Senior Land Surveyor Elected Fellow Of RICS
The Ministry of Environment, Planning and Infrastructure Strategy announce that their Senior Land Surveyor, Peter Hopkin BA, FRICS, MSc (GIS), has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) – the highest status one can achieve in this profession.
The Minister of Environment, Planning and Infrastructure Strategy Walter Roban said: “This is truly a significant accomplishment and, although the RICS is a British institution, it has significant global reach and influence, and Mr. Hopkin should be congratulated for this monumental achievement.”
Being elected as Fellow is the highest level of qualification that a surveyor can reach through the British institution and demonstrates a high level of commitment and dedication to the profession.
There are three levels of RICS membership: Associate, Member and Fellow. Membership, which Mr. Hopkin achieved almost two decades ago, is obtained by a measurement of one’s work experience and professionalism by one’s peers. Fellowship is also achieved by a peer assessment.
“I was required to write a business report describing my career, achievements, and most importantly of all, showing that I have maintained a record of continuous professional development (CPD),” Mr. Hopkin explained. “All professions are changing constantly, and you are not allowed to rest on one’s laurels, or you would fall behind.”
He added: “It is more than twenty years since I became a member so, to catch up with changes in the profession, I took a Masters degree on-line. It was tough studying so intensely again, thirty years after I left university. I had to record my CPD on a website, which the Institute can check covertly and make sure I’m up to scratch! Finally, I needed two other Fellows to write a reference, supporting my application. I chose two Bermudian Fellows – Ted Gauntlett and Valerie Sherwood – both Fellows of the RICS and both respected colleagues in the profession.”
The RICS is the biggest organization of its kind in the world, and has 20,428 FRICS and 73,881 MRICS. In Bermuda there are currently seven (7) other FRICS, and thirty-seven (37) members and associate members.
Mr. Hopkin currently manages the Survey Section, in the Department of Land Surveys and Registration of the Ministry of Environment, Planning and Infrastructure Strategy.
“Although the Section is small, we have clients across Government, and we act as Bermuda’s national mapping authority,” Mr. Hopkin said. “We create maps and surveys, and we are broadening into Geographic Information Systems (GIS). GIS is one of the world’s fastest growing professions, and because everything happens somewhere, mapping data is integral to nearly all businesses.
“It is an exciting time; the internet has revolutionized mapping and surveying, and the essence of a professional surveyor is to assess the quality of what you are getting. It is very easy to believe what you see, but so much happens ‘behind the scenes’ in the data that is important to understand what data is used and how it has been manipulated.”
Mr. Hopkin has been in the position for eight years, and has one year left on his contract. He has been training a Bermudian to take his post in 2012, and has written a detailed succession plan to ensure a smooth transition.
Mr. Hopkin said, “Someone once said ‘give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach him to fish and he can eat for a lifetime’. It is important that I, as an expat, leave as many of my skills and knowledge behind. Sustainable development is not just about physical infrastructure, it is about the human resources too.”
In Bermuda RICS members work in the fields of property, construction, land surveying, quantities, and there is currently a need for more qualified Bermudians to become chartered surveyors.
The Land Surveys Department currently has one Bursary Student studying in London for the profession.
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congratulations!
Congratulations another brand of Political Hypocricy!!
Lest we be reminded that Mr. Hopkings only received this RICS designation and became a member (as of 2009) whilst working as the Senior Land Surveyor with the former department of W & E over the past 6+ years. And how ironic of the peer selections?? (Val Sherwood former Estates Head of what was W&E). There are and have been a number of qualified Bermudians who both obtain Masters, are RICS qualified, as well as Members/Associate members who have been worked alongside Mr. Hopkins for the past 6+ years in the same Department/Ministry (long before Mr. Hopkins received this recent desgination).
His years of experience and recent accomplishments are coupled with his over-extended work contract! Another cunning way to disguise the lack of infrastructure and move towards political ambiguity at its best.
It would be interesting to know what has Mr. Hopkins accomplished here as a Senior Land Surveryor in Bermuda. What pending projects or services does the Surveying department actually provide? Where is Bermuda in relation to the rest of the world with technology and producing up-to-date information on the OS and accuracy?
Get it together!
Congratulations Mr. Hopkins for your achievement. Don’t let sour grapes, have any impact on your future. A promotion must be involved.
Drag
You obviously don’t know the guy?
And just out of curiosity Dragging A Lure, what about the other Bermudians who are trying to ascertain the same level of experience as Mr. Hopkins who should also be given a fair and equal opportunity. Whilst your apparent knowledge is based merely on sympathy despite, this accomplishment Mr. Hopkins has deceptively “conned” his way to the top. That is if the so-called rumour has any truths.
And would it make any difference if the Bermudians, that Mr. Hopkins were depriving of such an opportunity where WHITE Bermudians?? Go figure… Perhaps this quote is more fitting for this occassion:
Tricks and treachery are the practice of fools, that don’t have brains enough to be honest.
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
I couldn’t agree more with Political Hypocrisy. This individual makes the Dilbert carton look like a serious piece of work. His eight years as the self professed head of all surveying activity in Bermuda has left me totally underwhelmed. A lot of the article is baloney. He literally cannot successfully undertake a survey using modern technology let alone produce a decent map despite having a Masters in GIS.
As for his professed aim of Bermudianisation. I smell something fishy and I don’t mean he’s giving anybody a fishing rod. There is a rumour circulating that despite his nine year term limit approaching he is in line for promotion to Director level possibly depriving a Bermudian of advancement.
A final thought. Most people as Political Hypocrisy pointed out are modest about their acheivements, preferring to be recognised by their peers in the profession. Mr Hopkin’s self trumpeting of a qualification largely based on longevity leaves feeling sad that he appears so insecure.
That’s mah man folks!
Sour Grapes or FINE WINE!
This is the same political ambiguity that resounds throughout Government. It would make more sense if media communications or journalists did their homework before posting such articles. There are 2 Bermudians currently employed under the Ministry of Environment, Planning & Infrastructure Strategy that are beyond qualified and have been instrumental in the development of Land Surveying and models that Mr. Hopkins has used to develop a thesis for his current designation.
He has spent more time and more of Government’s time working on his Master’s all to safeguard his post for a Directorial debut and political appearance in an effort to circumvent the progression of Bermudians to the respective DESIGNATE post. YOU’VE BEEN THERE FOR NINE YEARS!!!!!! Ask the REAL WORKERS!!
To date, the Surveying department is no further ahead with the long overdue and much anticipated development of GPS, production of Cadastral Mapping, Ordnance Survey (OS as mentioned by Political Hypocricy)and expansion of Surveying Resources. Whilst Mr. Hopkins boast an impressive CV perhaps one should ask him to reproduce an IPZ.
To all of the above,
Thanks for coming out of the closet(you all sound like a group that did not know how to advance your position). Mr. Hopkins has the designation behind his name, now get rid of your SOUR GRAPES Attitude !!! and support the man.
…Is the least i can express here. For someone who has spent over 20yrs in one profession and is able to be appointed at the highest level by his peers, good for him. Can any of the above say they have lasted so long in their profession and been peer evaluated? And dont say he choose people that liked him… Well of course he did, as does any other person looking for the best references for a job or appointment.
…at such intimite knowledge of the workings of that department. Obviously 1 or 2 jaded and shallow employees… typical back-benchers, mumbling under their breath and whispering to each other in the shadows, only speaking out when something goes wrong. Shut up and get back to work if you dont have anything worth while to say.
Plotting points, if you have so much to say about the man, why dont you say it to his face on monday, if you have a pair.
Hitch hiker… How many Managers do you know who can successfully use every tool in his department? If i was your manager and knew how to use all my tools, i would fire you because of redundancy and use your salary for something more constructive. And dont confuse a master of gis with that of cartography. Two different fields…look it up sometime.
And dragging a lure hit the nail on the head… You are just a group of sour people, looking to push the man around in the dark of the internet. Pathetic!
So much negativity in all the comment threads on bernews. Just goes to show how jaded bermuda is or has become.
The article written obviously highlights the accomplishments Mr. Hopkins has earned with regard to the respective designations.
However, after reading the parade of comments, I am not certain that a promotion is imminent considering that a Bermudian is being trained for the designate post in 2012. I think It boils down to the legacy that Mr. Hopkins will leave for those successors.
AND JUST A PIECE OF ADVICE
An EFFICIENT/EFFECTIVE MANAGER should have enough experience and knowledge to ensure that he manages and trains his/her staff to be as good or better than he/her. This article highlights that very point when Mr. Hopkins mentions that technolgy is evolving. There is always room for error, growth and improvement. And that’s just it, there are many people who have years of experience, but an effective manager imho is one who recognises change and can relate to PEOPLE. Those comments offered by Political Hypocricy, Hitch Hiker, Fishy, Etc. clearly imply that Mr. Hopkins lacks the people managment skill which far outweighs one’s qualifications.
And just to play devil’s advocate– has anyone every really considered that perhaps Mr. Hopkins acclaimed success/appointment arrives because of the lack of jobs elsewhere in the world? I don’t know much about Mapping or GIS but I gather that with the dismal economy it would seem prudent and lucrative (better yet fitting) that Mr. Hopkins stay put.
I don’t normally spend time posting comments online in an arena where identities can be concealed and facts not confirmed. One example of this being in the thread above “Stunned” may have fallen victm to this jumping to conclusions over identity. The real shame in this is that Mr. Hopkin’s achievement has become contentuous. Other issues have been raised and this illustrates that as with most of us he has admirers and detractors. And that in the words of Forrest Gump is all I have to say on this matter.
@ Political Hypocricy
If you read the article again, you will see that Mr Hopkin (note the correct spelling) has been a member of the RICS for more than twenty years.
I would suggest that if you can’t manage to read an article correctly, then the rest of your points shouldn’t be taken too seriously.