Other useful documents:

• FIDIC Statutes
• Guidelines for the Constitution of a National Member Association

A national association wishing to be admitted into the Federation as a Member Association shall submit its application for membership in writing to the Secretariat of the Federation, together with a copy of its Statutes, By-laws and Regulations, as well as a list of its Members. In addition, an applicant for membership shall be required to provide evidence that its association is the largest association of firms providing technology based intellectual consulting services for the built and natural environment in its respective country.

• A letter requesting membership in FIDIC for (name of organization)
• A copy of the organization's Statutes, By-Laws and Regulations
• A copy of the organization's List of Members
• A letter from a Government ministry or official of the country in which the organization is based confirming that (name of organization) is the body which represents the majority of firms of the independent engineering-based consulting industry in the country.

The Executive Committee reviews their recommendation and submits the application to the FIDIC annual General Assembly Meeting which is usually held in September in conjunction with the FIDIC Annual Conference.

The General Assembly votes on the application at the meeting.

A "yes" vote means that the organization can become a Member Association once membership fees for the current year have been paid.

The minimum fee for a Member Association is SFR 1500.- .

5.2. Definitions
It is generally assumed that so-called "junior non-technical staff" such as drivers, cleaners and cafeteria workers will not be included in the number of staff. Employees of these types are generally found in relatively large numbers in member firms in less-developed countries, so associations from these countries are advised not to include them in data sent to FIDIC for the Annual Survey.

5.3. Payment
Member Associations are invoiced in December for membership fees. The invoiced amount is based on the numbers of members and employees on 15 August declared by the Member Association for the Annual Survey.

Member Associations are contacted by letter every July to indicate the number of Members and Employees by 15 August. These numbers are used for calculating the membership fee for the following year, as reported to the General Assembly Meeting. Member Associations have until 7 December to modify their declaration.

Fees invoiced in December for the following year should be paid by 31 January. Payment can be by credit card, bank transfer or cheque. The account details are as follows: Credit Swiss, Paradeplatz 8, Postfach 590, CH-8021 Zurich, Switzerland.

• Swiss francs: Account No. 274644-01
• US Dollars: Account No. 274644-02
• £STR: Account No. 274644-02-2

• Clearing number: 4835
• Sort code: 80.500.4
• SWIFT: CRESCHZZ80A

5.5. LDC Factor
The membership fee invoiced by FIDIC is the normal fee calculated on the basis of the numbers of Members and Employees, multiplied by the "Less Developed Country (LDC) factor" for the country in which the Member Association is based. This LDC factor gives a reduced fee for countries with GNP per capita less than US$3000.- per year . For these countries the LDC factor is given by GNP per capita / 3000 rounded to the nearest decimal place (e.g., 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, etc.).

The GNP per capita are given by the World Bank Atlas method as published ach year in the World Bank Atlas  (this method uses official or market exchange rates rather than purchasing power parity). The LDC factors are distributed by FIDIC each December when it sends invoices for the following year's membership fees.

The minimum LDC factor is currently 0.5.

The Executive Committee decided in January 1999 to propose to the 1999 General Assembly Meeting a  halving of the minimum LDC  factor to 0.25 to further encourage less-developed countries to create Member Associations as part of a drive to promote local consulting industry.

5.6. Eased entry formula
In order to allow new Member Associations to absorb FIDIC member ship fees, FIDIC offers an eased entry fee. In the first four years of "start-up", the new Member Association will pay 0, 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 times the normal fee, each multiplied by the "Less Developed Country (LDC) factor" for the country in which the Member Association is based.

5.7. Larger Member Associations
There is a weighting of the unit rates for the larger Member Associations.

The membership fee invoiced by FIDIC each year takes into account the LDC factor, the eased entry factor and this weighting of unit rates for larger associations.

The weighting is carried out as follows for the latest assumed or declared number of Staff:

• If Staff < 2000/[Unit Rate], then Scaled Staff Number = 2000/[Unit Rate]
• If 2000/Unit Rate < Staff < 10000, then Scaled Staff Number = Staff
• If 10000 < Staff < 20000, then Scaled Staff Number=10000 + 0.75 *[Staff - 10000]
• If 20000 < Staff < 47096, then Scaled Staff Number = 17500 + 0.5.[Staff - 20000]
• If 47069 < Staff < 150000, then Fee = CHF 90,000
• If Staff > 150000 then Fee = CHF 113,930

• Fee = Scaled Staff Number x Unit Fee x LDC factor x Eased Entry Factor

Currently:

• Assumed Unit Fee for 2005: CHF 2.9
• Break point, x, for CHF 90,000 given by [17500 + 0.5 * (x - 20000)] = 900000/[Unit Fee]
• LDC factor: World Bank 2003 GNI per capita divided by USD 3000 and rounded down to nearest 0.05, with 0.25 as minimum and 1 as maximum.
• Eased Entry Factor: 25% of full fee in first year, and increasing by 25% each year to 100% of fee in the fourth year.

Publications can be ordered online at the FIDIC Bookshop or by printing out and returning a Publications List and Order Form to the FIDIC Bookshop (fax: +41-22-799 49 01). This Form can also be obtained by contacting the Bookshop (tel: +41-22-799 49 05; fax: +41-22-799 49 01; fidic.pub@fidic.org).

This document forms part of the FIDIC document archive. Reproduction, with acknowledgement, is authorised. For further information, please contact FIDIC directly.

Updated: February 2004