PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS BOARD

PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATION PREPARATION PACKAGE

INTRODUCTION
The Professional Examination is the final step before your name can be submitted to the Canadian
Institute of Planners (CIP) or your local Affiliate for admission as a full (certified) member. In order to
write this examination, you must have completed your work logging and received your Sponsors signoff, concluded at least a year of mentorship to the satisfaction of your Mentor, and successfully
completed the Ethics & Professionalism course and test.
About this Package
This package is designed to assist you in your preparation for the Examination. It contains the following:

The Professional Examination (Overview)

o Question Types
o Discussion of Question Types
Examination preparation
Writing the Examination
o Examination Locations
o Examination Day
o Special Situations
Sample Examination Question
o Model Answer Paragraph (Essay) Form
o Model Answer Point Form
o Answer Strategy

General Approach

Applying the Approach to the Sample Question
o Sample Guidance to Examiners
Appendix 1 CIP Code of Professional Conduct
Appendix 2 Enabling Competencies

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We hope you find this useful, and appreciate any feedback you may have. Kindly direct your comments
to:
David Petrie, Executive Director
Professional Standards Board
2175 Sheppard Avenue East, Suite 310
Toronto, ON M2J 1W8
Tel: 647-317-6924/Toll-free 1-855-386-0293
Fax: 416-491-1670
Email: dpetrie@psb-planningcanada.ca

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THE PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATION

The Professional Examination is a three-hour, closed-book, written examination. It is in three sections,
and tests your knowledge and understanding of these non-technical areas of planning:

Public interest
Professional responsibility
Ethics

Each section is labelled appropriately. In each section, you will see be presented with a number of
questions and told how many of them you must answer (e.g., you may be instructed to answer any two
of three questions in a section). Your responses should be in long-answer format; none of the questions
are multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank or true/false (see examples below). You may choose to use essaystyle or point-form to respond to questions; there is no penalty for the use of point-form. Generally,
you should be able to answer a question in no more than thirty minutes.
The Examination is pass/fail; a pass is 80%. Each paper is marked twice; if the two Examiners disagree
on the pass/fail status, it is sent to a third Examiner whose decision is determinative. Because of the
volume of papers to be marked and the number of available Examiners, please allow up to sixty (60)
days to be advised of your status. Please be advised, we only report pass/fail, and not a specific mark. If
you failed the Examination, the PSB office will provide you with comments from the Examiners; as these
cannot be collated until the exams have been marked, it may take up to an additional sixty (60) days for
you to receive them.
You are permitted three (3) attempts at the Professional Examination. If, after three attempts, you have
not passed, you will need to go through our certification process in its entirety (work experience logging,
mentorship, the Ethics and Professionalism course and test, and the Professional Examination) again if
you wish to continue to pursue certification.
Question Types
There are four basic types of questions:

Questions asking you for facts on a specific topic:

o Public interest example: How can a planner ensure that s/he has feedback from all
stakeholders on a planning matter?
o Professional responsibility example: What distinguishes a profession from an ordinary
occupation?
o Ethics example: The CIP Code of Professional Conduct lists three groups to whom the
professional planner is responsible. Identify the three groups and explain, in general
terms, what the planners responsibilities are to each.
Questions asking you for your opinion on a specific topic:
o Public interest example: Do you believe it is important to discern the public interest in
planning? Why or why not?
o Professional responsibility example: Do you think planning is a profession? Why or
why not?
o Ethics example: How does CIPs Code of Professional Conduct help you in your practice
as a planner?

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Questions asking you to relate your own planning experience to a specific topic:
o Public interest example: Relate an experience you have had in determining the public
interest on a particular planning issue.
o Professional responsibility example: Outline, from your career in planning, a project in
which the goals of the client conflicted with the public interest. How was the conflict
resolved?
o Ethics example: Citing at least one example from your own experience, how have you
managed a conflict of interest? Why did you choose the approach you did?
Questions posing a hypothetical case:
o Public interest example: You are leading a multi-disciplinary team in a planning project
with a significant public interest component. Two important stakeholders have
diametrically opposed positions on the project. How would you facilitate a resolution in
this instance?
o Professional responsibility example: You are a planner in private practice and are
leading a team in a major planning project. There is dissension among the team
members on a key issue. How would you resolve this situation?
o Ethics example: A close colleague at your firm has been asked by one client for
confidential information belonging to another client, and has come to you for advice.
What counsel would you give and why?

The questions themselves for the first two types are normally short, although they can require relatively
lengthy answers. The second two types (relating your own experience to a specific topic and
hypothetical cases) typically provide more information than is given in the above examples and clearly
need detailed responses.
Please note that questions are drawn from our question bank. An individual Examination may contain
more of one type of question than it does the other types. It is possible that an individual Examination
may not have any questions of a particular type.
Discussion of Question Types
Each type of question requires you to take a different approach. In this section of the package, we will
discuss those approaches.
In general, fact- and opinion-based questions may be considered as focusing on the present; experiencebased questions deal with the past; and hypothetical questions are about the future.
Fact-based questions
As you might expect, this type of question has a fairly clear right or wrong answer. It is designed to test
your knowledge of a topic. Your answer should contain as many of the relevant facts as possible, and
should avoid opinions. Some fact-based questions are low-value and can be answered simply and
quickly; others may be higher-value and require more complex answers that take longer to write.
Opinion-based questions
This type of question is designed to help you focus your thinking on topics of concern to planners. While
you should cover relevant facts in your answer, the most important result of this question type is the

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way you use those facts in support of your opinion or position and can counter facts that are contrary to
it. Opinion-based questions are similar in length to fact-based ones, but are generally higher-value
because of their analytical component and require longer answers. The Examiner is looking at how well
you state and support your opinion, rather than at whether you are right.
In responding to this type of question, state your position first (if one is requested) and then proceed to
support it with facts. A complete answer will identify any facts that do not support your opinion and will
explain how you counter them (ideally with other facts).
Experience-based questions
Experience-based questions are designed to help you identify what you have learned from your
professional planning experience, especially as it relates to the three areas of the Examination. There
will usually be three components to your answer:

A summary of the facts of your experience for instance, if you are asked to explain how you
managed a conflict of interest, outline the circumstances that gave rise to the conflict (always
respecting the confidentiality of all parties).
A statement of what you did and, potentially, the resolution of the situation. If the question
does not specifically ask why you did what you did, you may want to explain your reasons
succinctly. If you made important assumptions in selecting your course of action, it may be
helpful to identify those.
Some form of analysis of your experience this depends on the question itself; you may be
asked for an explanation of why you chose the course of action you did, what you would do
differently if faced with a similar situation in the future, or what you learned from the
experience. If the question does not explicitly ask for your analysis, it is still important for you to
demonstrate that you did, in fact, learn from the experience so you should consider including a
brief summary of that learning.

Hypothetical questions
Hypothetical questions ask you to imagine yourself in a particular situation and explain how you would
deal with it. They are an opportunity for you to apply what you have learned (both experientially and
academically) in your career to situations you may well face in the future. They help you integrate your
knowledge and understanding of the Enabling Competencies to determine what you would do in a given
set of circumstances. As a minimum, you should explain what you would do and why, citing any key
facts and assumptions that underlie your response. A better answer would reflect alternative courses of
action if you do X, expecting outcome Y but get outcome Z instead, how would you handle that?
For example, consider this question:
You are a planner in private practice. You have advanced a recommendation with which your
client strongly disagrees, but which you are convinced is by far the best course. How would you
handle the situation?
Your first choice may be to persuade your client by citing factual evidence, results of any public interest
component of the project, and your previous relevant experience. In a perfect world, this would be
sufficient to convince the client. However, in the real world, it may not be enough. If this approach fails,

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what would you do then? In the worst case (the client absolutely refuses to agree), what is your final
option?
EXAMINATION PREPARATION
There are a number of methods that Candidates have found useful in preparing for the Examination:

Study the CIP Code of Professional Conduct, including the examples of possible non-compliance.
Because it covers the planners responsibility to the public interest, to clients and employers,
and to the profession and other members, it bears (at least indirectly) on all three sections of
the Examination. A copy of the Code is part of this package.
Study your Affiliates equivalent of the CIP Code of Professional Conduct. The Examination does
not cover Affiliate Codes, but, as they are based on the CIP Code, they may help you understand
it better, and, since they will specifically govern your conduct as a Registered Professional
Planner, will be helpful in your future career.
Review your work and mentorship logs. These may help remind you of the ways in which your
own experience reflects the concepts covered in the Code and therefore assist you in
generalizing the knowledge you gained. Reviewing the logs with a copy of the Code at hand may
reinforce this.
Study the Competencies, and especially the Enabling Competencies. Each of the Examination
questions relates to several of the Enabling Competency domains and sub-domains (the relevant
ones are actually included in the guidance provided to Examiners), so thinking about them may
help you in writing the Examination. A detailed listing of the Enabling Competencies is included
in this package.
Review current and past articles in Plan Canada and any magazines or newsletters your Affiliate
may publish. They may help you focus on how ethical, professional or public interest issues
relate to daily planning practice.
Study the Ethics & Professionalism course materials, and review the questions and cases at the
end of the modules. While the Ethics & Professionalism course is not designed specifically as a
preparatory course for the Examination, it will be helpful in focusing on some of the issues likely
to arise in the Examination.
Attend a workshop or seminar on ethics, if your Affiliate offers one.
Attend a workshop or seminar on ethics offered by (or on behalf of) another profession, such as
lawyers, accountants or architects. The issues of ethical behaviour, professional responsibility,
and service to the public interest are common concerns of professions across the country and,
while specific applications or methods of addressing them differ from one profession to another
and specific examples might differ, you may learn something to help you think differently about
them in the planning context.

In addition, we suggest you review the Professional Examination FAQ on the PSB website
(http://www.psb-planningcanada.ca/COURSES-EXAMS/professionalexam.php); a part of that material is
reproduced in this package.

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WRITING THE EXAMINATION

Examination Locations
PSB will arrange for a number of Examination centres where the number of Candidates writing justifies
this. When you receive your registration confirmation, you will be advised of the centre nearest you. If
you are unable to attend that centre because of distance or for work reasons, please advise Sabita
Ramcharan of the PSB office (telephone 647-317-6924/1-855-386-0293; Fax 416-491-1670; e-mail
sramcharan@psb-planningcanada.ca) that you would like to arrange for a local invigilation of your
Examination; you will also need to appoint an invigilator satisfactory to PSB you can find the form for
this on the PSB website (http://www.psb-planningcanada.ca/COURSES-EXAMS/professionalexam.php).
Any full/certified member of CIP of at least three-years standing, a professional such as a lawyer, doctor,
architect, accountant, etc., or another trusted person such as a clergyman, police officer or bank
manager would be satisfactory as an invigilator.
The information in the following section applies whether you are writing at an Examination centre or
having your Examination locally invigilated.
Examination Day
We offer two sittings of the Professional Examination annually one in mid-March and one in midSeptember. In your registration confirmation, we will advise you of the location of your examination.
The examination starts at 9:00 am your local time. We recommend you arrive at least half an hour
ahead of that time to register. Please bring your registration confirmation and a piece of photo
identification with you and be prepared to present both to the volunteer or staff person conducting
registration.
Candidates who arrive up to thirty (30) minutes after the scheduled start time of 9:00 am will be
admitted and allowed to write, but they will not be granted any additional time they must stop writing
when the invigilator says. Anyone arriving after 9:30 am will not be permitted to enter the Examination
room.
To avoid any possible bias on the part of Examiners, all papers are written anonymously. This means
you will identify yourself by your Affiliate member number rather than by name, so please ensure you
have a record of your number or have memorized it. If your Affiliate does not assign member numbers,
please use your CIP member number.
The Examination is closed-book. You are not permitted to bring and use any books, notes or electronic
devices; all such material (along with any bags, briefcases or purses) must be given to the invigilator
before the beginning of the Examination.
Because, at present, the Examination is hand-written, your invigilator will provide you with Examination
booklets for your use, along with a limited amount of scrap paper (note: if you are writing remotely,
you should bring your own scrap paper, in which case, your invigilator will need to see it is, indeed,
blank). Some Candidates have found it useful, once they have arrived, registered and surrendered
electronics and carry-ins, to write out notes from memory on scrap paper (CIP Code of Professional
Practice, Enabling Competency domains, etc.); this is permissible, but you cannot bring pre-written
notes into the room with you.

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The Examination is three hours in length. At the end of that time, you should turn in to the invigilator all
Examination booklets (including any blank ones you may have), any notes you made, and the
Examination paper itself.
Special Situations
There are a number of situations that may occur; these are dealt with in the FAQ, and a summary
follows:

You need a particular accommodation in order to be able to write the Examination. This may be
use of an assistive device, presence of a service animal, or presence of another person who is
medically necessary. In such a case, please notify the PSB office by e-mail (sramcharan@psbplanningcanada.ca) at least four (4) weeks ahead of the Examination date. Please note that PSB
does not provide assistive devices, so you will need to bring your own. If your device requires
power, we would prefer that you advise us at the time you make your initial request; however,
in any case, you should advise us of the requirement for power no later than one (1) week
ahead of the Examination date. Depending on your individual situation, we may, at our option,
provide a separate room or facility in which you can write.
You have registered for the Examination, but learn ahead of time you will be unable to attend it.
If you know you will not be able to write the Examination by 3:30 pm ET on the Thursday before
the Examination date, please contact us immediately (sramcharan@psb-planningcanada.ca) and
let us know you do not need to provide a reason. We can either refund your fee or retain it
and register you for the next sitting. As long as you let us know by the deadline, there is no
penalty you will not be considered to have used one of your Examination attempts.
You have registered for the Examination and learn (after the above deadline) you will be unable
to attend it. This must be due to a health, business, family or personal emergency. In this case,
you must contact us by e-mail (sramcharan@psb-planningcanada.ca) no more than three (3)
business days after the Examination date. To avoid using one of your Examination attempts and
forfeiting your fee, you will need to provide a reason and supporting documentation (doctors
note, employers letter, etc.). If you simply do not show up for the Examination and do not
contact us, you will be considered to have used one attempt and will have to pay again to write.
If you are unable to contact us yourself, please ask a family member or work colleague (as
appropriate) to do so within the three-day period.

SAMPLE PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATION QUESTION

The sample question, model answer and strategy below will hopefully assist you as you prepare to write
the Professional examination. Please note that the model answer was developed for completeness and
consequently is likely longer than your answer to this question would be during the actual examination.
Examiners are aware of the time restriction you face and take that into account when marking your
paper.
Value: 20 marks
You are a planner leading a team working on a proposed downtown renewal project in a major city. The
project would see the conversion of an area consisting mostly of low-income, multi-family housing to
one that is a mix of luxury high-rise residential condominiums, high-end retail, and commercial space.

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The project is in its early stages, its final form has not been determined, a go/no-go decision has not
been reached, and your team is split on whether it should proceed. What key issues might arise, why
are they important, and how would you deal with them?
Model Answer Paragraph (Essay) Form
Note: This model answer is provided only for guidance. Please see below for a discussion on a general
approach to developing answers to examination questions and for specifics on how this answer was
derived.
The three key issues in this case are:

A change in housing from low-income to high-income

The addition of high-end retail and commercial space
The team is split on whether the project should go forward

The change in the type of housing means low-income families currently in the area will be displaced.
This is a clear public interest issue whether and how to balance the needs of the existing population
with the citys desire to gentrify the area? My team and I will need to provide them with information
to allow them to reach a good decision.
If population density increases (though this is unknown), the cost of the project may need to include
new infrastructure (sewers, water mains, and upgrades to the electricity grid). There may also be an
increased demand for capacity in area schools which they might be unable to meet. Adding
retail/commercial space could place further demands on infrastructure, and could also affect traffic
volumes and patterns, and demand for parking.
There are potential tax benefits. If the city uses market value assessments, the creation of luxury
residential buildings would result in an increase in the tax base. Adding high-end retail and commercial
uses in the area could do the same.
If there is a significant increase in traffic, it would result in increased emissions of pollutants by vehicles,
as well as traffic congestion, which is undesirable.
Dissension in the team could impede progress on this project, making working relationships difficult and
weakening any recommendation the team might make. Addressing the split is, thus, critical.
I would first need to determine the causes for dissension, without judging them, as judgment would only
make resolution more difficult. I would meet with each team member to determine the reasons for
their positions, and then summarize those reasons factually. I would call a full team meeting, present
the summary, and facilitate the discussion. As a neutral party, I would hold that our job is to determine
the impacts of the project, assess them in terms of stakeholder interests, balance those interests, and
then make recommendations on whether and how to proceed. There may be additional individual
negotiations and further team meetings. Short-term, I want the team to support the information
gathering process; longer-term, I want to keep them together in evaluating information and drafting
recommendations. If, after the evaluation, there are still differing opinions, they would be fairly
presented in the recommendations.

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For stakeholder input, we might look at public meetings and other means of outreach (social media, online surveys, informal discussions at community buildings, and (budget permitting) telephone or mail-in
surveys).
We would also undertake studies to help determine such things as:

Housing stock in the city by area, type and cost

Infrastructure usage (current versus capacity), and an estimation of demand that would be
created by the project
Current and projected traffic volumes and patterns
Impact of the project on the citys financial situation (up-front costs, its ability to afford those
costs, and the payback to the city in terms of increased taxes)
Environmental impacts on the city from potential increased traffic flows, type of buildings, etc.

If possible, we would also computer model the project to help identify its impacts.
The report/recommendation would present the results of the various components, contain a sensitivity
analysis, outline the political issues (and potential solutions), and detail the teams recommendation on
whether and how to proceed.
Model Answer Point Form
The three issues in this case are:

Change in housing from low-income to high-income

Addition of high-end retail and commercial space
Split in team on whether the project should go forward

Change in Housing from Low- to High-Income

Means low-income families in the area will be displaced

Clear public interest issue whether/how to balance the needs of the existing population with
the citys desire to gentrify the area
If population density increases, the project may need to include new infrastructure (sewers,
water mains, electricity grid upgrades)
Possible tax benefit if market value assessments are used luxury buildings would result in an
increase in the tax base
May be an increased demand for capacity in schools which might not be met from existing
schools
Team needs to provide the city with good information on this

Addition of High-End Retail/Commercial Space

Could place further demands on infrastructure

Could affect traffic volumes and patterns, and demand on parking facilities
Could broaden the tax base by adding new businesses possible benefit

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If this addition results in increased traffic volumes, it would increase vehicle emissions of
pollutants (greenhouse gases, etc.) and could result in traffic congestion

Split in Team

Team dissension could slow the project, make working relationships difficult and possibly
weaken team recommendations
As team leader, I need to determine causes of the split without judging them
I would meet with team members individually to discover the reasons and then summarize
them factually (without emotionalism)
Then I would meet with the entire team my role is neutral, to present the summary and
facilitate the meeting
I would remind them our job is to:
o Determine project impacts
o Assess impacts in terms of stakeholder interests
o Balance stakeholder interests
o Make a recommendation on whether/how to proceed
I may need additional one-on-one or team meetings
My short term goal get the team to support information gathering
My long term goal keep them together in evaluating information and making
recommendations
If there are still differences after evaluation, I would ensure these are fairly presented in the
recommendations

An additional factor to consider is gathering information:

Use public meetings, social media, on-line surveys, informal discussions at community buildings,
and telephone/mail-in surveys
Additional studies may need to be done:
o City housing stock by area, type and cost
o Infrastructure usage (current versus capacity) and estimation of demand that would be
created by the project
o Current and projected traffic volumes and patterns
o Financial impact of project on city (up-front costs, citys ability to afford those costs,
and payback through increased taxes)
o Environmental impacts from increased traffic flows, type of buildings, etc.
If possible, construct a computer model of the project to help identify impacts

Final Report/Recommendations

Present the results of all information gathering

Contain a sensitivity analysis
Outline political issues and possible solutions
Detail teams recommendation on whether and how to proceed

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Answer Strategy
Note: The model answer is of only limited use, so we are suggesting a strategy you might use to answer
this and other questions, and then showing how that strategy was applied to this specific question. This
is in line with the guidance given to examiners.
General Approach
Identify the questions you need to answer what is the question really asking? In this case, they are
posed directly, but some examination scenarios may not contain direct questions for each area you
should address. Alternately, there may only be a single question, but others are implicit in it. For
example, the final sentence in the above question could read How would you deal with potential key
issues in this project? To answer it, you would still have to identify the issues and explain why they are
key.
Your answer should relate, either explicitly or implicitly, to the competencies, and particularly to the
enabling competencies, as they are most relevant in this examination. The enabling competencies and
their sub-domains are:

Critical thinking: issues identification; problem solving and decision-making; research and
analytical; innovation and creativity; political awareness; change management; integrity and
trust; diversity and inclusiveness
Interpersonal: facilitation; negotiation; collaboration and consensus building; conflict
management
Communications: listening; written and oral presentation; information and knowledge; use of
information technology; internal and external relations
Leadership: vision; responsiveness and influence; teambuilding; climate of excellence;
managing resources and results
Professional and ethical behaviour: continuous learning; ethical standards; professionalism

If you cant remember all the sub-domains, at least be aware of the five major competencies (bolded).
You may find it easier to identify the issues/concerns raised in the question and then relate them to the
appropriate competencies (as we have done in the analysis of the sample question, below).
You should allocate your time based on the number of marks for each question. For instance, if the
examination total is 120 and you have three hours, you would spend about 1.5 minutes per mark. Thus,
for a question that is 20 marks, you would allocate about 30 minutes, including the time you spend
thinking about it and planning your answer.
You should also consider whether the question parts build on each other; in the example above, they
do, but some question parts might be unrelated. Where the question parts are related, your responses
should build on each other. For example, if the final question part you need to answer is what would
you do to resolve this situation?, your answer should be based on whatever analysis you did in
responding to the previous parts.

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Applying the Approach to the Sample Question

This is a 20-mark question, so you would spend about 30 minutes in total in analyzing and responding. It
has three parts:

What key issues might arise in the situation?

Why are they important?
How would you deal with them?

Since your answer to the last part will be based on your answers to the first two, it is probably worth the
least, because you will have done the bulk of the work in responding to the first two. In this instance,
you might estimate the three parts are worth 6, 6 and 8 or 5, 5 and 10 marks respectively (the way in
which you would handle the situations would be worth more marks because you would be showing how
you would draw on all the competencies). However, if in doubt, assume a roughly equal division of
marks (7, 7 and 6).
Issues
On a quick reading of the scenario, we see:

The type of housing will change (low-income housing being replaced by higher-income housing)
Retail and commercial space will be added to the areas mix (it does not appear, from the
scenario, that they were present before)
The team is split on whether this project should go ahead

Further analysis of potential impacts of the first two points above shows:

The change in the type of housing means that those currently living in the area might well be
displaced. It also suggests that the tax base for the area may increase, particularly if the
municipality assesses taxes based on market values of area properties
The addition of retail and commercial space may mean that vehicular traffic would increase, and
so could the demand for on- and off-street parking. An increase in traffic could impact
surrounding areas. Adding retail and commercial uses may also impact the areas tax base

Clearly, there is a public interest component to this scenario (displacement of lower-income residents;
potential impact of increased traffic and demand for parking on near-by areas), an environmental
component (traffic and related greenhouse gas emissions), an infrastructure component (related both
to traffic capacity of roads and availability of services such as water, electricity, sewers, garbage
collection, etc.), and a political component (comprising the political ramifications of the others, as well
as potential changes to the areas tax base). From this part of the analysis, it is easy to see why the
issues would be important.
While we might assume that the team split results from the above list of components, no information is
provided in the question to enable an assessment of specific issues. However, the relationship to the
competencies is clear.

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Competencies
Based on the above analysis, a response to this question will require consideration of the five major
interpersonal competencies and virtually all the sub-domains (this is not unusual for this examination).
Insufficient information is provided to allow meaningful consideration of any of the functional
competencies (also not unusual, as they are not the focus of the examination). The chart below
indicates the competencies and sub-domains that could come into play in your answer.
Change in type of housing; Addition of retail
and commercial space
Critical thinking: issues identification;
problem-solving and decision-making;
research and analytical; innovation and
creativity; political awareness; change
management; diversity and inclusiveness
Interpersonal: facilitation; negotiation
(possibly); collaboration and consensus
building; conflict management
Communications: listening; written and
oral presentation (possibly); information
and knowledge; use of information
technology (possibly); internal and
external relations
Leadership: responsiveness and
influence; managing resources and
results
Professional and ethical behaviour:
ethical standards; professionalism

Split Team

Critical thinking: issues identification;

problem-solving and decision-making;
research and analytical (possibly);
innovation and creativity; political
awareness; change management;
integrity and trust
Interpersonal: facilitation; negotiation;
collaboration and consensus building;
conflict management
Communications: listening; written and
oral presentation (possibly); information
and knowledge; internal and external
relations
Leadership: vision; responsiveness and
influence; teambuilding; climate of
excellence; managing resources and
results
Professional and ethical behaviour:
ethical standards; professionalism

While you would not likely list the relevant competencies and sub-domains in your answer, you should
demonstrate that you are aware of, and drawing on, them.
In identifying the key issues and why they are important, you are demonstrating critical thinking and, to
an extent, professional and ethical behaviour. In outlining what you would do to deal with the issues,
you are using all the competencies.
Sample Guidance to Examiners
If this were an actual examination question, examiners would be given the relevant competencies and
sub-domains, and the following information; they would not be furnished with a model answer:
Core theme: Overall, you are looking to see that the Candidate demonstrates an understanding that
there are multiple components in planning decisions, and that a planner must understand them fully
and take them into consideration in resolving issues that arise. In addition, s/he should demonstrate an
understanding that these issues might affect team cohesion, and show that s/he understands the
different steps in building that cohesion.

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Specific comments: The Candidate should, in answering this question, demonstrate an awareness of
(and, ideally, enumerate) the possible effects of the redevelopment project, as these will become
potential issues with which s/he may have to deal. In particular, the public interest issue(s) in the
project should be stated, and the way in which they bear on or affect the conflict within the team should
be identified.
The way the Candidate would manage the conflict is a key part of his/her response and should bring into
play all the competencies listed above.

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APPENDIX 1: CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF PLANNERS CODE OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

Minimum Standards for Codes of Professional Conduct
[Examples of possible non-compliance are provided in italics for information]
1. The Planners Responsibility to the Public Interest
Members shall:
1.1 practice in a manner that respects the diversity, needs, values and aspirations of the public and
encourages discussion on these matters;
[A Member unreasonably dismisses ethnic and/or religious based concerns.]
1.2 provide full, clear and accurate information on planning matters to decision-makers and members of
the public, while recognizing the employer or client's right to confidentiality and the importance of
timely reporting;
[A Member releases confidential information, when they have been specifically requested by a client,
employer or another planner not to do so.]
1.3 acknowledge the inter-related nature of planning decisions and the consequences for natural and
human environments;
[A Member recommends the elimination of an engineering requirement which they know is required to
protect public safety.] and,
1.4 provide opportunities for meaningful participation and education in the planning process to all
interested parties.
[A Member conducts a public hearing process without the required notice(s) or without indicating to a
member of the public that their speaking time will be limited.]
2. The Planners Responsibility to Clients and Employers
Members shall:
2.1 provide independent professional opinion to clients, employers, the public, and tribunals; perform
work only within their areas of professional competence;
[A Member provides advice in an area of planning or another discipline where they do not have
appropriate training and experience. An example is a Member who does not have professional
competence in transportation planning and prepares a report with recommendations in this area.]
2.2 undertake planning services with diligence and render services with appropriate preparation;
[A Member does not take the time and care needed to provide appropriate professional advice and
presents a major report which has not been well researched and is poorly written and presented without
a factual basis.]
2.3 acknowledge the values held by the client or employer in work performed, unless such values
conflict with other aspects of this Code;
[A Member ignores the client or employers standards or needs in the work being done and does not
adhere to the agreed-upon Terms of Reference for a project.]
2.4 respect the client or employer right to confidentiality of information gathered through a professional

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relationship, unless such right conflicts with other aspects of this Code;
[A Member releases information that is confidential. This right of confidentiality does not extend to, for
example, a situation where the Member is required to testify before a tribunal of the Members Affiliate
Institute where a complaint has been made against the Member by the client or employer.]
2.5 inform the client or employer in the event of a conflict between the values or actions of the client or
employer and those of this Code in a timely manner;
[A Member who does not immediately notify the client or employer that something they want the
Member to do is in conflict with the Members responsibilities under the Code. An example is a client
asking a Member to share with them confidential information that the Member has collected in the
course of conducting an assignment for another client.]
2.6 ensure timely and full disclosure to a client or employer of a possible conflict of interest arising from
the Member's private or professional activities;
[A Member who does not immediately let the client or employer know of a situation where the Member
believes they cannot continue to offer independent professional advice. An example is a Member
employed as a consultant on the side providing professional planning advice in a municipality where the
Member is employed full-time as a professional planner.]
2.7 not offer or accept any financial or other inducements, including prospective employment, that
could, or appear to, influence or affect professional opportunities or planning advice;
[A Member asks for or receives a financial or other benefit, including a job, in exchange for providing
professional advice that is not independent and objective. An example is a Member providing biased
conclusions, at the request of a client, in a report that will be received by a public regulatory body in
exchange for gaining further work from the client.]
2.8 not, as an employee of a public agency, give professional planning advice for compensation to a
private client or employer within the jurisdiction of the public agency without disclosure to the agency
and written consent;
[A Member accepts a bonus payment based on a planning approval achieved] and,
2.9 not, as a consultant to a public agency during the period of contract with the agency, give
professional planning advice for compensation to others within the jurisdiction of the agency without
disclosure to the agency and written consent in situations where there is the possibility of a conflict of
interest arising.
[A Member acts as a consultant providing professional planning advice to a developer on a project in a
municipality at the same time as the Member is providing professional planning advice to the
municipality on matters that may affect the developers project.]
3. The Planners Responsibility to the Profession and Other Members
Members shall:
3.1 maintain an appropriate awareness of contemporary planning philosophy, planning theory and
practice by obtaining professional education throughout their planning career, including complying with
the Institutes continuing professional learning requirements;
[A Member ignores the Affiliate requirements for continuous professional learning]
3.2 not in professional practice, extra-professional activities or private life, engage in dishonourable or

P a g e 17 | 23

questionable conduct that may cast doubt on the their professional competence or integrity or that may
reflect adversely on the integrity of the profession;
[A Member at a conference spends all of the program time outside of the conference in a disorderly and
disruptive manner.]
3.3 ensure that advertising or promotional activities fairly and accurately communicate the expertise
and skills offered, including professional qualifications and affiliations, education and experience;
[A Member provides false or misleading information on a CV or corporate brochure]
3.4 act toward other Members and colleagues in a spirit of fairness and consideration and not falsely or
maliciously injure the professional reputation, prospects or practice of another Member or other
colleagues;
[A public sector Member, when asked to recommend a good planner for employment purposes by the
public or developer, continuously gives a specific reference rather than referring to an approved list or
the Affiliates Directory of Planning Consultants]
3.5 respect colleagues in their professional capacity and when evaluating the work of another Member,
show objectivity and fairness and avoid ill-considered or uninformed criticism of the competence,
conduct or advice of the Member;
[A Member makes derogatory comments at a Public Hearing on a planning matter about the work
performed by another Member.]
3.6 not attempt to supplant another Member once made aware that definite steps have been taken
toward the other's employment;
[A Member offers a discount or other incentive to lure a clients business when that client is in the
process of securing a contract with another planner.]
3.7 only sign or seal a final drawing, specification, plan, report or other document actually prepared or
checked by the Member;
[A Member seals a final site plan, prepared by a friend, who is a non-member, without checking the plan
and thoroughly understanding the project.]
3.8 report to the Institute the behaviour of any Member believed to be in breach of this Code in a timely
manner; [In spite of extensive media coverage and personal knowledge, a Member does not report that
a fellow CIP member has vociferously criticized a planning scheme proposed by the firm of another
Member.]
3.9 only make public statements on behalf of the Institute if authorized to do so [In the media a Member
states that members of the Canadian Institute of Planners are opposed to the demolition of a local
heritage building when no such statement has been made];
3.10 comply with any reasonable request of the Institute for information or for the co-operation of the
Member in pursuit of any Institute objective;
[A Member refuses to co-operate in an investigation by the Members Affiliate Institute of alleged
professional conduct by either the Member] and,
3.11 respect the process and decision of any discipline proceeding affecting a Member.

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[The Member, who is the subject of a disciplinary matter, makes light of the procedure and does not
prepare for and participate in the procedure in a professional manner.]
Discipline Affiliates shall establish by By-law policies and practices necessary to administer their Codes
of Professional Conduct to ensure the proper handling of complaints, investigations, disciplinary
reviews, sanctions, and appeals, and to reduce risk and liability. Such information shall reflect legal
requirements and best practices used by professional associations. *Reference to the Institute refers
to CIP.

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APPENDIX 2: ENABLING COMPETENCIES:

Domain: Critical Thinking:
Sub-domain: Issues Identification:
Understand effective issues identification practices to determine and manage issues.
Able to identify and track emerging issues in light of project goals, resources and stakeholder
interests.
Able to facilitate processes to identify issues and seek input, categorize, analyze and report on
issues.
Sub-domain: Problem Solving and Decision Making:
Understand effective problem-solving and decision making practices and underlying values and
potential ethical issues.
Able to define problems and identify viable options and possible solutions.
Able to relate activities in one area to others and assess potential for the integration of ideas.
Able to pull together diverse ideas, issues and observations into a simple, clear and useful
analysis and/or presentation.
Able to support complex decision making.
Sub-domain: Research and Analytical:
Understand methods and practices to find relevant information and conduct an analysis.
Able to compare and integrate data from various sources and identify cause/effect
relationships.
Able to analyze results effectively.
Able to evaluate results.
Sub-domain: Innovation and Creativity:
Understand and encourage practices to support innovation and creativity in work environments.
Use innovation and creative practices and tools to facilitate decision making.
Sub-domain: Political Awareness:
Understand political motives, issues and actions.
Actively follow political trends, issues and activities.
Demonstrate awareness of how political trends, issues and activities influence decision making.
Sub-domain: Change Management
Understand stages within the change process and practices to implement change.
Able to monitor issues and anticipate potential changes.
Use change management processes to implement decisions.
Domain: Interpersonal:
Sub-domain: Integrity and Trust:
Understand the importance of maintaining high standards of integrity and trust.
Able to provide a balanced picture, respect others and build trust.
Able to set a positive example.
Sub-domain: Diversity and Inclusiveness:
Understand the elements of diversity and difference.

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Appreciate the value of diversity.

Able to apply policy and practices to accommodate diversity and inclusiveness.
Able to articulate recommendations for consideration and action.

Sub-domain: Facilitation:
Understand the value of facilitation to plan making and implementation.
Understand practices to facilitate situations.
Able to facilitate situations to support decision-making and engender commitment.
Sub-domain: Negotiation:
Understand practices to support negotiations.
Able to support position and presents issues in a factual and persuasive manner.
Able to build on common ground and seek compromise when appropriate.
Sub-domain: Collaboration and Consensus Building:
Understand practices to support collaboration and consensus building.
Able to asses and analyze an approach to support improvements.
Able to facilitate collaboration and consensus building situations.
Sub-domain: Conflict Management:
Understand practices to manage conflict.
Able to assess the nature of a conflict and suggest an approach to address the conflict.
Able to address conflicts in a non-judgmental fashion, clarify differences, and build on common
interests.
Able to propose recommendations for consideration and action.
Domain: Communications:
Sub-domain: Listening:
Demonstrate capacity to listen effectively and understand messages.
Able to confirm messages have been received and are understood.
Sub-domain: Written and Oral Presentation
Understand practices and tools to support simple and effective written, oral and visual/graphic
presentations.
Able to express ideas in a clear, organized and effective manner, both verbally and non-verbally,
to achieve understanding.
Able to communicate complex matters and be persuasive.
Sub-domain: Information and Knowledge:
Understand types of information and knowledge required to support decision making.
Able to translate and integrate various sources of information.
Able to support timely, relevant and accurate communications.
Sub-domain: Use of Information Technology:
Understand issues, trends and how to integrate multi-media material into written, oral and
visual presentations.
Use current technology to complete work and make informed decisions.

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Evaluates the use of technology and, through benchmarking (review of best practices), identify
opportunities for improvement and support of technical staff.

Sub-domain: Internal and External Relations:

Understand the importance and practices of successful media and other external relations
activities required to communicate messages effectively.
Understand various types of internal communications and processes used to gather and
disseminate information.
Engage in activities to improve internal and external relations activities.
Domain: Leadership:
Sub-domain: Vision:
Understand the importance of values and vision, and methods and processes for vision
development and promotion.
Apply a critical, integrative thinking approach to issues.
Able to support the development of values and vision, monitor progress and identify when to
make corrections.
Sub-domain: Responsiveness and Influence:
Anticipates future needs and developments.
Understand how to effectively engage stakeholders in complex issues.
Understand how to connect needs and solutions and influence decisions.
Able to propose influential recommendations to key stakeholders.
Sub-domain: Team Building:
Understand team building techniques and dynamics.
Act as a leader or member of a multi-function team.
Build and motivate teams.
Sub-domain: Climate of Excellence:
Understand frameworks to support quality and performance measurement.
Understand the meaning of accountability and practices to support accountability.
Able to apply practices and tools to manage for results and achieve positive outcomes.
Managing Resources and Results:
Understand policies and processes to effectively manage resources and results expected.
Able to manage human and financial resources and achieve targeted results.
Able to assess the use of resources and identify areas for improvement.
Domain: Professional and Ethical Behaviour:
Sub-domain: Continuous Learning:
Understand practices to support life-long learning, mentorship and coaching for self and others.
Able to assess development needs.
Engage in continuous learning and promoting the value of learning for self and others.
Sub-domain: Ethical Standards:
Understand ethical responsibilities and dilemmas for the professional planner.

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Understand and demonstrate adherence to establish ethical standards.

Set highest standards for self and others, and monitors practice.

Sub-domain: Professionalism:
Understand the role of the professionals generally.
Understand the role of the planner in the development of the profession.
Monitor changes in the profession and demonstrate professionalism.
Participate in activities to support development of the profession.

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