822P80524PCE UAE(NEWSLETTER 2008No6          DOWNLOAD A VERSION IN WORD                                       CHECK WEB    www.pceuae.net

PCE   PROFESSIONAL   CHARTERED   ENGINEERS                        NEWSLETTER 2008No6

UAE             UNITED ARAB EMIRATES GROUP (PCE UAE)            & NOTICE JUNE 2008  

PCE UAE  members are all UAE based Registrants of the UK Engineering Council (EC) qualified as Chartered Engineers (CEng), Incorporated Engineers (IEng) and Engineering Technicians (EngT) plus all other members of the 35 Professional Engineering Institutions licensed by the EC which have agreed to support PCE UAE.  We also aim to assist prospective members of all nationalities.

.Date & week numbering used here aims to comply with International (ISO), European (EN), & British (BSI) Standards

Eg.:  ISO 8601& BS EN 28601:1992 “Representation of dates & times for information interchange”, & BS 4795:1972.

 

We aim to serve members in all seven Emirates and meet regularly in Abu Dhabi and Dubai on the first & second Tuesday of each month respectively & plan related visits on the third Tuesday plus Professional Review Preparation meetings at Ghantout on the last Tuesday of each month when warranted.  Come along, contribute, network and credit Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

 

Dear colleague

 

JUNE EVENTS – NOTICE FOR 2008 ISO WEEKS 23, 24, 25, 26

First, please refer to the attached NOTICE already loaded on our PCE UAE web pages for some JUNE events where the main topic is involvement of professional engineers in disaster relief – not inappropriate in view of recent disasters in Myanmar (Burma) and China (Sishuan Province) and the differing approaches of countries to approval/acceptance of offers of international voluntary help to alleviate suffering.

2008 06

Tue 03    Abu Dhabi    EARTHQUAKE & AFTERMATH – PAKISTAN 2006 - 2008  

Tue 10    Dubai            Repeat of above presentation                                               

Tue 17   Abu Dhabi    Visit Corniche Hospital as follow-up to May ‘Services’ Lectures

Tue 24   Ghantout      Professional Review Preparation (PRP) meeting                                         

 

INTRODUCTION

It is Friday and yet another weekend when I key in a new PCE UAE NEWSLETTER.  I have had the doubtful pleasure of generating all of these since the first one when PCE UAE was founded 1996 01 01.

 

CHANGE

Provided the background and message is clear NEWSLETTER Communications can help to knit us together as present and potential Professional Engineers and managers. In this context on Thursday 2008 05 15 ICE sent from London HQ an e-mail headed “ICE Strategy – United Arab Emirates” to all 550 ICE UAE members stating that “The ICE International Policy Committee has approved the appointment of Tim Askew a Director of Atkins as the new Country Representative for the United Arab Emirates with effect from 3^rd April 2008”. 

 

As the former ICE UAE Country Representative, I wish to thank all seven present ICE CEng Corporate Fellows and Members plus those from IMechE, IET and other PEI who are serving on the PCE UAE Committee and have supported ICE-related and other events since PCE UAE was established with the full support of the ICE Council.  Special thanks are due to those who contributed to what we believed were successful official visits to the country of Presidents of ICE, IMechE, IEE and IStruct E in these years.

 

We presume that the councils of the other PEIs have been notified of the ICE new strategy. I had nominated new volunteer PCE UAE Committee members to take over from me as Country Representatives for ICE, IMechE and IET but ICE had apparently already made their strategic decisions on our behalf.

 

We at PCE UAE seek the continued active support of all members although the question of formal representation and support from UK must remain unclear at present.  It is interesting that Tim is with Atkins when former directors of Atkins including Nigel Bennetts and Alistair Keron were active founder members on the PCE UAE committee.  Regrettably letters in recent years to other directors of Atkins seeking their voluntary support and possible co-option were unanswered – possibly due to pressure of work. 

 

To quote from the ICE announcement - “Under the new strategy ICE is taking the opportunity to remodel its activities in the country.  Tim Askew is currently working on creating a new ICE committee for the UAE”.  Apparently he would not be a member of the PCE UAE Committee and does not appear to have attended our events.  As the ICE UAE Country Representative I have endeavoured to attend events in all Emirates and am delighted to have a younger person take over and trust he will support you and attend all meetings. 

 

COMMUNICATIONS & COMMITTEE

The following is an interesting sequel to the ICE announcement!  As the note was e-mailed from ICE London on a Thursday at the start of our weekend I was not aware of it. However, the following morning an e-mail arrived from a CEng, MICE member stating “You are mentioned in dispatches, Very best wishes for the future to you and Mrs Macmillan, Hope to see you again before you go”.  By chance that day I met the member and was able to acknowledge the kind comments and say that we had no specific plans for leaving UAE yet!  I was also able to point out that for the last few years at the PCE UAE AGM we have deemed all Committee posts vacant and sought nominations for the post of Chair and all other Committee appointments.

 

Regrettably we have had no nominations/volunteers for Chair. The majority of PCE UAE committee members are corporate Fellows and Members of ICE whose representation of that PEI must now be in doubt as ICE has decided to set up separate representation and committee. This situation of having excess ICE representation on the PCE UAE committee had been agreed and accepted because of 1) the historical background, 2) the numbers of members of various disciplines and 3) essential stated administrative links with ICE UK. – the last of which appears to have been ignored in ICE’s new strategy.  Our aim has been to have all main PCE UAE posts filled by Chartered Engineers (CEng), preferably Fellows as representatives of the various disciplines of the various PEI which continue to confirm support for PCE UAE. 

 

While eight of the 15 main PCE UAE Committee posts are filled by Civil Engineering graduates all are CEng and all but one are Corporate Fellows or Members of ICE.  These include two ex Chairmen of the former ICE Branch which was dissolved in 1995 plus PCE UAE Vice Chair Division 1 EurIng Stephen Taylor BEng, CEng, MICEthat, MIStructE who has given sterling service as the ICE Professional Review Co-ordinator, taking over from Peter Hudson his former Senior Partner in Peter Hudson Buckle (PHB) now part of WSP.  This key task had been delegated from the Country Representative to avoid double handing of applicants’ documents which had previously been sent to the Representative and passed on prior to the interviews.

 

It has been the aim of PCE UAE (Policy or Strategy) to have all Country Representatives of all relevant PEI and Professional Review Co-ordinators as members of PCE UAE Committee appointments.  This has been operating for ICE, IMechE, IET, IStructE, CIWEM and others for a number of years - now apparently changed by decisions taken at ICE HQ without referral.

 

PCE UAE – ICE BACKGROUND NOTES

For those of you who are relatively new to the UAE – and that includes many - it may be appropriate to provide some added background for myself and the formation of the PCE UAE Group for which estimated total potential members increased from 1000 to over 2000 with a significant turnover – and the possibility of having members of other EC licensed PEI resulting from planned new developments in the UAE. 

 

In 1985 I arrived in Abu Dhabi on a two year contract assignment with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to run a multi-discipline consultancy unit for the group directorates and operating companies (OPCOs).  In 1987 I was elected to the ICE Branch Committee and have aimed to contribute to it and its PCE UAE successor ever since.  Also on the present PCE UAE Committee is Er David Spearing MA(Cantab), CEng, FICE who was ICE Branch Chairman who signed the UAE members branch petition to the ICE Council to disband the Branch and give the lead to forming a unified Group of Professional Engineers linked to The Engineering Council (EC) and its then 40 (now 35) PEI.  

 

Since forming PCE UAE 1996 01 01, the ICE as the original lead PEI has seen membership increase from 262 to over 550 members ie from what was barely feasible to now wanting to ‘go it alone’ rather than continue to work with and support professional colleagues in what could be a viable local and regional Group which has at least survived for 12 years.  However, it is relevant to note that ICE membership in UAE reached 500 back in 1981 but dropped down to 185 a few years later.  Such movement could be repeated.

 

In 1981 the ICE HQ paid the Branch a grant of £430 made up of a lump sum of £30 plus the handsome sum of 80 pence for each of the 500 members then in the country!  This reduced as the numbers fell – yet we have been informed that any grant aid would not be on a per capita basis which the PCE UAE have suggested might be a relatively low present value of £10 per member with a minimum of £50 per PEI wishing to be represented, e.g while attending a PCE UAE event in Ras Al Khaimah I was able to welcome a sole UAE-based member of the Institute of Physics (IoP founded 1874).

 

However, by the AGM 1990 11 24 the then Chair of the branch reported that “total ICE membership was down to about 190 with 100 in Abu Dhabi/Al Ain and 90 in Dubai and the other five northern emirates”. Membership was even lower in 1981 at 185.  It is therefore feasible that membership of ICE in UAE now up to 550 since we formed PCE UAE in 1996 could drop again when the present phase of infrastructure development relevant to civil engineers is complete.  Certainly many graduate engineers – UAE Government and individual Nationals, British and other nationalities do not (yet) fully appreciate the benefits and liabilities of Chartered Membership. I got my work visa reinstated when I met the Minister of Labour and explained just what the EC Chartered Engineer Certificate implied in terms of academic, training, experience and CPD.

 

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FROM EC AND PEI IN UK

More recently, in line with statements in the ICE publication “ICE Council, committees and calendars” each year including 2003 and 2007 on pages 26 and 33 respectively under International Joint Groups ICE states that The United Arab Emirates Group (ie PCE UAE) is administered by ICE.  We have never seen a procedure for this activity, but understood ICE would contact all related PEI on our behalf.  After all I had set the wheels in motion by writing direct to the EC and the Presidents and Chief Executives of all 40 EC licensed PEI inviting them to formally participate in PCE UAE organisation and events.

 

We believe PCE UAE is the only International Group which defines its potential membership catchment as ‘all UAE-based EC registrants plus all other members of EC licensed PEI agreeing to work with and support PCE UAE’.  I quote extracts from these documents which suggest that ICE policies and strategies change periodically from offering administrative assistance to six groups in 2003 but only three including Saudi Arabia in 2007 and removing help to PCE UAE in 2008.

 

International Joint Groups – As published by ICE stating Group Administered by ICE, IMechE, IEE/T

Note:  We regret not knowing what happened to colleagues in Groups in Brazil, Malawi, Thailand, Turks & Cocos etc

Apparently ICE intend to remove United Arab Emirates (PCE UAE) from their listing from 2009 which would suggest that such strategy decisions can be taken arbitrarily without referral to the members in country..

 

In line with the agreement reached in 1996 and statements such as those indicated above, PCE UAE submitted budget sheets including one for 1998 with a request for grant aided funding support by a return of a proportion of members’ subscriptions paid to PEI in UK.  This was included in a comprehensive report and submission entitled “BID FOR RETROSPECTIVE FUNDING SUPPORT & BUDGET SHEET FOR 2005” supported by cover letters to two ICE Executives.  The documents contained background notes plus copies of account records audited by a Chartered Accountant for 1996-2004 inclusive.  These two sets of documents were couriered to two specific executives at ICE HQ at Great George Street, London. Regrettably these have never been acknowledged, commented upon nor have any funds been transferred from ICE to our PCE UAE Bank Account 001-295153-001at HSBC HQ Abu Dhabi, far less funding support from any other PEI arranged via ICE.  The PCE UAE Committee and members are very disappointed that ICE has provided no response to couriered submissions made then and subsequently. 

 

More recently further copies of these submissions were prepared and couriered to new management at ICE and a revised budget was developed by 2007 10 31 for 2008.  Regrettably our Honorary Treasurer Er David Shaw, BSc(Hons), CEng, FICE returned to UK and files reverted to the Chair pending appointment of Er Stanley Falconer BSc, CEng, FICE, FCIWEM, CEnv, CSci as Honorary Treasurer to take over when outstanding matters are cleared.  Unfortunately I have been in and out of hospital since late 2007 – with a visit next Sunday morning!  I seek your indulgence and plan to win – a challenge rather than frustration! 

 

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW PREPARATION & INTERVIEWS

What is probably as relevant as the above for all members is that Branch/Group Chair Reports in 1986 stated that 27 members sat their CEng, ICE Professional Review Interview and only 12 (44%) passed and later in 1989 22 candidates applied with a pass rate of only 55%.  In recent years the ICE has not regularly informed their Country Representative of the numbers and names of those sitting CPR far less informing him of the actual pass rates.  The low pass rate could be deemed embarrassing but could also indicate high standards.  In 2007 PCE UAE Volunteer Committee Members representing various PEI disciplines as Professional Review Interview Co-ordinators arranged over 30 CPR Interviews. Encourage others...  The low pass rate could be a reflection on members applying too early in their careers and/or poor training and support from their employers or ICE.  Certainly PCE UAE has arranged training courses and seminars – in 1996 we contracted with Thomas Telford / CTA to run their first overseas courses when we reached nearly 100 participant days.  However we have been unable to repeat these successes as demand has dropped with little necessary financial backup support and many large employers running in-house courses.

 

FOUNDING PCE UAE

In 1993 - now 15 years ago - the initiative to form PCE UAE was led by the UAE based  members and Committees of the respective UAE branches of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE founded in UK 1818) and Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE founded 1847).  These local branches were led by respective Chairmen David Spearing MA(Catab) CEng, FICE and Alan Pirie BSc, CEng, FIMechE                 then General Manager of GASCO one of the ADNOC Group of oil companies. I preceded David having had the honour of being elected Branch Chair in 1993 and having been a Member of that Committee from 1987.

 

Following a survey aimed at members of Engineering Council disciplines located in all Emirates a weekend meeting of potential members and families was held centrally at Ghantout when members adjourned and agreed to form a unified body – PCE UAE. Based on “Regulations for Groups of Professional Engineers” first published jointly by ICE, IMechE and IEE in 1949 and updated 1960 to 1983 a draft constitution for a multi-discipline Group in UAE was drafted.  While ICE and IMechE agreed to ‘take the lead’ the aim was to welcome all UAE based members of all Engineering Council (EC) Professional Engineering Institutions (PEI). That included any sole member of a PEI in UAE.

 

UAE based members then petitioned their respective councils in UK who agreed to disband their respective branches in UAE and work together to form one unified body better able to represent the Engineering Profession in the country in which the Government and UAE Society of Engineers (UAESE) were already multi-discipline in their approach to residence and work permit approvals.

 

The approach was also affected by members’ consideration of the ‘Fairclough Report” published in the UK in 1995 and related to agreed proposals for ‘Unification of the Engineering Profession’ ie that we might all work together and speak with one voice to Governments and others as Professional Engineers rather than the then 40 – often overlapping – disciplines of PEI registered with the EC. 

 

EXTRACTS FROM ICE UAE BRANCH NEWSLETTER 1995 10 05  (REFER TO SHEET ATTACHED)

The EC structure was to be based on four main Colleges (which are reflected in our four PCE UAE Committee Divisions). These groupings of PEI were to be led by the three oldest PEI ICE, IMechE and IEE along with IChemE.  We aim to load a copy of that NEWSLETTER drafted by yours truly and mailed (before e-mail coverage) to all members in UAE – contained items probably as relevant today as they were then.

 

I believe that since then many of the ‘major institutions’ have not operated as envisaged like Boards of Directors whereby once a consensus Board decision has been taken individual directors who may not have agreed must go along  with and support that ‘Group” decision – or resign!   Many PEI HQ appear mainly to seek more member numbers and kudos..  

 

PCE UAE STRUCTURE & REPRESENTATION

The present PCE UAE Committee structure with its core pro-active volunteers - HonSec, HonTreas, MemSec, and ProgSec reflects this in its four divisions each with senior corporate Fellows or Members representing senior and younger members of PEI which formally supporting PCE UAE. This was illustrated in 1996 by non inclusion of IEE formal representation on the PCE UAE Committee in 1996 when they formed a local UAE Branch prior to dissolving it in 1998 to formally join PCE. Hence the future representation of ICE – if any - on the PCE UAE Committee will now have to be considered by members in the country in view of the ICE unilateral retrospective strategy decision announced by ICE HQ London including:

·         A new ICE Country Representative (effective 2008 04 03)

·         The Representative will not be a member of PCE UAE Committee

·         He will establish an ICE UAE Committee separate from PCE UAE

·         The Representative will arrange ICE events undertaken by PCE UAE for the last 12 years

·         PCE UAE will cease to be ‘Administered’ by ICE from the end of 2008.

·         No reference to ICE providing any financial grant aided support to PCE UAE

 

At present ICE has seven Corporate Fellows or Members on the PCE UAE Committee.  This represents over 50% of Committee members.  However ICE membership is estimated at only 25% of potential total membership in the country PCE UAE Committee members include two past Chairmen of the ICE UAE Branch which Council agreed to dissolve in 1995 plus Steve Taylor as a Vice Chair who had taken over from Peter Hudson as CPR Interview Co-ordinator delegated from the previous country representative..   

 

The ICE and all other PEI interested to support PCE UAE know from their membership computer databases the numbers in country each year hence the PCE UAE Committee and members are surprised and disappointed that ICE has been unwilling (or unable) contribute financially to our PCE UAE 001-295153-001 account at Abu Dhabi HQ in the last 10 years!  They now state that they have decided that PCE UAE will cease to be administered by ICE from the end of 2008.  Other International Groups be warned!

 

CONCLUSION

I hope that you have found some of the above topics of interest.  Any feedback comments should go direct to our PCE UAE Honorary Secretary Er Roderick J Chisholm MSc(Eng), FICE, FIStructE, MUAESE to whom registration for events should also be sent.  PS:  Remember we aim to ‘Market’ The Engineering Profession, EC, PCE UAE and related PEI and their qualifications.  They are not recognised and accepted worldwide as many infer.  If you think they should be then quote them.

 

Kindest regards, Alister

Er Alister I M Macmillan, BSc, CEng, FIBMC, FICE, FIMechE, FIET

Management Consultant and Professional Chartered Engineer, Chair PCE UAE

822P80524PCE UAE(NEWSLETTER 2008No6                                                                                                    CHECK WEB    www.pceuae.net

PCE   PROFESSIONAL   CHARTERED   ENGINEERS                        NEWSLETTER 2008No6

UAE             UNITED ARAB EMIRATES GROUP (PCE UAE)            & NOTICE JUNE 2008  

PCE UAE  members are all UAE based Registrants of the UK Engineering Council (EC) qualified as Chartered Engineers (CEng), Incorporated Engineers (IEng) and Engineering Technicians (EngT) plus all other members of the 35 Professional Engineering Institutions licensed by the EC which have agreed to support PCE UAE.  We also aim to assist prospective members of all nationalities.

 

EXTRACTS FROM ICE UAE BRANCH NEWSLETTER 1995 10 05

 

The EC structure was to be based on four main Colleges (which are reflected in our four PCE UAE Committee Divisions). These groupings of PEI were to be led by the three oldest PEI ICE, IMechE and IEE along with IChemE.  We aim to load a copy of that NEWSLETTER drafted by yours truly and mailed (before e-mail coverage) to all members in UAE – contained items probably as relevant today as they were then.

 

The NEWSLETTER – mailed before significant e-mail usage covered a number of topics including extracts from  ‘Professional Engineering eg  “Fairclough pushes for a winning compromise”  .“Where do we go next on unification?”

 

The ICE UAE Committee Members 1994-95. -  Of the 12 Members of Committee listed only three are still in the country far less available for advice to younger (and older) members.  Two of these were ICE Branch Chairmen and have continued to volunteer and have been re-elected to the present PCE UAE Committee!  

ICE Country Representation – This page referred to aims and planned activities including arrangements for official Presidential visits to the UAE

 

NOTICE of TECHNICAL MEETING - ‘Marketing and Civil Engineering – Uncivil Bedfellows or a Structural Relationship by Professor Geoff Lancaster,

 

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT – CTA Thomas Telford Courses. “Contract Law’, ‘Marketing Professional Services’, ‘Management Practice for Consulting Engineers’  at Dhs 750 per delegate for each one day course.  (The sad story here was that while registrations reached nearly 100 participant days in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and the committee having arranged flights, accommodation, facilities etc to meet such demand then at the last  minute all delegates from a British based consultancy pulled out late ostensibly because the individuals would not accept a day taken from their annual leave while their firm had agreed to pay for the seminar.  We have never really recovered from unexpected losses incurred as we have since received virtually no grant support from ICE and other PEI..  Now that firm has grown in size, runs its own in-house courses and does not necessarily invite others to participate.

 

EXTRACT FROM ‘Professional Engineering 1994 11 09 ‘Fairclough Pushes for Winning Compromise”  Sir John Fairclough’s final proposal for unifying the engineering profession and upgrading the 13 year old Engineering Council is short on grand vision but long on practicality, consensus and common sense. There is now talk of partnership, of  working in unity and of striving to bring about a dramatic increase in recognition of the profession by society and industry.  Any lingering grandiose ideas of merging institutions are out.  The new relationship between the institutions and th new engineering body must recognise the diversity of interests of professional engineers.”    .

 

EXTRACT FROM ‘Professional Engineering 1994 11 09 – “Where we go next in Unification”.  This was an interesting article by Brian Kent then President of IMechE.   The Council had discussed the report on Unification dated 1994 10 24.  “It is enough to gain support for progress towards that much needed influential voice for the profession”  “The three biggest Institutions have accepted proposals”  “I believe we should stop looking backwards…and look forward to the opportunities we have to influence the creation and operation of the new body” “It will be the leadership by the major institutions which will give the future a chance”  “I therefore ask you to support your Council’s decision” 

 

CUTTINGS FROM local NEWSPAPERS on topics as relevant today as they were then. Ie

Gulf News 1995 01 07    “Safety ignored, lives imperilled at building sites”

 (PS –The press this week reports deaths from falls on construction sites - two killed at Burj Dubai site and one falling from building in Abu Dhabi Death from fall on site this week)

Emirates News 1995 01 05   “Miracles never cease”– on deaths and survival on construction sites.

(This article was written by my daughter Fiona, then a journalist, in her weekly ‘In Town” page)

 

I believe that since 1994 many of the ‘major institutions’ have not operated as envisaged whereby policies and strategies are debated and decisions taken like Boards of Directors whereby once a consensus Board decision has been taken individual directors who may not have agreed must go along  with and support that ‘Group” decision – or resign!   Many PEI appear to seek member numbers and kudos rather than quality. 

Extract by Er Alister I M Macmillan Chair of former ICE Branch in UAE 1993

NOTE: (Original NEWSLETTER text is available on PCE UAE web pages at www.pceuae.net