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FIDIC Guide to Practice Training Programme
Business Development  FIDIC® Training Courses
 A two-day training course on Business Development; 8-9 December 2007
followed by
A two-day training course on Financial Management; 10-11 December 2007
Organized by FIDIC, Jordan Engineers Association (JEA), Engineers Training Centre (ETC) and the A/E Business Council
Radisson SAS Hotel, Amman, Jordan; 8-9 and 10-11 December 2007
Contact: Mohamad Abu Afifeh, Director, ETC mohd_f@jea.org.jo
   
Further information
- A/E Business Council:  A/E Business Council
- FIDIC
- Download the brochure PDF
 
Registration
On-line registration:
- Business Development, 8-9 Dec 2007
- Financial Management, 10-11 Dec 2007
- Business Dev. & Financial Mgt, 8-9, 10-11 Dec 2007		 Off-line registration - contact:
- mohd_f@jea.org.jo
- www.jea.org.jo
 
FIDIC Jordan Training Programme: 8-9 and 10-11 December 2007
  
In today’s marketplace, quality, innovation, and service to clients are increasing in importance. This is particularly true in the growing global market where there is a strong trend towards globalised business practices, and increasing awareness of sustainable development as the driver for economic growth.
 
Increasingly the consulting engineer is called upon to play a larger and more inclusive role as the projects become more comprehensive and the clients look for innovative ways to deliver the projects within time and budget constraints. consulting engineers are also expected to play an important role in new project delivery systems, to be accountable for total project delivery, to seek ways to protect and enhance the natural and social environment, and to protect the client’s interests. They take on the role of programme managers and facilitators responsible for a broad scope of services.
 
Professionals from many disciplines are now working in consulting engineering firms.
This is not to deny that there still is a role for strong, viable, focused single discipline professional firms in local or niche markets. A niche market may be local, but can be national or international, depending upon the nature of the specific skills. However, consulting engineers today are being asked to do more than just design infrastructure: they are being asked to conceive, plan, programme, design, supervise, operate, arrange financing, maintain and operate facilities, etc. This more comprehensive role requires that today’s consultants, in addition to being a professional engineer, must be an excellent business person, knowledgeable on a wide range of issues.
 
There is also an essential need is to standardize the knowledge of consulting engineering business practices across national boundaries, and to have those who understand and use these standard practices recognized. The FIDIC Jordan Training Programme responds to this need to upgrade the management capabilities of consulting engineer firms by organizing a series of training courses based on the FIDIC Guide to Practice.
 
Business Development: 8-9 December 2007
  
The training course aims to present the business development function within a professional services firm:
  • Begins with general marketing and promotion, proceeding through development of specific “sales leads”;
  • Culminates in the preparation of effective proposals following a general discussion of project delivery methods and procurement procedures and processes.
 
 Programme
 Day 1: 09.00 - 17.00
 
Introduction
Marketing
  • Strategic planning
  • Business Planning
    • Goals and objectives
    • Strategies
    • Tactics
  • Marketing planning
    • Approaches
    • Elements
    • Marketing tools
    • Websites
    • Printed materials
    • External media
  • Public relation programme
    • Introduction
    • Initial market research
    • Public relations action plan
Identifying opportunities
  • Key issues
  • Sources
  • Tendering processes
  
 Day 2: 09.00 - 17.00
 
Project delivery methods
  • Conventional and design-build
  • Partnering approaches
  • Client types
Procurement of consulting services
  • Introduction
  • Role of the industry association
  • Recommended procurement process
  • Introducting cost to procurement processes
  • Multilater development banks as clients
  • Improvements in contract terms
  • Other consultants as clients
  • Prequalification stage
    • Planning for success
    • Preliminary contacts
    • Written prequalification submissions
    • Prequalification presentations
  • Proposal stage
    • Proposal strategy
      • Overall strategy - the "Go-No Go" decision
      • Technical strategy
      • Financial strategy
    • Proposal content
      • Effective proposal
  • Elements of a comprehensive proposal
Summary and Conclusion

Throughout the seminar there will be opportunities for questions, and where appropriate, case studies will be introduced.
On each day there will be a morning and afternoon break for coffee or tea and a lunch.
 
Financial Management: 10-11 December 2007
  
The training course aims to present financial management as it applies to professional services firms:
  • Begins with a discussion of accounting systems and provides a typical Balance Sheet and Income Statement for a professional services firm, along with comments on financial indicators that can be derived from these important documents;
  • Discusses Management Information Systems, followed by invoicing and collection of accounts receivable;
  • Analyzes financial planning, particularly the annual budget cycle, along with cash flow management;
  • Reviews financial benchmarks, since these are among the most important indicators applicable to a professional services firm.
 
 Programme
 Day 1: 09.30 - 17.00
 
Introduction
Accounting Systems
  • Introduction
  • The accounting system
  • Audit
  • Internal financial control
Typical financial structure
  • Introduction
  • Balance sheet and income statement
Management information systems
  • Financial information
  • Non-financial information
Invoicing and collection
  • Methods of compensation
  • Invoicing
  • Collection of accounts receivable
Financial Planning
  • Business planning and budgeting
  • Cash flow management
  • Debt Financing
  
 Day 2: 09.00 - 17.00
 
Contracts and the financial manager
Risk management and liability insurance
Investment issues
  • Dividends
  • Investments
  • Firm Valuation and transfer of ownership
Benchmarks for financial management
  • Profitability ratios
  • Liquidity ratios
  • Solvency or stability ratios
  • Staff utilization
  • Other ratios
Summary and Conclusion

Throughout the seminar there will be opportunities for questions, and where appropriate, case studies will be introduced.
On each day there will be a morning and afternoon break for coffee or tea and a lunch.

Seminar Trainer

Ben Novak Ben Novak is a Senior Consultant and a certified FIDIC trainer who specializes in corporate services and corporate management training.
 
In 1982 he joined Stantec in Edmonton, becoming Vice-President of Prairie and Northern operations, before being named Senior Vice-President. He participated in, and led a number of acquisition and joint venture initiatives, and sat on the first Board of Directors when Stantec became a public company.
 
A Canadian citizen, he is a graduate of McGill University, Montreal, in Civil Engineering and has a Diploma in Business Administration. He also holds a master’s degree in City Planning from the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. He has been Vice-President of the Corporation of Urbanists of Quebec, President of the Consulting Engineers of Alberta, President of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Canada, and a member of the FIDIC Quality Management Forum. He is currently a Mentor on the FIDIC Young Professionals Management Training Programme and is an accredited Peer Reviewer for the American Consulting Engineers Council. He has also been a member of both the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and the Montreal Board of Trade, and sat on the Board of the Alberta Chamber of Resources.
 
Ben Novak currently sits on several affiliate boards, and evaluates and assists operations and acquisitions by consulting engineering firms. He has set his prime focus on corporate training programmes, by developing course modules and delivering seminars.
 
Over the years he has published a number of articles and delivered seminars dealing with urban planning, transportation, project management and the business aspects of running a consulting practice.
 
Course materials
 
Delegates will be provided the following materials, in English:
  • FIDIC Guide to Practice Training Manual resource chapters
  • Copies of presentation slides
  • Course notes
 
Attendance Fees: Delegate fee - US$ 550.- for each course (includes lunch and refreshments and course materials). Members of JEA and the A/E Business Council should contact the associations for special rates.
 
Venue: Radisson SAS Hotel, Amman, Jordan, 8-9 and 10-11 December 2007
 
Registration:
Offline: please contact Mohamad Abu Afifeh, Director, ETC at mohd_f@jea.org.jo
International Federation of Consulting Engineers
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