On November 29th the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Colegio de Ingenieros de Caminos (CICCP) held a joint event at the CICCP headquarters in Madrid, aimed at sharing different perspectives about some of the key issues the profession faces currently
ICE Membership Director and Head of International David Lloyd-Roach described the meaning and benefits of ICE Membership, with specific attention to its value as an international professional ‘passport’, and the qualification process for the different routes and grades.
José Sáez, Head of International Relations at CICCP provided an outline of the international mobility framework from the perspective of Spanish Ingenieros de Caminos. ICE representative in Spain José Cordovilla followed with an overview of the lessons learnt in mutual recognition between the two institutions before and after the enforcement of the EU Directive 36/2005/CE. Mr Cordovilla then spoke about the planning and procurement process of infrastructure in the UK and the new infrastructure investment plan. He also commented on the history of the ICE State of the Nation report and its contribution to raising the profile of civil engineers.
Ian Rogers of Arup gave a presentation about professional liability in the UK, covering the principles of professional insurance in civil engineering and giving illustrative examples of good and bad experiences in the management of liabilities in construction contracts. In contrast, Tomás Galán of FAM (mutual insurance company for Spanish civil engineers), explained the fundamentals of professional liability in Spain, and how CICCP provides extended insurance cover when 'Visado', an official endorsement of the work, no longer compulsory since the EU Services Directive came into force, is used.
The joint event finished with a round-table discussion about the value and challenges of continuing professional development in civil engineering, where José Luis González, President of Tecniberia, Spanish Association of Consultants, joined José Saez, David Lloyd-Roach and José Cordovilla in the debate. This discussion, also shared by the audience, highlighted the need for raising awareness among the professionals about the individual's responsibility in planning and implementing their continuing development in creative and communicative ways.
The event was recorded on video and is available for viewing on the following links:
http://live.ciccp.es/p28351322/
http://live.ciccp.es/p97528239/