A word from the FIDIC president
Welcome to the third edition of MembershipMAtters, our digital newsletter for FIDIC members.
Since the last issue it’s been a busy time for FIDIC with a number of events, meetings and board member visits taking place around the world. On all of these visits and meetings, I and my fellow FIDIC board members and the FIDIC staff have been greeted with warmth, appreciation and generous hospitality. It truly has been a privilege to represent FIDIC and very inspiring to me as well. Our industry truly is thriving and FIDIC is as relevant as ever.
FIDIC representatives visited Georgia in June for the Caucasus and Central Asia Construction Forum organised by the Georgian Association of Consulting Engineers. Board member Manish Kothari delivered a keynote address and board member Prashant Kapila and FIDIC general counsel Daduna Kokhreidze also spoke.
September began with the very successful FIDIC Global Infrastructure Conference in Geneva, which yet again demonstrated the key importance of the engineering, construction and infrastructure sector to the future of our world. Also in September, FIDIC was invited to attend and participate in the heads of procurement (HOPs) meeting of multilateral development banks hosted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London and the Sustainable Public Procurement Forum also hosted by EBRD. During the forum, FIDIC presented its upcoming publication on carbon management, which was well received by the MDBs and at the meeting of HOPs, FIDIC general council Daduna Kokhreidze and I presented the lastest updates on FIDIC contracts and discussed continued collaboration between FIDIC and MDBs around use of FIDIC contracts and also capacity building. FIDIC was also invited to attend a World Business Council for Sustainable Development event during New York Climate Week where I presented FIDIC’s Carbon Management Initiative to attendees from around the world.
In October, FIDIC vice president James Mwangi attended the Global Engineering Conference and World Federation of Engineering Organizations executive committee meetings in Kigali, Rwanda. Later that same month, along with FIDIC general counsel Daduna Kokhreidze and FIDIC Academy general manager Michael Broadley, I attended the FIDIC-ICC International Construction Contracts and Dispute Resolution Conference in Seoul, South Korea. While we were there, we met with past president Jae Wan Lee, who was the keynote speaker at the conference and with chairman Hae-Kyoung Lee of the Korean Engineering and Consulting Association (KENCA) and some of their secretariat and stakeholders where we signed an important training agreement with them.
In November, along with board member Prashant Kapila, I attended the FIDIC Asia Pacific Regional Conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, where we had some brilliant discussions around the issue of ‘Governance for Climate Shocks’, a very relevant issue given the crucial importance of tackling climate change to our industry and indeed the world. The conference was world class with excellent technical presentations and panels. I participated on a panel session presenting FIDIC’s work related to addressing climate change and it was also very useful to have discussions with representatives of our Nepal MA, the Society of Consulting Architectural & Engineering Firms (SCAEF), including president Thakur Sharma, vice-president Bibhuti Man Singh, general secretary Kamal Karki, deputy general secretary Mandy Karki and the president of FIDIC Asia Pacific, Sudhir Dhawan. The conference was attended by many countries from across the Asia-Pacific region and ministers from the Nepalese government were also in attendance. Also in November, FIDIC participated in the CICA-EIC Conference on Promoting collaborative and innovative approaches for an efficient delivery of resilient and sustainable construction projects organised in Paris. November also saw our president-elect Alfredo Ingletti attend COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he took part in a number of urgent discussions around the climate crisis.
We rounded off the year with a very successful FIDIC board meeting in Abu Dhabi, UAE, where we confirmed our MOU with the Abu Dhabi Projects and Infrastructure Centre (ADPIC) at the end of November. Then we just held an excellent Official FIDIC International Contracts Users’ Conference in London in December. FIDIC issued a new practice note on the appointment of dispute boards at the event which was very much appreciated by the industry. During that conference, I was also delighted to sign the new partnership agreement with the European engineering consultancy federation EFCA. The agreement marks the culmination of constructive discussions regarding future collaboration between FIDIC and EFCA and both organisations are excited about embarking on a new era of collaboration and partnership for the benefit of the global engineering consultancy sector. President-elect Alfredo Ingletti has also visited Greece to deliver a welcome address at the Construction Project Management Conference.
Elsewhere, our FIDIC committees and task forces have been very active holding webinars and developing policy papers on a range of issues, continuing the excellent work they have undertaken throughout the year.
These events have bookended another successful year for FIDIC and I know that everyone will be looking forward to 2025, a year which will see the arrival of a new FIDIC CEO as we conclude our search for a new leader. We expect to make the announcement on this exciting development early in January.
Finally, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my fellow board members and the FIDIC secretariat for their exceptional dedication and excellent work. And my sincere gratitude to our member associations, volunteers and stakeholders, for your exceptional work and support during the past year. I wish you and your loved ones all the best this holiday season and I look forward to what the new year will bring.
Best wishes,
Catherine Karakatsanis President, FIDIC
New subscription model agreed by GAM
FIDIC’s members have agreed to proposals for a new membership model following a vote at this year’s annual general assembly meeting (GAM) in Geneva in September. The decision to agree the new model follows a review of the FIDIC membership subscription model, led by a task group of the FIDIC’s Directors’ and Secretaries’ Advisory Council with a diverse MA membership. The new subscription is more appropriate for the current needs of member associations of all sizes, whilst continuing to enable FIDIC to provide valuable services to its global members.
Helen Davidson, CEO of ACE New Zealand, who led the review on behalf of the FIDIC Directors’ and Secretaries’ Advisory Council, said: “The review involved our MAs who took part in a robust consultation process and all feedback was considered. We now have an agreed membership subscription model that is fair to our MAs and that can help us move forward into the future with confidence. I would like to thank all MAs that took part in our consultation process and also the FIDIC president and the board for their supportive work throughout.”
Successful annual FIDIC Asia Pacific conference held in Nepal
The FIDIC Asia Pacific 2024 conference took place in Kathmandu, Nepal, from 18-20 November and was attended by FIDIC president Catherine Karakatsanis and board member Prashant Kapila. The conference theme was a very topical one, “Governance for Climate Shocks”, and one that couldn’t be more relevant given the global challenge of climate change facing the industry and the world. Delegates discussed the key issues at length during the conference and it was clear that the Nepal member association, the Society of Consulting Architectural & Engineering Firms, Nepal (SCAEF), sees this as a priority area and is also prepared to take a leadership position on such an existential question facing the world. The conference and FIDIC’s work on a global stage are crucial in galvanising and organising the industry to provide the leadership this urgent issue needs.
Find out more about the conference:
https://fidicasiapacific2024nepal.scaef.org.np/
Cyber security awareness course from FIDIC Academy
A new on-demand course from FIDIC Academy focusing on the introductory concepts of cyber security and tailored towards the engineering business environment promises to be a useful addition to the academy’s portfolio of courses. The awareness course provides cyber security basics that will help protect you and your organisation, as well as creating a foundation for professionals wanting to gain knowledge in this field and potentially expanding on it with further training at a later stage. Staff at member associations and their member firms will find the course useful.
For more information about the FIDIC Academy Cyber Security Awareness Course:
https://fidic.academy/courses1/crossword-cyber-security-awareness-course/
Meet the Members
The latest in our regular series where we meet leaders of FIDIC’s global member associations who answer questions on the key issues they face in their roles. This issue we speak with Dawit Ergicho Fanta, president of the Ethiopian Consulting Engineers and Architects Association (ECEAA).
Click below to view the video interview.
FIDIC’s committees and councils need your help
FIDIC is always looking to strengthen its influential committees and councils, which organise and manage FIDIC’s activities. Our committees and councils are vital as they bring significant and considerable knowledge and experience in drafting, producing, regulating, influencing and representing FIDIC and the consultancy and engineering industry across the globe. To keep these bodies up to date and equipped with the latest relevant expertise, we are looking for applications from potential candidates to sit on them. Priority will be given to professionals working in FIDIC member firms. We hope that FIDIC MAs will encourage their members to apply to become a FIDIC committee or council member. Terms of reference for all the committees and councils can be viewed at the link below, where applicants can also register their interest.
For more information and to apply to register: https://fidic.org/applyforcommittees
Help shape FIDIC’s annual Global Infrastructure Conference
Planning is currently underway for the 2025 annual FIDIC Global Infrastructure Conference which takes place in Cape Town, South Africa, from 20-23 September 2025. The conference is FIDIC’s flagship event of the year, attended by 600+ stakeholders from across the engineering, construction and infrastructure industry. FIDIC is very keen that its member associations’ views are taken into account as we plan the event so we would like to hear from MAs on what they would like to see discussed at the conference and/or suggestions for keynote and session speakers.
If you have any thoughts on this, please send them to memberservices@fidic.org and we will be sure to take all views on board as we continue the planning process and shape the agenda for the event.
Tap into ACE NZ’s Mindspace initiative to improve workplace mental health
ACE New Zealand’s Mindspace initiative to tackle the increasingly urgent issue of mental health in the workplace has an excellent open access website packed with useful information that many FIDIC member associations might be interested in tapping into and sharing with their member firms. ACE New Zealand is only too keen to encourage widespread use of the website and the insights, resources and strategy mapping documents included in it. The Mindspace initiative also won a FIDIC MA Excellence Award for People and Culture Initiatives earlier this year.
Access the Mindspace website:
https://mindspace.nz/
Welcoming our new FIDIC member associations
A very warm welcome to the following new FIDIC member associations that were approved and ratified at the general assembly meeting in September.
From Kyrgyzstan – Kyrgz Association of Consulting Engineers.
From Kuwait – Kuwaiti Federation of Engineering Offices and Consultant Houses.
From Angola – Associação Angola de Projectistas e Consultores.
From Paraguay – Paraguayan Chamber of Consultants (reinstated).
New members needed for Directors and Secretaries Advisory Council
FIDIC’s Directors and Secretaries Advisory Council (DNSAC) is calling on member associations to consider providing candidates to sit as members on the council. The key purpose and function of the DNSAC is to liaise between the FIDIC board and MA directors and secretaries to provide insights and information to the board on policy matters and industry trends. The DNSAC also facilitates collaboration, shares information, and promotes the development of MAs’ capacity and capability and advises the FIDIC board and staff team on how to better support MA capacity building. If you have people at your MA who might be interested in joining the DNSAC as a new member then please contact Oro Cohen at FIDIC at ocohen@fidic.org
FIDIC signs new partnership agreement with European consultancy federation EFCA
FIDIC has signed a new partnership agreement with the European engineering consultancy federation EFCA in a move which both organisations have hailed as ushering in a new era of collaboration and partnership for the global engineering consultancy sector.
The agreement marks the culmination of constructive discussions regarding future collaboration between FIDIC and EFCA and a clear understanding and mutual respect between the two engineering consultancy federations as to their strategic roles and responsibilities in representing a key global and European industry sector.
Find out more about the new FIDIC-EFCA agreement:
https://www.fidic.org/node/45246
Inclusive meetings FIDIC briefing note now available
A new FIDIC briefing note, the Guide to inclusive meetings, has been prepared by the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council. Establishing an inclusive meeting environment is key to leveraging the diverse perspectives and expertise of people from varied backgrounds, whether multicultural, multilingual, or diverse in aspects such as gender, accessibility, age, religion, or neurodiversity. The new briefing note outlines actionable steps that can be taken before, during and after meetings to foster inclusivity, ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard and they can contribute effectively.
Click here to download the Guide to inclusive meetings.
Membership and Stakeholders Services Team
Anil Iyer, Interim General Manager – Membership and Stakeholder Services, aiyer@fidic.org
Oro Cohen, Senior Executive, Membership and Stakeholder Services, ocohen@fidic.org
Abs Toyinbo, Membership and Stakeholder Administrator, atoyinbo@fidic.org
See you then!