The Chartered Agriculturist Scheme has the following requirements: Qualifications/experience requirements Membership of a professional association or profession e.g. must have CPAg or be demonstrably equivalent Meet professional standards Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Professional ethics and code of conduct (exam) Evidence of applying reflective learning Recognises other affiliated, complementary or allied professionals. The post nominal for the Chartered grading is CAg.

1. THE CHARTERED
AGRICULTURALIST
(CAg)

2. Turlough Guerin1, Daniel K.Y. Tan1,2, Guy Coleman1,2,
Andrew Bishop1, Virginia Shaw1 Mark Harding1
1 Ag Institute of Australia (AIA),
2The University of Sydney,
Sydney Institute of Agriculture

3. • Why?
• Recent History
• What is the Chartered Agriculturalist
CAg Scheme?
• The Chartered Agriculturalist Pathway
• Eligibility
• Our Vision for the Future
• Resources
Summary

4. The Chartered Agriculturalist Scheme:
• an umbrella program or framework for
recognising agricultural and natural resource
management professionals.
• open to AIA members and non-AIA members
who are recognised by a professional body
(association) that recognises professionals
through a specialised accreditation process
• enables professionals to be acknowledged for
their industry- and sector-level contributions to
agriculture and natural resource management.
Overview

5. • Client, collegiate, public and government
expectations of professionals working in their
chosen professions are increasing.
• The protection and the reputation and service
delivery capability of those working in the
agricultural and resource management sector,
should be continually enhanced.
• Prepares the sector for a future which will be
more regulated for advisors, policy makers,
consultants, and scientists.
• The AIA is taking a proactive stance as leaders
in self-regulation.
Why?

6. • Since 1990s, AIA has had a CPD-based accreditation scheme.
• Successive boards recognised need for a more professional scheme.
• In April 2017, AIA organised a briefing of industry stakeholder
organisations to take next step in establishing a Chartered Agricultural
Professional Scheme.
• AIA sought viewpoints of CCA, SSSA, ASAP, DAWR, and Private Sector.
• AIA agreed to draft and develop a workable scheme, covering the
development costs.
• Applications can now be made online: Send your EoI to
admin@aginstitute.com.au and you will be sent a link to apply and to
undertake the ethics exam
Recent History

7. • It has the following requirements:
• Qualifications/experience requirements
• Membership of a professional association or profession
e.g. must have CPAg or be demonstrably equivalent
• Meet professional standards
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• Professional ethics and code of conduct (exam)
• Evidence of applying reflective learning
• Recognises other affiliated, complementary or
allied professionals.
• The post nominal for the Chartered grading is CAg.
What is the Chartered Agriculturalist Scheme?

9. • The next step along the professional recognition path after CPAg.
• CPAg is professional development recognising CPD
• CAg includes CPD and is aimed at a Chartered level for industry/sector
leaders.
• Provides professionals, including current members of the AIA, an
opportunity to be further recognised for their investment in their
professional development.
• CPAg and Chartered Agriculturalist (CAg) schemes will be kept operational
as long as there is a demand for both these products.
What is the Chartered Agriculturalist Scheme? (continued)

10. Chartered Agricultural Professional Pathway
If you are a CAg it demonstrates a
commitment to lifetime learning
and the pursuit of excellence in a
discipline which is proactive about
maintaining its standards of
professionalism and leadership.

11. • Entry Requirements: meet a benchmark of professional standards, pass an ethics
exam, & provide evidence of reflective learning (one-off requirements).
• Experience: 5 years with a minimum of 3 years in a senior management position.
• Qualifications:
• Formal qualifications of AQF of 9 or above (i.e. Masters level) are required
(Masters in Agriculture or related field) OR
• Bachelor Honours, Graduate Diploma in Agriculture or related field plus a
Masters in any other field OR
• Alternative pathways for meeting this requirement are also available.
• Alternative pathways include active board-level representation, executive-level work
experience, author of submissions to government inquiries or industry guide/book
relevant to sector, research lead on international project, expert witness (relevant to
sector), significant international, national or state project or program, industry/guest
lecturer and others.
Eligibility

12. • For AIA members, the CPAg scheme is the entry point into the
CAg scheme.
• Every 3 years a Chartered Professional must complete 60 hours
of CPD (continuing professional development). CPAg will be re-
aligned to this.
• For AIA members, transitioning provisions to CAg have been
provided for current CPAg holders.
• Applicants must be a member of a professional organisation
(association) with demonstrable equivalence of a CPD-based
accreditation or certification.
• See the AIA member categories for 2019 for further details
(www.aginstitute.com.au)
Eligibility (continued)

14. Our Vision for the Future
To link university curricula to an accreditation
process and standard for agricultural professional
development in this country, that anchors
university learning outcomes to recognition and
professional achievement.
The AIA will continue to sponsor, support and steer
accreditation so that it is recognised by
governments, and used by employers, and that can
be adopted and transferred to the food and fibre
sector internationally.

15. Resources
For FAQs, check out:
http://www.aginstitute.com.au/pages/chartered-scheme-
faqs.html
To understand how the scheme was designed, check out:
http://www.aginstitute.com.au/data/Accreditation/AIA_C
hartered_Base_Technical_Document_2019_-
_Final_JUNE_2019_eversion.pdf
To read a brief overview, check out the Handbook:
http://www.aginstitute.com.au/data/Accreditation/AIA_Ch
artered_scheme_CAg_Handbook_Final_July_2019_eversio
n.pdf