The Professional Affairs Committee is responsible to the Council for all matters relating to the education and professional development of members of the Institution. It is authorised to act and speak on behalf of the Institution in accordance with Council policies relating to education and professional development.
The Professional Affairs Committee represents the Institution as a Licenced and Nominated Body of the Engineering Council.
Professional Affairs Forum
Members will be updated on the work and activities of the Professional Affairs Committee through the online Professional Affairs Forum.
Members may also comment on the Committee’s work, or propose matters for its consideration through the Forum.
Naval Architects have a responsibility to advance the art and science of ship, boat and yacht design but we are only limited by our own imagination
Professional Affairs Committee Members
Chairman: Mark Barton (FRINA)
Jim Black (FRINA)
Andrew Bunney (FRINA)
Mohammad Hossein Ghaemi (AMRINA)
Catherine Ingram (MRINA)
Andrew Stephen King (MRINA)
Dimitrios Konovessis (FRINA)
David Manley (FRINA)
Ema Muk-Pavic (MRINA)
Mike Pollard (MRINA)
Howard Theunissen (MRINA)
Angus Watt (MRINA)
Stephen W Boyd (MRINA)
Chris McNair
Jean Baptiste Souppez (MRINA)
Chris Boyd
Giuseppe Gigantesco
Richard Syms
2021 Review
The Professional Affairs Committee (PAC) met on three occasions during 2021 . The first meetings were held entirely online but the third meeting, in October 2021, was held at RINA HQ with an online link. The main activities of the PAC during the year were:
- Continuing implementation of the procedure for reviewing Continuous Professional Development (CPD) records of members. This is undertaken in accordance with the Institution policy which meets the requirements set out by the Engineering Council (EngC). The PAC has not made as much progress as it would wish on these reviews mainly due to the poor response rate from members and uncertainty over the veracity of members’ contact details. The Secretariat is considering measures to improve performance in these areas.
- Continuing to develop and implement the Institution policy for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity (ED&I) via a working group which reports to the PAC. An ED&I survey of members was undertaken during 2021 and the results were presented to the PAC and Council.
- The five-year Engineering Council Licence Review was undertaken in June 2021. This was supported by the Secretariat, Professional Affairs and Membership Committees. One non-conformity has been completed and another has been deferred by agreement with the EngC. The licence was renewed for one year with the recommendation for a further four years dependent on the outcome of a review which will take place in June 2022.
- During 2021 accreditations were undertaken for Singapore Institute of Technology, University of Malta, Strathclyde University and the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne.
- The accreditation of the MCA graduate training scheme was carried out in November 2021.
- Members of the PAC are continuing to undertake training courses, either online or via Zoom in accordance with the Training Plan. A record of training is being maintained by the Secretariat.
- The Internal audit was undertaken with no significant issues being identified.
The PAC has been strengthened by the addition of new members from a variety of backgrounds. Action is being taken to ensure that the new members gain experience of PAC activities in order to enhance their ability to contribute. In the forthcoming year, the following will provide a major focus of PAC Activity:
- Continuing action to ensure that the PAC has the experienced resources to successfully undertake its activities.
- Continuing focus on reviewing CPD records and increasing the CPD activities of members. • Development and implementation of the ED&I policy.
- Successful conclusion of the EngC licence extension.
- Implementation of IT tools for improved record-keeping and document control.
- Developing the accreditation capabilities for higher education courses and successful implementation of virtual accreditations where visits are not possible due to travel restrictions.
- Implementation of the Training Plan for PAC members and assessors.