| Business Programme |
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| Global services, enhanced partnerships |
FIDIC 2007 Singapore will explore the relationships and key factors that lead to successful relationships
between all the partners supplying professional services to the
infrastructure sector.
Speakers representing multilateral development banks, international trading institutions, national governments and multinational companies will explore the
key ingredients - political, cultural, business and personal - for successful partnerships to meet the ever-increasing demand for quality infrastructure.
Highlights include the improved identification of, and collaboration with, local capacity,
and a close look at partnering, joint venturing and other
collaborative working arrangements from different perspectives.
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MONDAY - Overcoming barriers and
enhancing partnerships
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Opening Ceremony
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09.00 - 10.00: Ballroom 2, Suntec Singapore
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| Opening Plenary Sessions
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10.30 - 12.00: Ballroom 2, Suntec Singapore
14.00 - 17.30: Ballroom 2, Suntec Singapore
Coffee: 10.00 - 10.30;
Lunch: 12.00 14.00;
Coffee: 15.20 - 15.50
- Identifying the opportunities
- Understanding the challenges
- Practical approaches
Speakers representing national governments, multilateral development
banks, international trading institutions, and multinational companies will explore the ingredients
- political, cultural, business and personal - for successful
partnerships to meet the ever-increasing demand for quality infrastructure.
| Minister
of National Development, Singapore |
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Singapore's pivotal role |
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Importance of consulting
engineering for infrastructure development |
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Global nature of
international trade and the impact of globalisation on
professional services |
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The World Bank |
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Opportunities in Asia |
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Benefits of cross-border
trade |
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Need for partnerships for
infrastructure development |
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Asian Development
Bank Vice-President |
| |
A significant investor |
| |
The components of a successful strategy for building sustainable
infrastructure |
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The benefits of industry collaboration with development banks |
| Japan Bank for
International Cooperation, Director |
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Aid agencies have some unique requirements |
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Outsourcing provides opportunities for consultants |
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Quality infrastructure is a priority |
| Leighton
Australia, Managing Director |
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Project delivery methods are changing |
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The roles of consultants and clients |
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Quality calls for more effective collaboration |
| Maunsell-AECOM
Hong Kong, Director |
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Business dynamics have changed |
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Internatinal and local firms collaborate more |
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Opportunities through collaboration |
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New business relationship models |
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TUESDAY - Trusted advisor: exploring the issues
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Workshops
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08.30 - 16.30: Suntec Singapore
Coffee: 10.15 - 10.45; Lunch: 12.30 14.30; Coffee: 16.30 - 17.00
Workshop sessions in three parallel streams, each with three speakers and a
panel discussion.
|
Theme 1: Opportunities |
|
1 |
New market opportunities: Partnering in action
Coordinator: G. French (Scott Wilson, UK). |
There is no doubt that the fastest growing region in the world is Asia, both in terms of national economies, as well as expanding resources. This provides real opportunities, both for consulting firms in those markets, and for FIDIC’s global members wishing to offer their expertise, or collaborate with local partners.
A range of experts, both from the client, agencies and consultants will share their experiences and highlight some of the realities of these exciting emerging markets. |
|
2 |
Professional recognition
Coordinator: L. Chuan (Beca Group, Singapore) |
As part of globalization, there has been a natural tendency on the part of many countries to protect and nurture their professionals, and their local intellectual property. Often, they have sought to control the flow of people and expertise in order to achieve this. Despite these challenges, the natural flow of professional and technical services has been crossing borders for many years (engineers do this anyway as part of their professional duty) and is flourishing. Do the perceived hurdles to trade exist in practice? Are they realistic? Should there be one international standard for professional engineers or for consulting engineers?
The workshop will explore some of the key issues impacting on the trade in services and the ways in which these challenges are being met and positively dealt with. Should FIDIC
and FIDIC Member Associations do more to address mutual recognition issues, local registration requirements, local investment restrictions, and other challenges? |
|
3 |
The power of people
Coordinator: R. Stump (Stanley Consultants, USA) |
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|
Consulting engineering is all about people: we often forget; clients often
forget. The business of consulting engineering is all about finding the best
people to provide society with the means to a better quality of life, and
for economies to improve. Lack of recognition from all sides, lack of
support from clients and customers, increased competition from other
industries, and inadequate compensation have all led to a critical shortage
of skilled people in the consulting engineering industry. Can alliancing and
partnering offer new solutions to recruiting and retaining talented staff?
Which "best practice" examples might serve as benchmarks for
attracting more people into the industry? What impact can procurement
policies and innovative bidding have on retention? |
|
Theme 2: Challenges |
|
4 |
Choosing the best advisor
Coordinator: G. Thomopulos (Stanley Consultants, USA). |
Increased risks are being imposed on consultants; fewer consulting engineers
are available to bid for projects; sustainable quality services are under threat.
These are all issues confronting the consulting engineering industry. The time has come for everyone to bite the bullet and come up with truly fair and reasonable procurement processes that achieve the stated objectives. But, are the stated objectives clear? The means to an uncertain end will never satisfy any of the parties.
The workshop will review and clarify the real objectives of the client and the end user, and hence determine the valuable role played by the trusted advisor. This will lead then to a way forward in the development of realistic procurement tools. Discussions with the major development banks also suggest that a new look is desirable to ensure quality outcomes can be achieved. |
|
5 |
Growing and sharing expertise
Coordinator: J.C. Ritchie (Hatch Acres, India) |
Competitiveness is a key word in FIDIC's strategic objectives. The
federation's many best-practice tools and guidelines aim at retaining natural competitive
advantages while improving the competitiveness of all consulting engineers around the world, without compromising their ability to
differentiate. What is the impact of outsourcing services or moving them offshore? How do benefits accrue to the various parties? Do such practices add value in both directions? Is this effective transfer of technology? How does one calculate fair value in such collaboration?
This workshop will explore how firms form strategic alliances to open new markets, and identify new opportunities. Consultants will share skills and optimize opportunities through strategic planning and positive collaboration. |
| 6 |
Collaboration or risk all: Risk and Liability Management
Coordinator: Corbett (K. Maunsell, UK) |
One of the major threats to the ability of consulting engineers to continue to offer innovative services, is their inability to accept and manage unreasonable risk. The growing trend of society to insist on passing unlimited liabilities onto consulting engineers, is unrealistic and unsustainable. At the same time, a risk-averse insurance industry is limiting the availability of insurance to cover such risks. It seems the industry is caught in the middle. Very soon, consulting engineers will simply cease to operate, and the world will be the worse for that.
The workshop will look at the key risk challenges facing consultants and in particular the burden of unreasonableness and inequitable risk in appointments. By way of collaboration, how can we encourage project parties to adopt a sensible transfer or proportioning of risk in their procurement mechanism through the use of standard forms (such as the FIDIC
Client/Consultant Model Services Agreement), appropriate insurance and recognition of the benefits of reasonable terms/obligations. |
|
Theme 3: Tools |
| 7 |
Partnering for profit
Coordinator: R.A. Kell (Cardno, Australia) |
The traditional role of the engineer to the contract has been evolving rapidly in recent years. The hierarchical structure in the decision tree has also changed significantly. However, the engineer is still pivotal to the overall successful outcome of a project. What role can/should the consulting engineer play in a truly shared risk/reward environment?
This workshop will examine some of the newer models leading to successful projects in both mature and maturing markets. Examples include
alliance contracts, performance-based contracts and other partnering models. The relationships in such models will be explored, as well as the risk mitigation and management environments that are possible to the benefit of all parties. |
| 8 |
Delivering quality services: essential tools
Coordinator: A. Thornton (Dunning Thornton, NZ) |
| |
FIDIC's mission is to develop international best practice standards, guides and tools for MAs and member firms. Defining the global consulting engineer and the increasingly complex array of services being offered remains a challenge. Fee-driven selection processes with poor scope definition and a lack of understanding of what a consultant can and should provide, constrain both innovation and quality (and hence
value). With the variability and wide choice of professional advice now available on the global market, the interest in level playing fields has never been stronger.
In this workshop, FIDIC introduces for discussion some new tools aimed at clarifying what consulting engineers provide, what value it brings, and how price should
not be a critical component in the selection of a consulting engineer. |
|
9. |
Capacity utilisation: making better use of available resources
Coordinator: E.S. Pedersen (Denmark) |
| |
In the global world of consulting engineering, and the increasing demands on their skills and services, people are the critical ingredient. With a world wide shortage of skilled consulting engineers, it is now even more important that all the available resources are better understood, better utilized, and better supported
- by the industry and by clients.
What must be done so that firms everywhere can compete successfully? What
types of procurement environment must be established so the capacity can be
used effectively? How can clients and funding agencies recognize and offer realistic support for local resources? What impact will this have on procurement and funding policies? |
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FIDIC Activities Workshop
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17.00 - 18.00: Suntec
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Summarises the latest developments in FIDIC Contracts, events and training
activities.
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WEDNESDAY - Reviewing the status
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Plenary workshop reports
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09.00 - 10.30: Suntec
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Reports of the workshops, followed by conclusions and recommended actions.
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| Business Practice
workshops
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11.00 - 12.00: Suntec |
- Business Integrity Management
- Project Sustainability Management
- BST Global Project Management |
| Regional Forums |
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12.00 - 13.00: Suntec |
- Africa: GAMA seminar and networking event
- Asia-Pacific: ASPAC seminar and networking event |
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Young Professional Future Leaders Workshop |
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14.30 - 15.30: Suntec |
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Young Professionals Forum |
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16.00 - 17.30: Suntec |
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Young Professionals Forum meeting and General Assembly |
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FIDIC General Assembly Meeting |
| 16.00 - 17.30: Suntec |
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Young Professionals events
- Workshop
- Open Forum
- Networking lunch
- Workshop reports
- Steering committee
- Site visit
Consulting engineers in a global economy
Consulting engineers play a unique and increasingly important role in the
global economy, where society seeks the highest quality at the local level.
FIDIC 2006 Budapest Conference highlighted the industry’s capacity to offer quality services at the crossroads between acting as both a
trusted advisor and a commodity supplier.
FIDIC 2007 Singapore will carry forward the outcomes by exploring the
essentials for developing successful relationships with colleagues, clients
and other professionals to deliver quality globally.
The aim will be to identify strategies and management tools for overcoming
barriers to successful cooperation and for enhancing partnerships, both
within the industry and with other sectors responsible for supplying today's
vital infrastructure.
Key themes will be: |
| 1
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Identifying the opportunities |
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Accessing new markets |
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Practical barriers |
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The right resources |
| 2
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Understanding the
challenges |
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Procurement |
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Strategic alliances and
skill sharing |
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Managing risk and
liability |
| 3
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Practical approaches |
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Harmonised procedures |
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Collaborative working |
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Engaging local capacity |
The stage is set during Monday plenary
sessions where six keynote speakers will present the views of
national government, international finance institutions, development
agencies and firms on
the crosscutting issues that address a common theme - the trusted
advisor, an essential player for prudent infrastructure investment.
In addressing the
cross-cutting themes, the Tuesday workshops will explore local, regional
and global views in a balanced way,
while maximising participation through panel discussions.
This balance will be the key to the Wednesday
morning reports, and
indeed for the conference itself.
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