A Fair and Transparent Council Nomination Process

Following a member bylaw vote in November 2021 to accept the recommendations made by the Special Committee of Council on Nominations, APEGA’s process for identifying Council candidates has been made more transparent.

The amended bylaws state “the criteria and process for the composition, selection of Nominating Committee members, and quorum of the Nominating Committee shall be determined by Council and shall be made available to members.”

APEGA has updated the terms of reference that determine the criteria for the selection and composition of the Nominating Committee, which were approved by Council in January 2022.

“Build a Nominating Committee that has the necessary skills to assess whether nominees have the required competencies to stand for election to Council.” 

Under the new terms of reference, the Nominating Committee must total five to seven people, including three to five professional members and one to three public lay members.

The role of the Nominating Committee is to oversee the recruitment process for Council nominees, and to assess and recommend the most suitable candidates to put forward for APEGA's annual Council election. The Nominating Committee has built a gap analysis based on the needs identified by Council against each nominee’s qualifications to confirm they have the necessary skills and experience not only to contribute to the governance of APEGA, but also to fill any gaps in the current Council competency profile. 

Open call for Nominating Committee volunteers

Applications to join the Nominating Committee are open to qualified APEGA members and the public. The opportunity is promoted in APEGA’s ePEG newsletter, in election-related emails, and on APEGA’s social media channels as an open call for volunteers.

All applicants are screened by APEGA’s Volunteer Management team using a standard set of questions and assessed by an external human resources consultant to determine if they possess the required qualifications, including an acute understanding of APEGA’s role as a self-regulating body; experience identifying, selecting, and evaluating nominees; and commitment to the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Ensuring a non-biased vote

APEGA Council meets to discuss applicant qualifications and review an anonymized summary of applicant scores and consultant recommendations. Following the discussion, councillors vote by secret ballot, after which the external human resources consultant reveals the names of the candidates who received majority support from Council. A motion is raised and voted upon to appoint the successful candidates to the Nominating Committee for a one- or two-year term.

To select the Committee Chair, Council reviews the qualifications of those who expressed interest in the position with the external human resources consultant. A motion is raised to appoint the successful candidate as chair.

Next Steps for APEGA’s Nominating Committee

APEGA’s Nominating Committee is made up of seven people, including professional members and lay members.

The Nominating Committee is onboarded at the end of May and establishes the process to evaluate nominees for the upcoming Council election. The committee makes recommendations based on the qualifications and experience of nominees, aiming to bring together a diverse group of people from a variety of backgrounds. As per the bylaw amendments, only candidates recommended by the Nominating Committee will appear on the ballot for the APEGA Council elections.