Chair’s Report: Yes, you are getting your money’s worth

What CEO of a consulting engineering firm hasn’t, at one point or another, been asked by his partners or CFO about the pertinence of paying membership dues to the provincial consulting engineering association, ACEC or FIDIC, the international federation? Any good manager is justified in questioning whether this expense is warranted and if it provides the anticipated value.

The good news is that whether we practise consulting engineering in a Canadian province, a U.S. state or any industrialised country on this planet, the issues and challenges of our profession are very similar, and the efforts of our associations all converge towards the same goal: to help our members succeed. Our associations are working hard to improve our business environment, to promote Qualifications Based Selection (QBS) and contracting out, to raise the image of our industry, and to increase our compensation.

The ACEC and its member organisations provide tangible benefits to our industry. Their efforts of the last few years in lobbying for infrastructure investments with our governments are yielding results. The work of our associations in developing standard contract documents and satisfactory selection procedures, and in promoting contracting out with our public and private sector clients, contributes to creating a better environment for our members. Also, projects such as Generation-E and our efforts to improve our industry’s image will generate benefits for years to come. FIDIC, which plays an important role in dealing with international financing institutions such as the World Bank, produces excellent internationally acceptable standard contracts. Its efforts in promoting the value of engineering services and suitable selection procedures are exemplary.

Through our membership dues, we invest in our industry. Our provincial, national and international associations deserve our support since they are striving to help our members succeed. Your support and involvement will enable us to create a better future for consulting engineers.