The International Standards Organisation’s
Technical Committee 176 is responsible for developing and updating the ISO
9000 series of Quality Management Standards. TC 176 allows for Members,
Observers and Liaison. Liaison status is open to FIDIC and FIDIC has enjoyed
this status for many years. It entitles FIDIC to have representatives on TC
176 and to participate in activities, but without voting rights. The Liaison
status will expire in 2008 unless FIDIC demonstrates a commitment to the
work of TC 176 and explains why the federation considers that Liaison status
is beneficial to both FIDIC and ISO.
ISO has recognized guides for the application of the ISO 9001 Standard in
specific sectors, including the 2001 FIDIC Guide to the Interpretation and
Application of the ISO 9001 for the Consulting Engineering Industry. ISO
refers to this document in the list of sector applications, but does not
recognize it as an ISO document (which is not the case for some other
sectors).
The FIDIC Executive Committee has indicated that continued involvement in
ISO and in the development of ISO-related documents requires reactivation of
a “Quality Committee”. The committee’s work would include influencing the
development of the ISO 9001 Standard, updating FIDIC’s interpretative guide
and achieving greater formal recognition for the guide. Taking into account
that:
- consulting engineering firms have (or should have) a Quality
Management System (QMS);
- ISO is the most widely recognized international organization that
develops quality Standards;
- many clients ask for an ISO 9001 certified QMS;
- FIDIC emphases to clients the value of a QMS for evaluation criteria;
FIDIC Member Associationas were asked via an MA Letter in early-2008 to
reply to the following questions (with a “yes” or a “no”) by 5 April 2008:
- Is your Member Association in favour of reactivating a FIDIC Quality
Committee?
- Is your Member Association in favour of FIDIC keeping its liaison
status in ISO TC 176?
- Does your Member Association consider it necessary to update FIDIC’s
ISO 9001 guidance documents to reflect updates to the Standard?
- Would your Member Association be willing to nominate a candidate to
participate and contribute to the work of a Quality Committee?
- Does your Member Association have any suggestions concerning other
issues that should be addressed by a FIDIC Quality Committee? Please
specify.
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