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| A Strong Industry, Serving Society |
Now is the time for the consulting engineering industry. Never in
human history has the need for wise engineering decisions been
greater: globalisation calls for massive systems to transport of
people, resources and goods; society's quest for knowledge propels
the acquisition, analysis, dissemination and storage of information;
energy needs are growing; wealth is being created; living standards
are rising.
At the same time - often as a consequence of these changes - there
is a severe disruption in nature's balances, a significant losses of
wildlife habitat and diversity, and social upheaval.
Engineering reconciles science and technology with society's needs.
Yet engineers are often not present when decisions are made. This
status quo must change; for engineers to truly serve society they
must lead as well as implement. They must become “trusted advisors”
to society.
If the industry is to act as a trusted advisor to society, it must
first understand the necessary roles and attributes. FIDIC 2008
Québec aims to help consulting engineers better understand their
role and to explore what FIDIC can do to secure the industry's
leadership.
Participants will be challenged to not only recognize and explore
the issues but also to recommend specific actions to be undertaken
by FIDIC and its members in order to “build a strong industry
serving society”. Beginning with a plenary session, each day of
the conference will focus on one of the three sub-themes.
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MONDAY - Influencing Society
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| Opening Ceremony |
| 09.90 - 10.30: Opening Ceremony,
Palais Montcalm |
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10.30 - 11.00: Coffee, Palais Montcalm |
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| For the first day's theme, the
opening plenary session reviews important social, economic and
environmental trends and issues. Moderated seminars will then
further explore the issues - why the consulting engineering
industry needs to be aware of society's needs and how to it can
respond to these challenges, irrespective of the country and its
current state of development. |
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| Plenary Session 1:
Views from Outside |
| 11.00 - 12.00: Palais
Montcalm |
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Opinion Leaders |
| - | Pierre-Marc Johnson
Former
Premier of Québec
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| 12.30 - 14.00 Lunch:
Château Frontenac |
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| Seminars |
Seminar sessions in three parallel streams, each with three speakers and a
panel discussion.
14.00 - 15.30: Château Frontenac |
| 1 |
Our
role in the global community |
La Salle de Bal, Chateau Frontenac
The language
and objectives of engineering are universal. As we move towards a global community, consulting
engineers have an unprecedented opportunity to exert
their influence. Experts will illustrate these opportunities, and risks, and how the industry can leverage its expertise to positively influence the global business
climate, enhance commercial opportunities, and promote
the interests of society while delivering
much needed infrastructure.
Moderator: Flemming Bligaard Pedersen, Ramboll,
Denmark
Jeffrey Russell, University of
Wisconsin, USA
Sabine Engelhard, Interamerican
Development Bank, Washington DC, USA
Rick
Petersen, National Public Affairs Bureau, Canada
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| 2 |
Environmental stewardship and sustainability |
Place
d’Armes, Chateau Frontenac
Public
awareness of, and political support for, environmental
stewardship and sustainability has never been so great.
As the world's population increases and resources
dwindle, consulting engineers must integrate these
issues into engineering. This session will examine some
of the most acute aspects of this challenge and the role
engineers need to play.
Moderator: William
Wallace, Wallace Futures, USA
Arthur Taute,
Vela VKESouth Africa
Terry Bennett, Autodesk,
USA
Ed Nijpels, ONRI, Netherlands
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| 3 |
Setting an example: Ethics and Integrity |
Jacques Cartier, Chateau Frontenac
An ethical reputation and business integrity are
important assets for any professional services firm. But
the industry operates in an environment where political
leadership and safeguards against corruption are
lacking. What steps should the industry realistically
take to improve its own performance and to encourage
clients to acknowledge and reward its efforts?
Moderator: Felipe Ochoa, FAO Consultants, Mexico
Stephen Zimmerman, IADB, Washington DC, USA
Renko Campen, DHV, the Netherlands
Exaud
Mushi, Norplan Tanzania, Tanzania |
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| Regional Reports |
16.00 - 17.15: Château Frontenac
Workshop sessions in three parallel streams, each with three speakers and a
panel discussion.
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| 1 |
ASPAC-Asia-Pacific
Regional Forum
Jacques Cartier, Château Frontenac
Chair: Akihiko Hirotani, Oriental Consultants, Japan |
| Reports from the
region with presentations by FIDIC-ASPAC representatives. |
| 2 |
GAMA-Africa Regional
Forum
Place d’Armes, Château Frontenac
Chair: Exaud Mushi, Norplan Tanzania, Tanzania |
| Reports from the
region with presentations by FIDIC-GAMA representatives. |
| 3 |
Young Professionals
Open Forum
Salle de Bal, Château Frontenac Chair: Richard Stump, Stanley
Consultants, USA |
| Reports on YPF
activities. |
| 4 |
BST Seminar: Digital
Project Workspaces
Laval Room, Château Frontenac
Darryl Williamson, BST Global, Tampa, FL, USA |
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Digital project workspaces help
large, geographically dispersed project teams communicate and
collaborate effectively. |
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TUESDAY - Delivering Quality
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For the second theme,
presentations from the consulting engineering industry's client
community will illustrate how relationships with clients
ultimately determines quality, and even the definition of quality.
A moderated plenary session will demonstrate engineering as an
investment in financial and environmental sustainability;
acknowledge communication as a core competency in an engineering
practice; and recognize the benefits and “risks” of risk
management. Parallel workshops will then challenge delegates to
explore how quality can be achieved. Outcomes will be
recommendations on how FIDIC can help the industry deliver high
quality service with high quality outcomes and how to deal with
clients whose definition of quality does not meet the needs of
society.
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| Plenary Session 2:
Clients' Views |
| 09.00 - 10.30: La Salle de Bal, Château Frontenac |
| - |
Moderator: Patrick Batumbya, MBW Consultants, Uganda
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Thierry Vandal, Hydro Quebec, Canada
Jean Simmon, Rio Tinto Alcan North America, Canada
Omar Maani, City of Amman, Jordan
Young Joo Chye, Singapore Public Utilities Board,
Singapore |
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| Seminars |
| 11.00 - 12.30: Château Frontenac |
| 4A |
Communication:
a core competence |
La Salle de Bal, Chateau Frontenac
If quality
depends upon the ability to understand and meet our clients’
needs, then communication is the key to quality. To respond
effectively, the industry must be able to reconcile the
language of science with the needs of clients and those of
society. The importance of communications will be explored in
terms of both consultant-client relationships and project
delivery.
Moderator: Geoff French, Scott Wilson, UK
Suzanne Stevens, Ignite Excellence, Canada
James Bremen, Maxwell Winward, UK
Debra Rubin, Engineering News Record, USA
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| 5A |
Choosing
economic and environmental sustainability |
Place d’Armes, Chateau Frontenac
Society increasingly judges projects
in terms of economic and environmental sustainability while clients view engineering as an investment in project success.
Quality and sustainability are often compromised by low fees, inadequate resources and unrealistic schedules.
This underinvestment is often encouraged by an engineer's short-sighted business decisions.
Enlightened owners will demonstrate the relationship of quality engineering to tangible life-cycle
savings and improved environmental sustainability.
Moderator: Aki Hirotani, Oriental Consultants, Japan
Peter Steblin, City of Coquitlam, Canada
Linda Newton, Defence Construction, Government of Canada
Taisuke Miyao, JBIC, Japan
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| 6A |
Does risk
transfer threaten quality? |
Jacques Cartier, Chateau Frontenac
Clients and owners
understandably aim to minimize and mitigate project risks. Engineering firms, when granted sufficient resources and authority, play a crucial role as trusted advisors in risk mitigation by seeking responsible solutions that balance economic, social and environmental considerations.
This session will demonstrate that prudent risk management is in fact risk reduction and mitigation,
involving an equitable sharing of risk and reward whereby
consulting engineers operate under more reasonable commercial terms and clients receive more innovative and creative solutions, with society ultimately benefiting.
Moderator: Adam Thornton, Dunning Thornton Consultants, New
Zealand
Derek Hollway, ENCON Group Inc., Canada
Peter Ventin, UMA/AECOM, Canada
Nicola Grayson, ACEA, Australia
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| 12.30 - 14.00: Lunch, Château Frontenac |
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| Discussion Workshops |
| 14.00 - 15.30: Château Frontenac |
| 4B |
Communication: a core
competence |
| Recognizing the increasing demand for engineers to be strong communicators in an industry culture that
has tended to ignore communication skills, participants will identify key areas for improvement. |
| 5B |
Choosing economic and
environmental sustainability |
| Building upon an
understanding on the importance for economic and environmental sustainability
of adequate fees, sensible design objectives, and workable resources and schedules,
participants will explore how the consulting engineering industry can encourage the necessary attitude and investment by its clients. |
| 6B |
Does risk transfer
threaten quality? |
| Participants will
discuss the professional and commercial risks that are normally incurred by the industry, and under what circumstances might such risks represent
liabilities or opportunities or both. |
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| Future Leaders Workshop |
| 16.00 - 17.00: Château Frontenac |
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WEDNESDAY - Building Strong Organizations
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The final theme will feature industry leaders reflecting on what the
industry needs to do to ensure its ability and capacity to both influence
society and deliver quality. Ensuing sessions will foster discussion on the
industry’s need to be profitable and sustainable; its need to invest in
human capital through succession planning; the role that society can play in
supporting this vital industry; and its need for advocacy on important
industrial and society issues.
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| Plenary Session 3: Industry Leaders |
08:30 - 10:30: Château Frontenac
Presentations by chief executives of consulting engineering firms based
in Canada and elsewhere. |
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| Seminars |
11.00 - 12.30: Château Frontenac
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| 9 |
Advocacy: a voice for the
industry |
| The consulting
engineering industry's ability to lead and to act as trusted advisor to society depends on
it demonstrating value. The industry will be seen as a tactical resource rather than a strategic
asset if it is not prepared to promote its critical role in society.
Participants will hear how the industry can successfully demonstrate its value as a trusted advisor to society, and
the tools and resources are needed by the industry. |
| 7 |
Planning success
through succession planning |
| A strong service organization is
measured by its staff – those who provide clients with value through leadership, expertise and innovation. The successful management and operation of an
any firm relies on its ability to retain and develop staff, and to create a team that exceeds the sum of its parts.
With the availability of qualified staff lagging behind available business
opportunities, competition between firms for staff is acute. This session features successful examples of corporate strategies and polices,
notable appropriate succession plans, which have allowed firms to build
durable and successful teams. |
| 8 |
Business
strategies for a changing market |
| The consulting
engineering industry's ability to serve society depends on its economic health. Profitability is the means by which the industry is able to re-invest in
itself, allowing a commitment to growing the financial, technological and human capital that enables
firms to keep pace with the needs of clients and of society. The
session will review successful strategies to adapt to the changing market
and to find new and innovative ways of doing business so that the industry
continues to prosper. |
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| Final Conference Report |
| 14.00 - 15.30: Château Frontenac |
| How to influence society, deliver quality
and build strong organizations. |
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| Young Professionals Forum and General Assembly |
| 16.00 - 17.30: Château Frontenac |
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| FIDIC General Assembly Meeting |
| 16.00 - 17.30: Château Frontenac |
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 Pierre-Marc Johnson
Former
Premier of Québec
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Safe drinking water, secure
transportation, reliable communications and efficient energy are the
backbone of our global economy. The International Federation of Consulting
Engineers (FIDIC) 2008 Québec conference will challenge consulting engineers
to build a stronger industry that can serve society even more effectively.
The focus will be on the role of engineers in influencing decision-makers
and opinion-leaders while delivering quality services to meet global needs.
FIDIC 2006 Budapest highlighted the industry at the cross-roads, exploring
the essential criteria of quality services, whether as a trusted advisor or
as a commodity supplier.
FIDIC 2007 Singapore explored the key factors that lead to successful
relationships between all the partners supplying professional services to
the infrastructure sector.
FIDIC 2008 Québec conference “A Strong Industry Serving Society”, pulls
together the themes of these last two FIDIC conferences. |
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| Day 1 |
Influencing Society |
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Our role in the global
community |
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Environmental stewardship
and sustainability |
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Under scrutiny: ethics
and integrity |
| Day 2
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Communication: a core
competence |
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Choosing economic and
environmental sustainability |
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Is transferring risk a risk to
quality? |
| Day 3
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Profitability and
sustainability |
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Investing in human capital |
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Society's role in
supporting the industry. |
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The need for advocacy |
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- Welcome
- Workshop
- Future Leaders Workshop
- Networking lunch
- Workshop reports
- Steering committee
- Site visit |
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Fairmont Le
Château Frontenac, the conference venue, is a magnificent turn-of the century building in old Québec near the
Parliament Buildings. Set high on a bluff overlooking the mighty St.
Lawrence River, it permits easy walking access to many exceptional sites. |
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FIDIC
Box 311, 1215 Geneva 15,
Tel: +41 22 799 49 00
Fax: +41 22 799 49 01
fidic@fidic.org
www.fidic.org
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ACEC
130 Albert Street, Suite 616
Ottawa K1P 5G4, Canada
Tel: +1 (613) 236 05 69
Fax: +1 (613) 236 61 93
info@acec.ca
www.acec.ca
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