Quebec consulting engineers write to Charbonneau Commission

The Association of Consulting Engineers of Quebec/l’Association des ingénieurs-conseil du Québec (AICQ) has sent a memorandum to the Charbonneau Commission of Inquiry. The Commission is looking into corruption in the construction industry.

The document was entitled, “Integrity, Competence and Quality.” In its latest newsletter, AICQ included the following highlights (translated from the original French):

RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CHARBONNEAU COMMISSION

1. The AICQ recommends that increased rigour and transparency be applied to the definition and preparation of projects, particularly as far as benchmark estimates are concerned.

2. The AICQ recommends that the selection of engineering professionals be based on their skills and expertise, and that cost-based selection methods be abandoned.

3. The AICQ recommends that an independent authority be assigned to the oversight and supervision of tender calls, RFPs and RFQs.

4. The AICQ recommends that public policies promote an optimal balance between in-house and external expertise, and that these resources be complementary.

5. The AICQ considers that the supervision of construction work by the designer remains the best practice.

6. The AICQ proposes that potential conflict of interest situations created by new project delivery modes be resolved through a dialogue focused on the issues at hand and through the implementation of appropriate measures.