by Mark Schwamel, Assoc. AIA, LEED-AP
AIA National Associates Committee Community Director

Summary: The National Council of Architecture Registration Boards (NCARB) launched the “e-EVR” online reporting system on December 31, 2008. The e-EVR system, which stands for electronic Experience Verification Reporting, functions as an online reporting system for interns in the Intern Development Program (IDP). Designed to prevent common errors that currently occur on paper forms, it reduces the possibility of rejections during the NCARB evaluation process. This new paperless reporting system will replace the old hard-copy submission, “Employment Verification and IDP Training Unit Report form” (formerly known as Form 123). Per NCARB, use of e-EVR is “strongly encouraged.”

The e-EVR system is an effort to streamline the reporting of IDP Training Units and, incidentally, will be able to check that an intern meets the Six-Month Rule requirements when the rule is implemented in July. The Six-Month Rule will require interns to submit their training units in reporting periods of no longer than six months, and within two months of completion of each reporting period. All interns who establish an NCARB Record on or after July 1, 2009, must comply with the Six-Month Rule. Although the NCARB Web site says that “all training unit reports must be submitted electronically through NCARB’s electronic Experience Verification Reporting (e-EVR) system,” the paper form is not going away altogether. Initially, Supplementary Education units must still be submitted on paper. By July 1, 2009, however, their submission will become part of the e-EVR system.

As with the launch of any new electronic system, there has been beta testing focused on ensuring that the program runs smoothly and efficiently. Selected representatives from the AIA, American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), National Associates Committee (NAC), and IDP Coordinators took part in the testing of the new program. Pairs of representatives—one playing the role of intern and the other, supervisor—navigated the program through guided steps to test the system and its user interface. Representatives reported that the system itself was fairly easy to navigate.

The e-EVR system, although not meant to replicate hourly time tracking—interns will likely continue to use the downloadable Excel workbooks to do this—allows interns to log their Training Units reporting online and immediately add that information to their NCARB Record. This information then can be submitted to a participant’s supervisor and NCARB via the Web. Also new is a “comments section,” in which the intern and supervisor can record messages as they respectively post training units, thus tracking the entire process between the two parties.

Currently, mentor signature not required
One area not supported by the online reporting system that is included on the existing paper-based form is the Mentor category. To streamline the process, NCARB stopped requiring a Mentor signature on the paper form in April 2008. A mentor is an architect, preferably outside the intern’s firm, with whom the intern meets periodically to review training progress and discuss career objectives.

Although NCARB has removed the mentor category from the new online system, members should recognize the Institute's Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct has not changed. Ethical Standard 5.2, Intern and Professional Development, still holds:
"Members should recognize and fulfill their obligation to nurture fellow professionals as they progress through all stages of their career, beginning with professional education in the academy, progressing through internship, and continuing throughout their career."

Additionally, the National Associates Committee published a white paper in 2007 on roles, accountability, and the responsibilities for each stakeholder (supervisors and mentors) involved in the Intern Development Program. NCARB has indicated, that beginning July 1, 2009, interns using the e-EVR will be allowed to provide a name and e-mail address of their mentor when submitting the report to their supervisor. NCARB would then send an html copy of their Training Units summary to the intern’s mentor.

New resources being created
As the new e-EVR system launches, new NCARB resources include Webcasts, podcasts, and Webinars to introduce interns and supervisors to the e-EVR system, supervisor training, and the Six-Month Rule. Webinars for interns and supervisors are now available for download on NCARB’s Web site.

IDP Supervisor Guidelines, another valuable resource, also are available for the first time on NCARB’s Web site. These guidelines, developed in response to requests from interns, explain the objectives and requirements of IDP and give architects a better understanding of interns’ expectations. Although navigating and completing IDP is an intern’s responsibility, supervisors are encouraged to teach, motivate, and help interns fulfill their requirements of the program throughout their journey to licensure.

By taking the IDP reporting process into the virtual world through implementation of the e-EVR, NCARB will streamline the reporting process, resulting in far less paperwork than the current system generates. Paired with new Supervisor Guidelines as a starting point to help develop and implement successful relationships, these tools ultimately will benefit individuals, firms, and the profession.