Business Programme

CONFERENCE VENUE

Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is the venue for the conference and most conference events. It is a magnificent turn-of the century building in old Québec near the Parliament Buildings. With its superior meeting facilities and a distinctive European charm, the hotel – set high on a bluff overlooking the mighty St. Lawrence River and above the historic lower town – permits easy walking access to many of the exceptional sites and experiences that Québec City has to offer.

Pierre-Marc Johnson
Former Premier of Québec

THEME

Safe drinking water, secure transportation, reliable communications and efficient energy are the backbone of our global economy. The International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) 2008 Québec conference will challenge consulting engineers to build a stronger industry that can serve society even more effectively. The focus will be on the role of engineers in influencing decision-makers and opinion-leaders while delivering quality services to meet global needs.

FIDIC 2006 Budapest highlighted the industry at the cross-roads, exploring the essential criteria of quality services, whether as a trusted advisor or as a commodity supplier.

FIDIC 2007 Singapore explored the key factors that lead to successful relationships between all the partners supplying professional services to the infrastructure sector.

FIDIC 2008 Québec conference “A Strong Industry Serving Society”, pulls together the themes of these last two FIDIC conferences.

SUB THEMES

Day 1	Influencing Society
	Our role in the global community
	Environmental stewardship and sustainability
	Under scrutiny: ethics and integrity
Day 2	Communication: a core competence
	Choosing economic and environmental sustainability
	Is transferring risk a risk to quality?
Day 3	Profitability and sustainability
	Investing in human capital
	Society's role in supporting the industry.
	The need for advocacy

GENERAL INFORMATION

FIDIC
Box 311, 1215 Geneva 15,
Tel: +41 22 799 49 00
Fax: +41 22 799 49 01
fidic@fidic.org

LOCAL INFORMATION

ACEC
130 Albert Street, Suite 616
Ottawa K1P 5G4, Canada
Tel: +1 (613) 236 05 69
Fax: +1 (613) 236 61 93
info@acec.ca

FIDIC CONFERENCE SPONSOR

Business solutions

FIDIC 2008 SPONSOR

Insurance

Business Programme

A Strong Industry, Serving Society

Now is the time for the consulting engineering industry. Never in human history has the need for wise engineering decisions been greater: globalisation calls for massive systems to transport of people, resources and goods; society's quest for knowledge propels the acquisition, analysis, dissemination and storage of information; energy needs are growing; wealth is being created; living standards are rising.

At the same time - often as a consequence of these changes - there is a severe disruption in nature's balances, a significant losses of wildlife habitat and diversity, and social upheaval.

Engineering reconciles science and technology with society's needs. Yet engineers are often not present when decisions are made. This status quo must change; for engineers to truly serve society they must lead as well as implement. They must become “trusted advisors” to society.

If the industry is to act as a trusted advisor to society, it must first understand the necessary roles and attributes. FIDIC 2008 Québec aims to help consulting engineers better understand their role and to explore what FIDIC can do to secure the industry's leadership.

Participants will be challenged to not only recognize and explore the issues but also to recommend specific actions to be undertaken by FIDIC and its members in order to “build a strong industry serving society”. Beginning with a plenary session, each day of the conference will focus on one of the three sub-themes.

MONDAY - Influencing Society

Opening Ceremony

09.90 - 10.30: Opening Ceremony, Palais Montcalm

-	John Ralston Saul, Canada Award-wining author and essayist

10.30 - 11.00: Coffee, Palais Montcalm

For the first day's theme, the opening plenary session reviews important social, economic and environmental trends and issues. Moderated seminars will then further explore the issues - why the consulting engineering industry needs to be aware of society's needs and how to it can respond to these challenges, irrespective of the country and its current state of development.

Plenary Session 1: Views from Outside

11.00 - 12.00: Palais Montcalm

	Opinion Leaders
-	Pierre-Marc Johnson Former Premier of Québec

12.30 - 14.00 Lunch: Château Frontenac

Seminars

Seminar sessions in three parallel streams, each with three speakers and a panel discussion.
14.00 - 15.30: Château Frontenac

1	Our role in the global community
	La Salle de Bal, Chateau Frontenac The language and objectives of engineering are universal. As we move towards a global community, consulting engineers have an unprecedented opportunity to exert their influence. Experts will illustrate these opportunities, and risks, and how the industry can leverage its expertise to positively influence the global business climate, enhance commercial opportunities, and promote the interests of society while delivering much needed infrastructure. Moderator: Flemming Bligaard Pedersen, Ramboll, Denmark Jeffrey Russell, University of Wisconsin, USA Sabine Engelhard, Interamerican Development Bank, Washington DC, USA Rick Petersen, National Public Affairs Bureau, Canada
2	Environmental stewardship and sustainability
	Place d’Armes, Chateau Frontenac Public awareness of, and political support for, environmental stewardship and sustainability has never been so great. As the world's population increases and resources dwindle, consulting engineers must integrate these issues into engineering. This session will examine some of the most acute aspects of this challenge and the role engineers need to play. Moderator: William Wallace, Wallace Futures, USA Arthur Taute, Vela VKESouth Africa Terry Bennett, Autodesk, USA Ed Nijpels, ONRI, Netherlands
3	Setting an example: Ethics and Integrity
	Jacques Cartier, Chateau Frontenac An ethical reputation and business integrity are important assets for any professional services firm. But the industry operates in an environment where political leadership and safeguards against corruption are lacking. What steps should the industry realistically take to improve its own performance and to encourage clients to acknowledge and reward its efforts? Moderator: Felipe Ochoa, FAO Consultants, Mexico Stephen Zimmerman, IADB, Washington DC, USA Renko Campen, DHV, the Netherlands Exaud Mushi, Norplan Tanzania, Tanzania

Regional Reports

16.00 - 17.15: Château Frontenac
Workshop sessions in three parallel streams, each with three speakers and a panel discussion.

1	ASPAC-Asia-Pacific Regional Forum Jacques Cartier, Château Frontenac Chair: Akihiko Hirotani, Oriental Consultants, Japan
	Reports from the region with presentations by FIDIC-ASPAC representatives.
2	GAMA-Africa Regional Forum Place d’Armes, Château Frontenac Chair: Exaud Mushi, Norplan Tanzania, Tanzania
	Reports from the region with presentations by FIDIC-GAMA representatives.
3	Young Professionals Open Forum Salle de Bal, Château Frontenac Chair: Richard Stump, Stanley Consultants, USA
	Reports on YPF activities.
4	BST Seminar: Digital Project Workspaces Laval Room, Château Frontenac Darryl Williamson, BST Global, Tampa, FL, USA
	Digital project workspaces help large, geographically dispersed project teams communicate and collaborate effectively.

TUESDAY - Delivering Quality

For the second theme, presentations from the consulting engineering industry's client community will illustrate how relationships with clients ultimately determines quality, and even the definition of quality. A moderated plenary session will demonstrate engineering as an investment in financial and environmental sustainability; acknowledge communication as a core competency in an engineering practice; and recognize the benefits and “risks” of risk management. Parallel workshops will then challenge delegates to explore how quality can be achieved. Outcomes will be recommendations on how FIDIC can help the industry deliver high quality service with high quality outcomes and how to deal with clients whose definition of quality does not meet the needs of society.

Plenary Session 2: Clients' Views

09.00 - 10.30: La Salle de Bal, Château Frontenac

-	Moderator: Patrick Batumbya, MBW Consultants, Uganda
-	Thierry Vandal, Hydro Quebec, Canada Jean Simmon, Rio Tinto Alcan North America, Canada Omar Maani, City of Amman, Jordan Young Joo Chye, Singapore Public Utilities Board, Singapore

Seminars

11.00 - 12.30: Château Frontenac

4A	Communication: a core competence
	La Salle de Bal, Chateau Frontenac If quality depends upon the ability to understand and meet our clients’ needs, then communication is the key to quality. To respond effectively, the industry must be able to reconcile the language of science with the needs of clients and those of society. The importance of communications will be explored in terms of both consultant-client relationships and project delivery. Moderator: Geoff French, Scott Wilson, UK Suzanne Stevens, Ignite Excellence, Canada James Bremen, Maxwell Winward, UK Debra Rubin, Engineering News Record, USA
5A	Choosing economic and environmental sustainability
	Place d’Armes, Chateau Frontenac Society increasingly judges projects in terms of economic and environmental sustainability while clients view engineering as an investment in project success. Quality and sustainability are often compromised by low fees, inadequate resources and unrealistic schedules. This underinvestment is often encouraged by an engineer's short-sighted business decisions. Enlightened owners will demonstrate the relationship of quality engineering to tangible life-cycle savings and improved environmental sustainability. Moderator: Aki Hirotani, Oriental Consultants, Japan Peter Steblin, City of Coquitlam, Canada Linda Newton, Defence Construction, Government of Canada Taisuke Miyao, JBIC, Japan
6A	Does risk transfer threaten quality?
	Jacques Cartier, Chateau Frontenac Clients and owners understandably aim to minimize and mitigate project risks. Engineering firms, when granted sufficient resources and authority, play a crucial role as trusted advisors in risk mitigation by seeking responsible solutions that balance economic, social and environmental considerations. This session will demonstrate that prudent risk management is in fact risk reduction and mitigation, involving an equitable sharing of risk and reward whereby consulting engineers operate under more reasonable commercial terms and clients receive more innovative and creative solutions, with society ultimately benefiting. Moderator: Adam Thornton, Dunning Thornton Consultants, New Zealand Derek Hollway, ENCON Group Inc., Canada Peter Ventin, UMA/AECOM, Canada Nicola Grayson, ACEA, Australia

12.30 - 14.00: Lunch, Château Frontenac

Discussion Workshops

14.00 - 15.30: Château Frontenac

4B	Communication: a core competence
	Recognizing the increasing demand for engineers to be strong communicators in an industry culture that has tended to ignore communication skills, participants will identify key areas for improvement.
5B	Choosing economic and environmental sustainability
	Building upon an understanding on the importance for economic and environmental sustainability of adequate fees, sensible design objectives, and workable resources and schedules, participants will explore how the consulting engineering industry can encourage the necessary attitude and investment by its clients.
6B	Does risk transfer threaten quality?
	Participants will discuss the professional and commercial risks that are normally incurred by the industry, and under what circumstances might such risks represent liabilities or opportunities or both.

Future Leaders Workshop

16.00 - 17.00: Château Frontenac

WEDNESDAY - Building Strong Organizations

The final theme will feature industry leaders reflecting on what the industry needs to do to ensure its ability and capacity to both influence society and deliver quality. Ensuing sessions will foster discussion on the industry’s need to be profitable and sustainable; its need to invest in human capital through succession planning; the role that society can play in supporting this vital industry; and its need for advocacy on important industrial and society issues.

Plenary Session 3: Industry Leaders

08:30 - 10:30: Château Frontenac
Presentations by chief executives of consulting engineering firms based in Canada and elsewhere.

Seminars

11.00 - 12.30: Château Frontenac

9	Advocacy: a voice for the industry
	The consulting engineering industry's ability to lead and to act as trusted advisor to society depends on it demonstrating value. The industry will be seen as a tactical resource rather than a strategic asset if it is not prepared to promote its critical role in society. Participants will hear how the industry can successfully demonstrate its value as a trusted advisor to society, and the tools and resources are needed by the industry.
7	Planning success through succession planning
	A strong service organization is measured by its staff – those who provide clients with value through leadership, expertise and innovation. The successful management and operation of an any firm relies on its ability to retain and develop staff, and to create a team that exceeds the sum of its parts. With the availability of qualified staff lagging behind available business opportunities, competition between firms for staff is acute. This session features successful examples of corporate strategies and polices, notable appropriate succession plans, which have allowed firms to build durable and successful teams.
8	Business strategies for a changing market
	The consulting engineering industry's ability to serve society depends on its economic health. Profitability is the means by which the industry is able to re-invest in itself, allowing a commitment to growing the financial, technological and human capital that enables firms to keep pace with the needs of clients and of society. The session will review successful strategies to adapt to the changing market and to find new and innovative ways of doing business so that the industry continues to prosper.

Final Conference Report

14.00 - 15.30: Château Frontenac

How to influence society, deliver quality and build strong organizations.

Young Professionals Forum and General Assembly

16.00 - 17.30: Château Frontenac

FIDIC General Assembly Meeting

16.00 - 17.30: Château Frontenac

Business Programme

The Honorable James Charest

Pierre-Marc Johnson

The Honourable Gary Lunn

FIDIC DBO Contract Seminar