MUTUAL RECOGNITION AGREEMENT AGREEMENT ON LABOUR MOBILITY FOR HOME ECONOMISTS AND HUMAN ECOLOGISTS

1.0 Purpose

We, the undersigned, enter into this mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) in order to comply with our obligations under the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT), Chapter 7 (Labour Mobility). The purpose of this MRA is to establish the conditions under which a home economist or human ecologist who is registered in one Canadian jurisdiction will have his/her qualifications recognized in another Canadian jurisdiction, which is a party to this Agreement.

2.0 Definitions

2.1 Applicant, for the purposes of this Agreement, means a member in good standing from a signatory jurisdiction seeking registration in another signatory jurisdiction.

2.2 AEFQ means Association d'économie familiale du Québec

2.3 AHEA means Alberta Human Ecology and Home Economics Association.

2.4 ANBEF means Association du Nouveau-Brunswick pour 1'économie familiale.

2.5 ASHE means Association of Saskatchewan Home Economists.

2.6 BCHEA means British Columbia Home Economics Association.

2.7 Candidate Member (Candidate Human Ecologist or Candidate Home Economist), Alberta means a person who has a degree required for eligibility as a member in good standing and is in the process of completing Alberta's practice experience requirement. Candidate member may not use the professional title or designation but is still able to work in the field.

2.8 CHEA means Canadian Home Economics Association.

2.9 Degree, for the purposes of this Agreement, means the completion of a Bachelor's, Master's or Doctoral degree recognized by a signatory (party) as:

  • All terms defined for the purposes of this Agreement appear in bold when utilized within the Agreement.
  • Mutual Recognition Agreement for Home Economists - November 2002
  • meeting the educational requirements to be a (Registered) Professional Home Economist or Professional Human Ecologist.

2.10 EFI means économiste familiale immatriculé(e).

2.11 IPHE means Interim Professional Home Economist.

2.12 Interim Professional Home Economist, (IPHE), Manitoba means a person who has a degree required for eligibility as a member in good standing and is in the process of completing Manitoba's professional training program. IPHE member may not use the professional title or designation but is still able to work in the field.

2.13 MAHE means Manitoba Association of Home Economists.

2.14 MRA means Mutual Recognition Agreement.

2.15 NBHEA means New Brunswick Home Economics Association.

2.16 NSHEA means Nova Scotia Home Economics Association.

2.17 NLHEA means Newfoundland and Labrador Home Economics Association.

2.18 OHEA means Ontario Home Economics Association.

2.19 PEIHEA means Prince Edward Island Home Economics Association.

2.20 PHEc is the designation for the title Professional Home Economist or Professional Human Ecologist.

2.21 RPHEc is the designation for the title Registered Professional Home Economist.

2.23 QHEA means Quebec Home Economics Association.

2.24 Practice Experience means relevant paid or volunteer experience that provides opportunity for development of professional competencies.

2.25 Registration, for the purposes of this Agreement, means the process of granting the right to use the title Professional Home Economist, Professional Human Ecologist, économiste familiale immatriculé(e), or Registered Professional Home Economist and the designation PHEc, EFI or RPHEc as regulated under provincial legislation, and in New Brunswick also the right to practice.

2.26 Signatory, for the purposes of this Agreement, means an association that has signed the MRA and that has been delegated authority by government to regulate the profession of home economics and human ecology.

2.27 Party, for the purposes of this Agreement, means all Associations that took part in the negotiation of this Agreement including those jurisdictions with and without delegated authority to regulate the profession of home economics and human ecology.

3.0 Terms and Conditions

3.1 WHEREAS the undersigned agree that it is in the best interest of their memberships and members of the general public to enable properly qualified home economists and human ecologists to have access to employment opportunities in those occupations in all provinces and territories in Canada.

3.2 WHEREAS it is further agreed and understood that thresholds of competence and public safety in the practice of home economics or human ecology must be established, maintained and upheld by regulators to ensure the protection of the public;

3.3 WHEREAS this recognition agreement does not modify the authority of each regulatory body to set standards and requirements;

3.4 WHEREAS the signatories recognize that there are different paths to achieve the threshold competence levels for the practice of home economics or human ecology;

3.5 WHEREAS the Parties have determined a high level of commonality with respect to:

  • The importance of having an understanding of the philosophy, history, professional practice and ethics of home economics or human ecology,
  • Field of practice,
  • Occupational standards and requirements, given that initial entry to practice requires a degree;

The regulated provinces at the time of signing are British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and New Brunswick.

Mutual Recognition Agreement for Home Economists - November 2002

3.6 WHEREAS the signatories recognize that there are different paths to achieve the threshold competence levels for the practice of home economics or human ecology;

3.7 WHEREAS each Party shall ensure that any measure it adopts or maintains relating to the registration of home economists and human ecologists from any other Party:

  • Is competency based,
  • Is readily accessible or published,
  • Does not result in unnecessary delay,
  • Does not impose inequitable, more burdensome fees to someone from out of province than to their own members, except for cost differentials;

3.8 WHEREAS Parties recognize that in order to be registered in a regulated jurisdiction an applicant may be required to:

  • Demonstrate competencies required to practice as a professional home economist or professional human ecologist subject to 4.0,
  • Establish and confirm identity for entry onto the register,
  • Pay applicable fees,
  • Be a member in good standing in the jurisdiction in which they are currently registered,
  • Demonstrate they meet any language requirement in place in a jurisdiction to which they are applying for registration


3.9 WHEREAS it is recognized that Parties may have members who qualified for registration under a different regulatory regime, and may not meet the current occupational standards and requirements for entry to practice, it is recognized that these applicants are qualified, experienced practitioners and are eligible for membership in all signatory jurisdictions provided they meet the criteria described above;

3.10 Whereas it is recognized that a signatory may have professional members in good standing who have been trained in a foreign country, it is recognized that these members are eligible for membership in all signatory jurisdictions provided they meet the criteria described in 3.8;

3.11 WHEREAS Parties recognize the importance of continuing competency or continuing education and agree to pursue further work in the development and implementation of continuing competency or continuing education programs in their respective jurisdictions;

3.12 Whereas Parties to this Agreement may maintain differing continuing competency or continuing education requirements for their practitioners in their jurisdictions,

3.13 Whereas Parties to this Agreement may maintain differing continuing competency or continuing education requirements for their practitioners in their jurisdictions,

Mutual Recognition Agreement for Home Economists - November 2002

applicants for registration will be required to demonstrate compliance with continuing competency or continuing education requirements in the jurisdiction to which they wish to move once registered there.

4.0 Terms of Recognition

4.1 THEREFORE, based on the principles adhered to above, we the Signatories agree to recognize a member in good standing without further assessment upon receipt of a member's application and appropriate documentation. Details available from Provincial Registrars.

4.2 Notwithstanding 4.1, applicants seeking registration in Alberta who have been registered with another signatory for less than four years will be required to demonstrate 1500 hours of practice experience related to the field of home economics or human ecology following receipt of their degree. Applicants with less than 1500 hours documented in their professional file will enter as a candidate home economist or candidate human ecologist until they have completed the 1500 hours of practice experience. Details available from Provincial Registrars

4.3 Notwithstanding 4.1, applicants seeking registration in Manitoba who have been registered with another signatory for less than two years will be required to demonstrate equivalency to the IPHE program. If the applicant is not able to demonstrate this, the applicant will be admitted as an IPHE member until the IPHE program guidelines have been met. Details available from Provincial Registrars.

5.0 Administration of the Agreement

5.1 Signatories agree to identify the Provincial Registrar as a contact point for the implementation of this Agreement, and how implementation should be monitored and assessed; acceptable duration for processing of applications; length of procedures; how problems associated with the implementation of the agreement could be resolved; establishment of a monitoring committee, etc.

5.2 Each Party agrees to give advance notice to other Parties when proposing modification or adoption of new occupational standards or occupational requirements that might impact on the inter-provincial mobility of workers. Each Party also agrees to afford other parties an opportunity for review and comment in the modification/development of the standard or requirement. This shall be done in the manner specified in Annex 708, part II of the Agreement on Internal Trade.

5.3 Each Party agrees that this agreement is a dynamic and evolving instrument that may be amended with the consent of all signatories. The parties agree to initiate

Mutual Recognition Agreement for Home Economists - November 2002

reviews of the agreement every three years upon signing and/or to review the operation of the agreement when such a request is made by one of the signatories.

5.4 Each signatory will give written notice to its government and to other signatories of its intent to withdraw from this agreement at least 12 months before the signatory withdraws or at the earliest possible opportunity. The notice period is waived where the withdrawal is not within the Party's control. Some governments may require prior consultation or prior approval.

5.5 Any Party that has been delegated authority to regulate home economists and/or human ecologists by their government may accede to this agreement on such terms as agreed to by all signatories.

5.6 Each Signatory agrees to seek the necessary legislative changes from their respective government if, in order to implement this Agreement there is a need for such changes. Each Party also agrees to the necessary changes to by-laws, policies and procedures in order to implement this Agreement.

Mutual Recognition Agreement for Home Economists - November 2002