The South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) has announced that the Civilution Forum, a body of like-minded voluntary associations, held their first meeting after the Civilution Congress in April. The Forum aims to lead, drive and monitor the Civilution movement to bring together all the major role players of the engineering industry in a common space, and to collaborate on workable alternatives to industry problems. It seeks to advance the aspirations of the engineering profession as encompassed by the Civilution movement.
The Forum met to discuss ground gained after the Civilution Congress, which aimed to encourage engineering practitioners to act and think differently and to contribute to addressing engineering issues and the manner in which they are undertaken.
Participants from SAIIE (South African Institute of industrial Engineering, SAFCEC (South African Forum of Civil Engineering Contractors), SAAMA (South African Asset Management Association), SASTT (South African Society for Trenchless Technology), SAIEE (South African Institute of Electrical Engineers), The Concrete Institute and SAICE attended. All agreed that regardless of short-comings, the Congress succeeded in drawing attention to the movement.
The Forum’s original focus was on seven challenges, but after Civilution and noting the extent and resources required to provide solutions, the Forum identified three challenges requiring urgent attention:
• Technical capacity in the government sector
• Technical leadership and learned society activity, and
• Raising public, industry and government awareness of the value that engineering adds to the economy
Pilot project
The Forum agreed to look into providing a group of experienced professionals from each institution to serve as a council of trusted advisors to relevant local government bodies. The City Manager of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM), Khaya Ngema, has welcomed this initiative, and the Forum plans to offer the service to the EMM. This will serve as a pilot that will be rolled out to other centres. The group will offer city leaders a sounding board for infrastructure planning and delivery.
More information from Marie Ashpole, Tel: +27 (0)11 805 5947/ Email: marie@saice.org.za
