SERVIQ president defends the organization

Zaki Ghavitian, ing., president of the Corporation de services des ingenieurs du Quebec/SERVIQ, has sprung to the defence of the new organization in the March issue of Plan magazine.

SERVIQ was established two years ago to promote the socio-economic interests of Quebec professional engineers. It was set up on the premise that the professional association (the Ordre des ingenieurs du Quebec (OIQ)) cannot represent the self-interests of engineers when at the same time it is supposed to regulate them and look after the public welfare.

In January’s issue of Plan, Giuseppe Indelicato, ing. had raised several issues about the new organization. He noted that the organization had not established much in the way of communication vehicles, and suggested that the services offered were similar to those OIQ used to provide.

Ghavitian replies in the March issue that SERVIQ only began operations in February 2002. He says SERVIQ is in the process of setting up a major web site to be launched in May, that it has adopted a communications plan and held focus groups with engineers and students. He also says they are also getting ready to launch a placement service.

Ghavitian concludes by asking Quebec engineers to “be patient and give the baby enough time to learn its way and prove to Quebec’s engineers that SERVIQ is the perfect tool for enabling them to reconcile their personal and professional interests.”