The IRP Program was designed to help infrastructure practitioners strengthen the knowledge and competencies they require to advance more climate-resilient approaches for the planning, design and management of infrastructure.
Infrastructure Resilience Professional (IRP) Credentialling Program
The IRP Program has been designed to help infrastructure practitioners strengthen the knowledge and competencies they require to advance more climate-resilient approaches for the planning, design and management of infrastructure. Engineers Canada – the umbrella organization for the 12 regional Canadian regulators of the engineering profession – launched the Program in 2016 as a series of courses for engineers on the PIEVC Protocol, asset management, risk management, and climate change law. CRI assumed responsibility for the Program and began offering the courses in 2020.
These online courses will be of interest to engineers and other professionals who are involved in the planning, procurement, design, operation, maintenance, management and regulation of infrastructure and who need to consider the changing climate in carrying out these activities. To obtain the IRP credential, engineers must successfully complete six courses, demonstrate experience related to climate change and infrastructure and be a licenced Professional Engineer. The following is a list of IRP courses and their respective upcoming availability. Click on the course title to view a detailed description. Registration links take you directly to the Royal Roads University site, where CRI courses are hosted and you can complete your registration.
The following is a list of Climate Risk Institute courses and their respective upcoming availability. Click on the course title to view a detailed description. Registration links take you directly to the Royal Roads University site, where CRI courses are hosted and you can complete your registration.
Upcoming Course Start Dates at-a-glance:
- Climate Smart Policy and Procurement: October 5, 2023
- Applied Climate Science: September 21, 2023
- Management of Climate Risk: September 27, 2023
- PIEVC Protocol: October 4, 2023
- Asset Management and Climate Resiliency: October 13, 2023
- Climate Law: October 23, 2023
Would you like to be notified when new course dates are announced or when registration opens for these courses? Sign up to the COURSE NOTIFICATION EMAIL LIST.
IRP Courses
Rules for Obtaining and Maintaining the IRP Credential
Obtaining your IRP credential requires:
- You are already a licensed professional engineer (P.Eng);
- You successfully complete the six IRP courses within a three-year time period.
- You can demonstrate you have led or substantively contributed 320 total hours as a P.Eng on climate change and infrastructure projects, on at least two (2) distinct projects.
- Note: IRP courses taken by an engineer while still an EIT may be counted toward the IRP credential. However, the credential itself will be granted only once the EIT has become a P.Eng and has met, as a P.Eng, the projects requirement stipulated above.
Maintaining and renewing your IRP credential:
- You submit a report on further professional experience or professional development in climate change risk, resilience and adaptation.
- You submit a renewal processing fee of $225.
The IRP credential is outside of, and in addition to, professional engineering licensure.
Benefits of the IRP
The “IRP” enhances confidence that the infrastructure engineer has the knowledge to:
- use requisite tools to assess future climate impacts;
- apply a systems approach to threats on infrastructure services, to maintain their safe operations; and,
- reduce risk to the public resulting from a changing climate.
The “IRP” may help the infrastructure engineer :
- acquire and maintain additional competencies to increase their marketability and make them better multi-discipline team leaders; and,
- reduce their professional and legal exposure.
What are IRP recipients saying about the program? :
- "Engineering is a profession in the category of applied science. However, until recently, climate science was not part of an engineering education. Regardless, considerations for the challenges of climate change are paramount for engineers involved in infrastructure planning, design, construction, and operations. The IRP training serves to fill the void of climate science comprehension and application, providing engineers the education for climate change adaptation." Zane Sloan, P.Eng, IRP (June 2023)