New Chair announces ACEC priorities for 2000

Speaking at the 76th Annual Business Meeting of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Canada, new Chair, Dave Chalcroft, P.Eng. from UMA Engineering Ltd., Calgary, provided members with an overview of the key issues that will define his year in office. His personal priorities will be focused on membership renewal efforts as a means to strengthen ACEC’s relevance and influence. And he wants ACEC to bring a human face to engineering by supporting Canadian disaster relief efforts and improving highway safety for Canadian travellers.

Other key areas of ACEC activity this year will be in the following areas:

Membership & Member Services

conduct ACEC’s Annual Business Survey of members — a product that has fast become a valuable source of information on the trends and performance of the Canadian consulting engineering industry;

review ACEC’s membership dues formula for a fiscal 2001-2002 implementation as appropriate;

market ACEC’s new HR Manual for Design Firms to member firms, non-members and other design firms.

raise the visibility of engineers in Canada by submitting Beaubien Award winners as nominees to the Order of Canada, and by staging successful ACEC Awards and National Convention activities;

continue Website development to enhance communications capabilities;

continue ACEC outreach program to encourage high-school students to study engineering and to identify career paths for engineering graduates

Business Practices

develop a standard agreement between municipal governments and engineers in co-operation with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities;

establish industry committees based on major sectors of member activity;

complete design-build documents, including pre-bid agreement;

initiate a study to illustrate the benefits of outsourcing private and public sector engineering.

International

create a formal role for consulting engineers in Canadian disaster relief efforts;

support the creation of the Canadian International Development Fund;

integrate international into the core activities of ACEC by 2001-2002;

lobby CIDA for changes to its development approach with the Canadian private sector;

support FIDIC’s efforts on sustainable development and capacity building;

lobby the Finance Department for changes to the Tax Act respecting offshore revenues and residency requirements;

continue efforts with FIDIC to revise their dues and voting formulae;

develop and begin implementation of a project in Latin America supported by CIDA.

Government Relations

lobby the federal government for greater support for National Highway program;

develop a pre-federal election strategy with a focus on ACEC core issues;

lobby the federal government for changes to the operating practices of PFRA;

continue to advocate for Qualifications Based Selection.