New era for certification and professional development as FIDIC Credentialing launched

02 MAR 2021

NEW ERA FOR CERTIFICATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AS FIDIC CREDENTIALING LAUNCHED

The launch of a new FIDIC Credentialing Ltd (FCL) company offering certification and professional development services to a range of professionals working in the global infrastructure industry is set to herald a new era for credentialing for the construction and infrastructure sector, ensuring that evaluation and certification programmes are available all year round to industry professionals.

FCL, a subsidiary of international engineering federation FIDIC but trading as an independent body, will provide a wide range of quality examination and certification services for global professionals working in the construction and infrastructure sector. Available programmes offered online will include assessments of adjudicators, contract managers, consulting engineers, future leaders and trainers, leading to certifications.

A dedicated team of experts and practitioners, with hands-on experience in their respective fields of expertise, has been assembled by FCL to provide examination and certification services to professionals. The service is overseen by an FCL management board chaired by international judge and arbitrator Sir Vivian Ramsey. Members of the management board include leading international construction professionals Baroness Brown of Cambridge (UK), FIDIC vice president Tony Barry (Australia), International Bar Association member Aisha Nadar (Sweden), FIDIC chief executive Dr Nelson Ogunshakin (Switzerland), former chairman of the American Council of Engineering Companies Gregs Thomopulos (USA) and John Uff, Emeritus Professor of Engineering Law at King’s College, London (UK). The multinational membership of the certification board is drawn from ten countries.

Commenting on the launch of the FCL service, FIDIC chief executive Nelson Ogunshakin said: “The new FIDIC Credentialing service will herald a new era for certification and professional development services for the infrastructure sector and help drive improvement in project delivery using FIDIC systems and contracts. FIDIC’s Code of Ethics, contracts, management systems and guides are already highly valued by governments, multilateral banks, infrastructure providers and developers and the better trained and experienced professionals are working on global projects, the more likely it is that the industry will achieve successful investment and project outcomes. FIDIC Credentialing is designed to assist in this and I’m looking forward to its global roll out over the coming months.”

Chair of the FCL management board Sir Vivian Ramsey said: “FIDIC Credentialing will ensure that quality evaluation and certification programmes are available throughout the world and all year round to industry professionals in the global construction and infrastructure sector. The importance of these programmes is underlined by the fact that a number of the multilateral banks [who are] using the FIDIC suite of contracts have indicated a very significant increase in the need for adjudicators and contract managers to support their project delivery. FCL will provide the necessary support to meet that increased demand though the availability of local programmes worldwide.”

FIDIC president elect and member of the FCL management board, Tony Barry, commented: “FIDIC Credentialing provides a platform through which individuals can be certified in their knowledge and application of FIDIC’s Code of Ethics, FIDIC contracts and FIDIC management systems and guides, known as the FIDIC Body of Knowledge. If we are to make a difference and be valued by governments, multilateral banks, infrastructure providers, developers and the construction industry more broadly, the better trained and experienced the professionals are who working on the projects, the more likely it is that the industry will achieve successful investment and project outcomes.”

Commenting on the launch, Michele Kruger, Head of Advisory at MPA Mott and a FIDIC Credentialing certification board member, said: “FIDIC Credentialing will go a long way in ensuring that more people not only get trained and accredited but understand that FIDIC is so much more than just contracts. It has its pillars in FIDIC’s core principles of quality, integrity and sustainability and as such any credentialing has the stamp of quality. Credentialing will ensure a fair platform for all to be assessed and as such fulfil a need for quality FIDIC trainers, future leaders, accredited engineers, contract managers and arbitrators.”

The FIDIC Credentialing website is now live at http://fcl.fidic.org/ All FCL's certification examinations are delivered internationally and recognised by the global infrastructure industry.

Members of the FIDIC Credentialing Management Board