A checklist of professional competencies has been developed by CIEHF as a guide to expected competencies for qualification as an ergonomist and human factors specialist. It is already in use as an assessment tool for CIEHF accreditation of degree courses. It can be used in conjunction with a proficiency scale to show progress in breadth and depth of skills and expertise as your career progresses.
The checklist now forms part of the application for Registered Membership to help demonstrate breadth (through the number) and depth (through levels of proficiency) of claimed competencies. If you are planning to upgrade to Registered Membership, it might help you to complete the checklist as soon as you can. This will allow you to see any areas where you are particularly strong which might guide your log book entries or where you might need to fill any gaps. You will need to give evidence for all proficiency claims at level 4 or 5. Examples of these could be log book entries, training courses or a publication.
Note that for Registered Membership, you must have a minimum level of proficiency of 2 ('Novice') in each and every competence on the checklist.
Your log book
Your log book is a key part of your application as it demonstrates to
the assessors the ergonomics that you have undertaken over your minimum
period of work experience. Ideally you should start your log book as
soon as you start working professionally. The following criteria must be met:
1. Your log book must contain between 10 and 20 separate records covering a minimum of:
- 300 days for a graduate from a Qualifying Course, including a minimum 150 days of mentored activity.
- 400 days for a graduate from a non-Qualifying Course, including a minimum 300 days of mentored activity.
- 600 days for all others.
2. The entries in the log book must demonstrate to the assessors your ergonomics and human factors expertise and your professional development.
3. To provide detailed information about some of the work in your log
book, you must submit examples of your work activities. The minimum number of pieces of supporting evidence is:
- 3 for a graduate from a Qualifying Course.
- 4 for a graduate from a non-Qualifying Course.
- 6 for all others.
Note that a multi-authored report can be difficult to assess as evidence, so you must be explicit about your contribution to such a report.
Each record in your log book should comprise:
- A brief summary, with detailed documentation in an appendix.
- Discussion of the components of the human factors/ergonomics
involved. For example, provide a list of reports that you have produced,
the names of particular methods, tools and techniques that you used.
Include reference to conference proceedings or journal articles relating
to your log book entry.
- Discussion of the personal and professional/technical skills involved.
- An indication of your degree of responsibility, level of authority and description of your role in the project.
- Reflection on the successful and less successful features of each project.
Your mentor
Not all applications for Registered Membership have to include a
period of mentored supervision – you can apply without as long as you
have the minimum period of qualifying experience (see the Questions at
the bottom of this page).
Your mentor should have professional experience within your
particular area of work, so you should firstly look for a mentor from
within your own organisation. Note that your mentor cannot also be one
of your referees.
If you don’t know anyone who could be your mentor, you could attend a
Regional Group event in your area to meet more people locally, or go to
the CIEHF’s own Ergonomics & Human Factors conference where there
will be lots of people who might be able to help you. If you are really
struggling to find anyone, contact us and we will try to help you.
Your mentor should give you independent advice and guidance as a
qualified and experienced ergonomist/human factors expert on your
professional development. They should review your log book at least four
times per year. Ideally, this will involve the mentor and you meeting
at least twice per year, perhaps with other reviews taking place at a
distance. When you apply for Registered Membership, your mentor must
endorse your log book activities with a written report on work and
progress.
The mentor’s contribution to your application for Registered
Membership is vital. The assessors do not know you, so rely on the
evidence provided by you and your mentor to assess your eligibility for
membership. The assessors are looking for the mentor to have guided you,
and to report your progress and approach on the mentor report form and
to have ensured that you have adopted ‘an ergonomics approach’ in that
you think and work like a professional ergonomist.
Find out more about mentoring.
Your referees
You referees must know you well enough to form a robust opinion of
your professional work and status. Their reports are an important part
of your application and must show strong support for it. This is especially true where you don't have a mentor's report to back up your application.
Chartered status
All successful Registered Member applicants will also be awarded Chartered status. Maintenance of Chartered status is dependent on suitable CPD activities being recorded each year. More instructions about CPD can be found on the application form.
Once you become a Registered Member with Chartered status, you will
be able to use the post-nominal C.ErgHF MCIEHF. You will also receive a
certificate indicating your new status.
Assessment of your application
Two suitably qualified members of the Institute’s Professional
Affairs Board (PAB) will assess your application. They might ask you to
submit additional information if they feel there are any areas that need
clarification.
In order for your application to have the best chance of success,
make sure it contains enough information for the assessors to answer
positively all the following questions:
– Have you completed the necessary minimum time for professional experience?
– Have you demonstrated sufficient breadth and depth of knowledge?
– Do your log book and reports contain sufficient work to enable the assessment to be done?
– Does the mentor’s report confirm your mentored experience?
– Does the mentor’s report confirm acceptable levels of performance in
the use of ergonomics and human factors concepts and techniques and professional behaviour?
– Have you demonstrated sufficient experience?
– Have you demonstrated sufficient professional development?
– Have you demonstrated a systems approach to your work?
– Are your referees reports adequate and supportive?
During the assessment of your application, all assessors follow specific written guidance and complete a checklist to ensure they work consistently and we maintain an clear record of your application. You should read these too before you apply to understand what the assessors are looking for and how they do their assessment.
Listen to a webinar on getting Chartered
You might also want to listen to a webinar called Busting the myths around Chartership where we give you top tips and insights to ensure you have the best chance of success with your applicaiton.