Qualifications-based procurement guide
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 The ACEC-Canada 2006 Summit and National Convention, St. John's, Newfoundland (29 June - 1 July 2006) saw the launch of Selecting a professional consultant, published by the federal government's Infrastructure Canada Program and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (see www.infraguide.ca and news item). The guide is unique in that a government-led team aimed to create a common understanding between consultants and clients on how to procure services. It concluded that best practice calls for legislation of a qualifications-based procurement framework, and that in its absence leadership will have to come from all the partners in infrastructure supply. Enrico Vink, FIDIC Managing Director, represented FIDIC, and used the occasion to progress planning for the FIDIC 2008 Conference in Quebec.
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Tunis engineering days enhance FIDIC profile
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With considerable help from ANBEIC, FIDIC Member Association for Tunisia, and Nabil Chater, ANBEIC President, FIDIC was able to organize "international consulting engineering days" in Tunis on 7-9 June 2005 in association with SISE, North Africa's premier professional services salon. The events started with FIDIC's first-ever contracts seminar in French that attracted 150 participants and featured senior government officials as session chairs. Participants received the brand new Test Editions of the French translations of the FIDIC Construction, Plant and EPC/Turnkey contracts. FIDIC was represented by Maxime Mazloum, Executive Committee member, and Peter Boswell, General Manager, and the main seminar presenters where Sebastian Hoek, Kanzlei Dr. Hoek Stieglmeier, Berlin, and Mathias Dziubak, BCEOM, Paris. There followed two African Development Bank sponsored workshops during the salon, each attended by some 80 participants, that explored the region's capacity and capacity building needs.
With over 100 visitors to the FIDIC booth, and with support from FIDIC's Group of Africa Member Associations (GAMA), SISE was clearly successful in bringing together francophone Africa's professional service industries and raising FIDIC's profile in the region. Direct contact was made with associations for Algeria, Cameroons, Chad, Jordan, Lebanon, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Syria and Jordan, and expressions of interest in FIDIC membership have since been received. The next event in 2008 promises further opportunities for FIDIC and GAMA and their members to spread networks in North Africa and francophone countries. The contracts seminar was also the prototype for similar events now being offered to all francophone Member Associations. At least one other event is planned (in Morocco) and several other countries have shown interest (Mali, Algeria, Switzerland, Tunisia).
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Forthcoming visits and meetings
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TourismAfrica2006 Conference, Geneva, 10-11 Sep 06
FIDIC-ECV Dispute Resolution Course, Seattle, 18-19 Sep 06
International Consulting Engineering Conference, Budapest, 24-27 Sep 06
FIDIC/ACEL-Sri Lanka Contracts Seminar, Colombo, Sep 06
Cornerstone Dispute Resolution Workshop, Amsterdam, 5-6 Oct 06
FIDIC-ECV Dispute Resolution Course, Bucharest, 9-10 Oct 06
FIDIC-ICC Dispute Resolution Conference, Paris, 12-13 Oct 06
FIDIC/VBI-Germany/VUBIC/Germany Contracts Seminar, Cologne, 12 Oct 2006
FIDIC-ECV Contracts Course, St. Petersburg , 16-17 Oct 06
FIDIC-Tecniberia Contracts Seminar, Madrid, Oct 2006 (Spanish)
FIDIC-ECV Contracts Course, Brussels, 23-24 Oct 06
FIDIC/ACEI-India Contracts Seminar, Channai or Bangalore, 27-28 Oct 06
FIDIC/ACEI-India Contracts Seminar, New Dehli, 30-31 Oct 2006
10th Gulf Engineering Forum, Dammam, 28-31 Oct 06
UNEP Industry Associations Meeting, Paris, 29 Oct 2006
Cornerstone Dispute Resolution Workshop, Dubai, 14-15 Nov 06
Joint FIDIC-EIC Procurement Seminar, CEI Summit, Tirana, 23 Nov 06
CICA-IFI Meeting, Dubai, 26-28 Nov 06
FIDIC-ECV Dispute Resolution Course, Brussels, 27-28 Nov 06
FIDIC Contracts International Users Conference, London, 11-12 Dec 06
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With some 38 European and international speakers and contributors from FIDIC, the European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations (EFCA) and AHCEA-Hungary now confirmed, the first ever tripartite international consulting engineering conference 
The 2006 ACEC-USA Annual Convention (Washington DC; 30 April - 3 May 2006) had a record 1200 participants including President Bush, whose appearance was broadcast worldwide and covered by all the main national media. The President introduced his remarks by saying: "I want to first say I appreciate the good work you do for the country. I want you to know that I know how vital your contribution is. And it means a lot!" Other highlights included an animated debate by former chairs of the Democratic and Republican National Committees on the upcoming elections, adoption of a policy statement on open competition, and presentations on the shortage of engineers and on public/private partnerships. Dr. Jorge Diaz Padilla, FIDIC President, and Enrico Vink, Managing Director, participated in this memorable occasion as ACEC guests.
FIDIC was well represented at the annual conference of the European International Contractors held in Zurich at the end of April 2006. A central theme was risk and how it can best be managed. Contractors are fully aware of the challenges facing the construction industry, and that the number of key providers has shrunk considerably. Partnering contracts, new forms of project delivery and best practice in procurement were hot topics, with contractors increasingly interested in quality selection, as outlined in the recent FIDIC guide Quality in Construction. There is also considerable interest from the contracting industry in FIDIC's standard contracts, and discussions included the ongoing contribution from the industry in the development or review of contracts. Supported by experts from USIC, FIDIC's Swiss Member Association, Jorge Diaz Padilla, FIDIC President (seen on the left in the photo, with Gian Alfonso Borromeo, EIC President) and Enrico Vink, FIDIC Managing Director, outlined the federation's role in the international construction industry. Quality, sustainability and integrity were highlighted as vital for successful projects (see joint press release at 
The construction sector plays a significant role in most economies, a role that is often not fully appreciated by politicians and decision makers. In a new collaborative approach, the Swedish construction industry, with considerable input from STD-Sweden, the FIDIC Member Association, has been able to demonstrate its importance. A recent seminar in Stockholm attended by Enrico Vink, FIDIC Managing Director, illustrated a greater focus on end users by a sector that is again proud of its achievements. The attention given by the media suggested that the new collaborative approach is getting its message across.